The concept of “Blizzard polish,” that is, the infinite care and loving detail put into every aspect of our games, it is something we take seriously and pride ourselves on delivering to our players, which is a responsibility shared across the company. Blizzard’s Game User Research team is a close-knit group; we care about sharing knowledge, learning about players’ experiences, actionable findings, and succeeding together. We genuinely love what we do for a living and expect the same from everyone who joins us! If your career is ready for its next great challenge, get in touch and let’s get to work!
Join the ranks of a legendary force of adventurers, demons, orcs, and scientists to help provide the context and humanity of "why" and "how" our players engage with our games.
We are looking for a passionate and experienced User Researcher to oversee and carry out research on some of the world’s best-known franchises. You will give a voice to players from around the world by leading the effort of turning hard data into compelling stories, help craft the flow of our games/products, and be in the thick of a team effort to build great player experiences.
Covid-19 Hiring Update: We’ve transitioned to a work-from-home model and we’re continuing to interview and hire during this time. This role is expected to begin as a remote position. We understand each person’s circumstances may be unique and will work with you to explore possible interim options.
Responsibilities
- Oversee the design and execution of study activities, ensuring quality standards are maintained and built upon overtime
- Communicate with senior project stakeholders in a tactful and persuasive manner generating buy-in and prioritizing research projects
- Collaborate with junior researchers to ensure they execute highly impactful research initiatives
- Maintain the research project roadmap for products in your portfolio
- Evangelize User Research philosophy and share knowledge of methods and best practices with stakeholders
- Identify process and communication improvements for the discipline
- Ensure project consistency with departmental process on how to generate and formulate actionable feedback
- Liaise with Design, Production, Marketing, Analytics, and other teams to align research efforts
- Execute user studies and activities
- Carry out research using several methods including, but not limited to, usability testing, UX, balance testing, focus groups, interviews, surveys, heuristic evaluations, card sorts, exploratory research, and field studies
- Utilize and suggest new data sources to contextualize analysis and recommendations
- Provide summarized research directly to the development teams for discussion and future implementation
- Provide design suggestions based on observation, research, and expertise
- Orchestrate test strategy and design, for public and internal playtests
- Maintain detailed records of study details
Requirements
- Graduate degree (MSc or PhD) in psychology, human-computer interaction, human factors, marketing, communications, market research, or related field
- Minimum 3 years’ experience in usability or user research testing video games
- Prior experience owning all research on part, or all, of a shipped game or product
- High aptitude for gameplay mechanics, theory crafting, monetization, live operations & research, and regional considerations
- Excellent interpersonal communication (both written and verbal)
- Excellent organizational and analytical skills
- Deep understanding of data analytics tools such as Tableau Software, Google Analytics, Excel Power Pivot or similar
- Skilled in project management practices and tools such as JIRA
- Proven ability to translate research findings into actionable product improvements
- Adaptable self-starter that enjoys tackling a large variety of problems
- Real passion for user research and video games
Blizzard Entertainment is a global company committed to growing our employees. We offer generous benefits and perks with an eye on providing true work / life balance. We’ve worked hard to champion an intensely collaborative and creative environment, a diverse and inclusive employee culture, and training and opportunity for professional growth. Our people are everything. Our core values are real, and our mission has never changed.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We are dedicated to creating the most epic entertainment experiences…ever. Join us!
