Senior User Researcher, Games

The mission of The New York Times is to seek the truth and help people understand the world. That means independent journalism is at the heart of all we do as a company. It’s why we have a world-renowned newsroom that sends journalists to report on the ground from nearly 160 countries. It’s why we focus deeply on how our readers will experience our journalism, from print to audio to a world-class digital and app destination. And it’s why our business strategy centers on making journalism so good that it’s worth paying for. 

Mission Overview & Responsibilities: 

The mission of the Audience Insights Group is to help The Times grow by understanding our audience. As a dedicated group of researchers, we use a diverse range of tools, methods, and approaches spanning product, human-centered design, innovation, market, and UX research. Grounded in the principles of social sciences—including Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, and Behavioral Economics—we bring a diverse perspective to uncover insights that inform and inspire.

We are looking for a Senior User Researcher to lead essential research projects for The New York Times Games, reporting to the Games Research Director. This is a remote friendly position.

If you excel at identifying meaningful insights from research and know how to present, share, and activate this data in ways that empower teams, this role is for you. You value building enthusiasm and fostering collaboration with partners in design, product, and game design, inspiring creativity and driving informed decision-making.

Responsibilities:

• Guide a user-centered research approach for specific Games squads, working with designers, product managers, developers, marketers, and other researchers.
• Work with project team members to frame-up questions and to develop research proposals for solving them, with guidance from the Research Director.
• Recommend, alongside the Games research team, the most appropriate methodologies for generating user insights, including participatory design, in-person and remote interviews, ethnographies, user-initiated feedback tools, card-sorting, surveys, and usability studies.
• Make the case for research when applicable to inform decisions.
• Present findings and research-backed, actionable recommendations to colleagues and senior management.
• Manage research projects across an emerging Games squad to meet team goals.
• Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.

Basic Qualifications:

• 4+ years of professional experience conducting research and providing insights in a relevant field
• Experience conducting research and collaborating with teams on mobile applications or app development projects
• Experience presenting findings and creating clear, professional written communications tailored to diverse audiences
• Experience working in team environments, including responding to challenges, incorporating feedback, and adapting to evolving circumstances

Preferred Qualifications:

• Expertise in design, product, or user research
• Familiarity with 0-1 research methods and processes
• Familiarity with quantitative research methods
• Experience researching digital games or gamified experiences

REQ-017627

The annual base pay range for this role is between:$105,000—$115,000 USD

The New York Times is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce, one that reflects the varied global community we serve. Our journalism and the products we build in the service of that journalism greatly benefit from a range of perspectives, which can only come from diversity of all types, across our ranks, at all levels of the organization. Achieving true diversity and inclusion is the right thing to do. It is also the smart thing for our business. So we strongly encourage women, veterans, people with disabilities, people of color and gender nonconforming candidates to apply.

The New York Times Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of an individual's sex, age, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage, religion, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation or affectional preference, gender identity and expression, disability, genetic trait or predisposition, carrier status, citizenship, veteran or military status and other personal characteristics protected by law. All applications will receive consideration for employment without r