Senior UX Researcher, Machine Learning

Company Description
Etsy is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods. We build, power, and evolve the tools and technologies that connect millions of entrepreneurs with millions of buyers around the world. As an Etsy Inc. employee, whether a team member of Etsy or Depop, you will tackle unique, meaningful, and large-scale problems alongside passionate coworkers, all the while making a rewarding impact and Keeping Commerce Human.

What's the role? 

We’re looking for a Senior User Experience Researcher who’s passionate about blending data science and human insight to shape how our machine learning systems — powering Search, Recommendations, and Ads — help people discover the things they love.
 

This is a full-time position reporting to the Product Research Manager. In addition to salary, you will also be eligible for an equity package, an annual performance bonus, and our competitive benefits that support you and your family as part of your total rewards package at Etsy. 

For this role, we are considering candidates based in the United States. Candidates living within commutable distance of Etsy’s Brooklyn Office Hub or in the San Francisco Bay Area may be the first to be considered. For candidates within commutable distance, Etsy requires in-office attendance once or twice per week depending on your proximity to the office. Etsy offers different work modes to meet the variety of needs and preferences of our team. Learn more details about our  work modes and workplace safety policies here.

What’s this team like at Etsy?

The Search, Recommendations, and Ads ML teams work on systems that influence nearly every buyer and seller experience on Etsy. Together, you’ll explore how customers interact with algorithms — how they search, how they browse, and how they trust what they see — and ensure our models reflect the diversity, creativity, and authenticity of our community.

What does the day-to-day look like? 

• Design and lead research that blends quantitative analysis with qualitative storytelling to illuminate how buyers and sellers experience Etsy’s machine-learning-powered features (e.g., data-driven segmentation, survey analysis, journey mapping). 

• Partner with ML engineers and data scientists to identify where human insights can inform model training, evaluation, and optimization.

• Study how users interpret algorithmic recommendations, search results, and ad placements — and how those systems can better align with user intent, expectations, and delight.

• Combine attitudinal data derived from interviews, usability studies, and surveys with behavioral and analytics data to identify impactful opportunities to improve our ML models.

• Develop evaluation frameworks that combine quantitative metrics (relevance, engagement, fairness) with human experience measures (trust, satisfaction).

• Communicate insights through engaging storytelling — turning data, quotes, and trends into clear guidance for cross-functional partners.

• Of course, this is just a sample of the kinds of work this role will require! You should assume that your role will encompass other tasks, too, and that your job duties and responsibilities may change from time to time at Etsy's discretion, or otherwise applicable with local law.

Qualities that will help you thrive in this role are: 

• You’re fluent in both human stories and statistical models — equally comfortable running regressions or facilitating a cross-functional strategy workshop.

• You’ve led user research in complex, data-driven environments and have 3+ years of experience influencing product decisions.

• You are confident with qualitative and quantitative user