Senior User/UX Researcher

Job Summary:

Square Enix London is looking for a Senior User/UX Researcher to support all Square Enix titles with high-quality research. This a full-stack, hands-on role that will join us at an exciting time where we are re-building and re-thinking the user research function. You will have a chance to truly influence the direction we take. This role reports into the Greenlight & User Research Director.

Key Deliverables:

The Senior User/UX Researcher is responsible for managing all aspects of User/UX Research at Square Enix London, working closely with the User Research Director to ensure high quality, impactful, and cost-effective Research. This includes tailoring User Research plans for a diverse range of titles, budgets, and schedules, performing research activities, and further developing methodologies and approaches based on industry trends and best practices, as well as own ideas for research innovation. The plan is that the Senior User/UX Researcher, in time, will manage a small team.

• Effectively manage all aspects of User Research studies, including vendor relations, preparing, and running studies, writing reports, debriefing, tracking etc.
• Work with the User Research Director to build and align the User Research vision with the overall department and group strategy and provide input to this strategy when relevant.
• Work closely with development teams near and far to help them understand the User Research program and inspire teams to integrate User Research into their projects.
• Co-create User Research standards and procedures for franchises, production schedules and budgets (incl. lab-facilities, remote testing etc.).
• Review methodologies in action and update as needed, based on internal needs and new research methods becoming available and/or relevant.
• Help establish pipeline for efficiently sourcing and tracking participants (we’re looking to use vendors as much as possible, but also to build our own list/panel sourced from the local area).

Knowledge & Experience:

• Extensive experience as a User/UX research manager or managing senior User/UX researcher, preferably in the video game industry (although we are open to people with strong research backgrounds from other industries).
• The Senior User/UX Researcher must be experienced in research design for video game studies (console/mobile) as well as more ‘traditional’ website/app research studies, fluent in a relevant range of qualitative and quantitative social science and behavioral research methodologies and be able to quickly and effectively analyze and present data to influence project quality.
• A Master’s degree (MA) in a relevant field is preferred (e.g., HCI, Psychology, Sociology, Ethnography etc.). Solid practical skills must rest on a bedrock of theoretical knowledge – the Senior User/UX Researcher must have a theoretical perspective on their practice and understand the limitations and opportunities that different theories and methodologies offer.
• The Senior User/UX Researcher preferably has experience with personnel management and development, and ability to work well with executive-level managers and development teams.
• Strong collaborative skills, and works well with cross-functional teams, including game designers, producers, engineers, and artists.
• The ability to persuasively argue from and visualize data for audiences with either minimal or extensive research or statistical backgrounds is essential.
• Must be able to work independently.
• Solid knowledge of user-centered design principles, or related design methodologies (e.g., design thinking, double-diamond, service design etc.)
• It would be a plus if you have

- Experience working with Japanese development teams.

- Experience using video for reporting purposes.

- Experience with Power BI, Tableau, R, Python, analytics, and/or advanced statistical methods.

- Experience with advanced qualitative methods (e.g., metaphor elicitation, participatory design studies, service design research, service blueprinting, participatory design sessions etc.)

Our goal at Square Enix is to hire, retain, develop and promote the best talent, regardless of age, gender, race, religious, belief, sexual orientation or physical ability.

Our pledge to D&I

At Square Enix we believe in the importance of being a diverse and global company, and we stand firmly together against any forms of injustice, intolerance, harassment or discrimination. In our effort to create a truly diverse workforce, we pledge to continue to raise awareness in every step of the employee experience, from recruitment to promotions to ensure equal opportunities for all. One of our goals is to champion diversity in games and at work and work together to inspire real change.

Learning and education around D&I will be a key element for us to continue to grow as an organization. With unconscious bias training, D&I workshops and a variety of initiatives to give our employees the opportunity to be heard and be part of that change to achieve real equality. We need all our efforts to continue to build our culture of inclusion and equality.

We are also proud to partner with UKIE's Raise the Game pledge, BAME in Games and Women in Games, to name a few.

Hybrid Working Policy

Square Enix is pleased to be an employer that offers flexibility within the workplace.

We have a hybrid working policy which allows employees to work from the comfort of their home, three days per week, and in our amazing Blackfriars office for the other two.

Or, if being in the Office is your preference, you can choose three days working from our office and two days working from home. The choice is yours!