Senior User Researcher

At the Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI), we leverage technology to drive opportunity, improve public safety, and help government run better across New York City. From delivering affordable broadband to protecting against cybersecurity threats and building digital government services, OTI is at the forefront of how the city delivers for New Yorkers in the 21st century. We offer great benefits and the chance to work on projects that have a meaningful impact on millions of people. You'll collaborate with passionate professionals using cutting-edge technology to make a difference.

About the role

The Product Development team is seeking a Senior User Researcher to lead end-to-end research (generative, evaluative, and mixed methods, desk research, and analytics) on the cross-functional SPEED team. This role will provide clear and actionable recommendations to deliver systems that shorten new construction permitting.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end research (generative, evaluative, and mixed methods synthesized with desk research and analytics).
• Translate qualitative and quantitative research into clear and actionable recommendations for the product development team and project stakeholders.
• Represent user research to leadership, external stakeholders, and technical teammates in plain language.
• Recruit and conduct research directly with New Yorkers who use government services, many of whom face language, disability, or digital-access barriers that require thoughtful, accessible research design.
• Establish and maintain research operations: a participant recruitment pipeline appropriate for a government context, and reusable methods/templates the wider design team can use.
• Serve as the team's methodological quality bar: review other researchers' and designers' study designs and conclusions, catch failure modes before they reach decision-makers, and codify guardrails into shared standards.
• Define methodological standards to ensure mixed-methods approaches are rigorous enough to inform decisions.
• Handle special projects and initiatives as assigned.

Qualifications

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college in computer science, engineering, human-computer interaction, interactive media, digital and graphics design, data visualization, communication, or a related field, and four years of satisfactory full-time experience related to the area(s) required by the position, with a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology, and/or domain; or

An associate degree from an accredited college in the fields listed above, and six years of satisfactory full-time experience related to the area(s) required by the position, with a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology, and/or domain; or

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, and eight years of satisfactory full-time experience related to the area(s) required by the position, with a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology, and/or domain; or

Education and/or experience equivalent to the above.

Preferred Skills

• 10+ years of user research experience, including senior research roles on cross-functional product teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to address complex challenges.
• Ability to manage multiple research projects with fast and accurate learning.
• Deep fluency across research methods (interviews, contextual inquiry, diary studies, usability testing, surveys, and quantitative/behavioral analysis) with the ability to cross-check against desk research and analytics.
• Experience creating visual artifacts such as journey maps, service blueprints, and systems maps.
• Experience researching with vulnerable, low-income, or historically underserved populations, with genuine command of accessible and equitable research practices (multilingual research, low-digital-literacy participants, trauma-informed methods).
• Experience building team research practice for an early-stage research team, including recruitment pipelines, repositories, and research operations.
• Best-in-class attention to detail with strong written and verbal communication skills in plain language (e.g., writing findings memos for leadership).
• Understanding of statistical principles to evaluate data.
• Exemplifies diverse representation and accessibility in research practice and past projects.
• Experience researching multi-sided systems (e.g., applicants and caseworkers, or residents and developers) where different user groups have competing needs is a plus.
• Certification in evaluation practice (e.g., The Evaluators’ Institute (TEI)) or equivalent education is a plus.

Schedule

Day shift. Due to the necessary duties of this position in a 24/7 operation, the candidate may be required to work various shifts such as weekends and/or nights/evenings.

Location

Brooklyn, NY

Public Service Loan Forgiveness: As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website.