PlayStation Studios is looking for a Lead User Researcher to join its growing internal user research department in London (UK). This is an exceptional opportunity to help our teams create world class games by providing reliable & practical feedback on game experience via rigorous research with consumers. We know that many people in UX come from backgrounds with different experiences that might not seem "standard". We really value people who bring unique perspectives and add new knowledge to our team. So even if you feel that you don't meet all the points listed below, we'd still love to hear from you. 

Role & Responsibilities 

• ​Collaborate with game developers to effectively fit high impact user feedback into their development processes through coaching / directing of senior & mid-level researchers. 

• Plan research strategy and research staffing requirements across several partner studios. 

• Manage the work of a small team of user researchers, having responsibility for their career growth, wellbeing, and success. 

• ​Ensure best practice for research, planning, analysis, and reporting across the research team. 

• Manage stakeholder requirements; production, development, design and research. 

• ​Translate development goals and strategies into research opportunities. 

• ​Increase the impact of research findings and impact across studio leadership. 

• ​Prepare and effectively communicate bespoke reporting deliverables which demonstrate an understanding of the game design process, written to be consumed by the various disciplines of the development team. 

• ​Work with teams to create and track post-test action plans.  

• ​Coordinate with other internal teams, such as consumer insights and analytics, to increase the effectiveness and influence of user research 

• Organise and coordinate global research work with other games user researchers based in the US.  

• ​Work with leadership on team systems and organisational improvements, team growth needs, and the hiring process 

• Act as an ambassador, advocating user research and UCD principles internally and externally​. 

Experience & Knowledge 

• Significant industry experience delivering research across all phases of development of AAA videogame titles or products of equivalent complexity. 

• Have studied HCI, Interaction Design or a related subject area such as Cognitive Psychology to degree level including practical experience of moderating tests with users. 

• A masters level degree or higher would be preferable. 

• Proven methodological skills including expert review, usability testing, playtesting, survey design, text & verbal analysis, and observational fieldwork, as well as ability to triangulate across multiple methods to answer multifaceted questions. 

• Proven ability to work effectively with other insights-generating teams, such as community managers, marketing, and analytics / data science, to synthesize complex streams of data into actionable insights.  

• Experience mentoring or managing more junior user researchers 

• A passionate interest in video games. 

Skills 

The successful candidate should demonstrate: 

• Deep and broad experience with qualitative research methods 

• Strong verbal and written communication skills; presenting information concisely and effectively to people at all levels of the organisation. 

• Excellent negotiation and influencing skills and be able to work well with cross-functional teams. 

• Good organisation skills with the ability to prioritise tasks, for themselves and direct reports, effectively in a fast-paced environment. 

• Excellent attention to detail and a strong commitment to quality, both in terms of your own work & in improving product quality through user research. 

• A commitment to reliability, with a clear understanding & communication of the limitations of the research results. 

• A good grounding in HCI and usability methods and excellent analytical ability; able to identify the key problems which need to be addressed. 

• Ability to be open-minded and forward thinking and actively maintain an interest in the field. 

Bonus Points 

• Competency with descriptive and inferential statistical techniques and tools such as telemetry, SPSS, R, regression and ANOVA 

• An understanding of a live service product & the role of user research to support continued development 

• An understanding of the game development process & the role & limitations of user research at each development stage 

Benefits: 

• Discretionary bonus opportunity
• Private Medical Insurance
• Dental Scheme
• 25 days holiday per year
• On Site Gym
• Subsidised Café
• Free soft drinks
• On site bar
• Access to cycle garage and showers

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