User Researcher

Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Studios is looking for a user researcher to join its growing internal user research department in London (UK). This is an exceptional opportunity to help our teams create world class games by providing reliable & actionable feedback on game experience via rigorous research with consumers.

The successful candidate will collaborate with the teams behind exclusive PlayStation titles such as Marvel’s Spider-Man, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Returnal, and Death Stranding. Using our world class facility and the latest game testing methods, you will gather insights to help improve the quality and consumer relevance of our award-winning titles.

While the role is based primarily in our Central London offices, there is scope for remote working.

Role & Responsibilities

• Collaborate with game developers to create an overall research plan that effectively fits user feedback into the development processes

• Plan and design research activities that support the development of the games

• Carry out research activities including moderating tests, observing users, analysing findings and writing reports
• Communicate findings with the development team to develop a deep understanding of user behaviour and needs
• Assist the research team in improving processes and methods

• Act as an ambassador, evangelising user research internally and externally 

Experience & Knowledge
• You will have a studied HCI, Interaction Design or a related discipline such as Cognitive Psychology to degree level including practical experience of moderating tests with users.
• A masters level degree or higher would be preferable.
• A passionate interest in video games

Essential Skill Set
The successful candidate must demonstrate:
• Familiarity with qualitative research methods

• Strong verbal and written communication skills; presenting information concisely and effectively to people at all levels of the organization.
• Good negotiation and influencing skills and be able to work well with cross-functional teams – e.g. game designers, producers, engineers and artists.
• Good organisation skills with the ability to prioritise tasks effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• An excellent attention to detail and a strong commitment to quality, both in terms of your own work & in improving product quality through usability testing.
• A commitment to reliability, with a clear understanding & communication of the limitations of the research results.
• A good grounding in HCI and usability methods and excellent analytical ability; able to identify the key problems which need to be addressed.
• Ability to be open-minded and forward thinking and actively maintain an interest in the field; keeping up-to-date with developing tools, techniques and gaming testing methodologies.
 

Bonus Points
• Familiarity with quantitative research methods using statistical analysis

• An understanding of a live service product & the role of user research to support continued development

• An understanding of the game development process & the role & limitations of usability testing at each development stage

• Usability or UX testing experience, including client/account management, creating study designs, moderating sessions, writing reports and presenting findings to a multi-disciplinary audience.

If you don't quite meet all of the requirements, but you still feel excited about the job after reading through the description and think that you'd still be a great fit for the position, we'd love to hear from you.