Lead Researcher- Unannounced Title

About the role

The Lead Researcher will join Scopely's Research & Insights team to design and implement user research programs for a new Mobile/PC game in development. This role serves as a strategic partner to product leadership, driving the research roadmap and influencing design decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead research initiatives to drive a deeper understanding of the player experience across game development and live operations
• Serve as a driving strategic partner to product leadership, identifying where research can inform design vision, roadmap priorities, and player experience strategy
• Own and drive the end-to-end user experience research function, from defining research strategy through execution, synthesis, and delivery of insights
• Collaborate with game development, strategy, and leadership teams to translate insights into KPIs, product decisions, and solutions to player experience challenges
• Design, execute, and present high-impact quantitative and qualitative user experience research studies in partnership with consumer insights, research operations, and cross-functional teams
• Translate research findings into clear, actionable recommendations that influence design decisions and measurable outcomes
• As required, manage external research partners, ensuring cost-effective methods with clear objectives and timely, high-quality results
• Help define, evolve, and scale research methodologies, frameworks, and best practices across Scopely’s Research & Insight’s user research division
• Mentor and support other user researchers, contributing to the growth and maturity of the team’s capabilities and impact

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Psychology, Human-Computer Interaction, Game Design, Social Science, or a related field; MBA, Master’s, or PhD preferred
• 8+ years of experience conducting end-to-end user experience research in gaming at either a developer/publisher or research agency
• Strong expertise in mixed-method user experience research, with demonstrated ability to select and apply appropriate methodologies across various stages of production
• Proven track record of driving measurable product or player experience improvements through research insights from a variety of sources
• Experience supporting product strategy and roadmap decisions through research in complex, cross-functional environments
• Experience working with and managing external research vendors
• Strong interpersonal, analytical, and project management skills
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and align cross-functional teams using evidence-based insights
• Passion for gaming and a strong understanding of core loops and monetization of mobile/PC games
• High attention to detail, intellectual curiosity, and comfort tackling complex and ambiguous problem spaces

Qualifications

• Familiarity with online survey tools (e.g., Qualtrics, SurveyGizmo/Alchemer) and remote testing platforms (e.g., PlaytestCloud, UserTesting)
• Experience advanced AI analysis or analytics tools such as SPSS and SQL
• Experience in social play or midcore live-service games

Benefits

At Scopely, we offer a comprehensive benefits package including healthcare benefits, retirement benefits, pet insurance, paid holidays, paid Scopely free days, and unlimited paid time off. Base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Pay

For candidates in CA, CO, NJ, NY, and WA, the annual salary range is provided below.

Schedule

Quarterly travel for in-person research at our LA-based Lab is required.