Lead UX Researcher, Merchant Risk Experience

The Risk team works to protect the people that trust Square, by minimizing the financial risks that come with running a business. We keep our sellers safe while $25B+ flows through Square annually, and along the way help each other make calculated risk/reward trade offs to grow sellers, and make complicated and sometimes painful processes understandable to all.

As a Lead UX Researcher, you'll lead research that influences strategic decisions that help get sellers their money faster and protect them along the way. We know we can only build remarkable products if we have empathy for our customers' lives first and that's where you come in. You'll help connect Square Risk with the sellers we serve – learning from their unique stories and challenges as a business owner. You'll be embedded into a collaborative team of product managers, product designers, data analysts, and product marketers as the voice of our sellers. You'll guide and inspire the team by delivering research that uncovers meaningful insights. You'll report to the Design Lead for Risk and be a part of a community of researchers across Square where you can grow in your craft.

You Will:

• Help our team identify opportunities to better serve our sellers, inspire product strategy, and encourage design iteration.
• Lead the design and implementation of research projects.
• Plan and implement a research roadmap for the Risk team. You'll work with team members to Identify and scope research needs from small to large. You'll zoom in on where and how you can create the most impact.
• Design and build research projects, choosing the right mix of quant/qual methods, speed, and depth vs breadth, to answer complex questions. You'll bring your team members into your research process to grow their understanding of our sellers and the problems we're trying to solve.
• Guide and influence our roadmaps by translating insights into actions.
• Provide guidance and training on research tools and techniques to help non-researchers to conduct "self-service" research and validation activities.
• Guide Research adoption and cultural change by sharing your facilitation skills, knowledge and findings, and skills to boost the Payment Platform Team's empathy and compassion towards our Sellers.
• Contribute to Block and Square's Research & Design community, including creating ways to enhance the visibility of our research, learning from others' skills and sharing your own, and developing helpful tools and frameworks.

You Have:

• 8+ years of experience conducting UX research in a professional environment
• Experience designing and leading generative and evaluative research using a range of techniques (e.g. remote and in-person interviews, usability testing, concept testing, workshops, journey mapping, surveys).
• Experience designing learning plans and leading stakeholders through the creation process
• Expertise in conducting different types of research, including exploratory research, segmentation studies, value proposition, customer satisfaction, new product/feature testing, pricing, and more.
• Experience conducting survey research end-to-end including questionnaire development, programming, sample management, data analysis, and reporting
• Project management skills, including planning logistics, coordinating activities with multiple team members, and flexibly adapting to changes.
• A willingness to get hands-on and personally recruit participants.
• A collaborative mindset, with experience working across teams and forging partnerships.
• Experience utilizing User Journey Maps and Service Blueprints to identify gaps and opportunities across organizational boundaries.

Block takes a market-based approach to pay, and pay may vary depending on your location. U.S. locations are categorized into one of four zones based on a cost of labor index for that geographic area. The successful candidate’s starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future.

Zone A: USD $184,100 - USD $225,000
Zone B: USD $174,900 - USD $213,700
Zone C: USD $165,700 - USD $202,500
Zone D: USD $156,400 - USD $191,200

To find a location’s zone designation, please refer to this resource. If a location of interest is not listed, please speak with a recruiter for additional information. 

Benefits include the following:

• Healthcare coverage
• Retirement Plans including company match 
• Employee Stock Purchase Program
• Wellness programs, including access to mental health, 1:1 financial planners, and a monthly wellness allowance 
• Paid parental and caregiving leave
• Paid time off
• Learning and Development resources
• Paid Life insurance, AD&D. and disability benefits 
• Perks such as WFH reimbursements and free access to caregiving, legal, and discounted resources 

This role is also eligible to participate in Block's equity plan subject to the terms of the applicable plans and policies, and may be eligible for a sign-on bonus. Sales roles may be eligible to participate in a commission plan subject to the terms of the applicable plans and policies. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefit plans.

We’re working to build a more inclusive economy where our customers have equal access to opportunity, and we strive to live by these same values in building our workplace. Block is a proud equal opportunity employer. We work hard to evaluate all employees and job applicants consistently, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class. 

We believe in being fair, and are committed to an inclusive interview experience, including providing reasonable accommodations to disabled applicants throughout the recruitment process. We encourage applicants to share any needed accommodations with their recruiter, who will treat these requests as confidentially as possible. Want to learn more about what we’re doing to build a workplace that is fair and square? Check out our I+D page. 

Additionally, we consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment on our team, and always assess candidates on an individualized basis.

Block, Inc. (NYSE: SQ) is a global technology company with a focus on financial services. Made up of Square, Cash App, Spiral, TIDAL, and TBD, we build tools to help more people access the economy. Square helps sellers run and grow their businesses with its integrated ecosystem of commerce solutions, business software, and banking services. With Cash App, anyone can easily send, spend, or invest their money in stocks or Bitcoin. Spiral (formerly Square Crypto) builds and funds free, open-source Bitcoin projects. Artists use TIDAL to help them succeed as entrepreneurs and connect more deeply with fans. TBD is building an open developer platform to make it easier to access Bitcoin and other blockchain technologies without having to go through an institution.