This is a hybrid / onsite position.

For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5. We’re also proud to say that The Last of Us Parts I and II are now available for the first time on PC. Currently, we’re busy at the Kennel working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and we’d love to find talented individuals to join us.

Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.

As part of this commitment to craft and excellence, we’re building out a new User Experience Research (UXR) department to ensure that we’re reaching the highest level of excellence in our players’ experience. We’re looking for an experienced, curious, and collaborative Senior User Researcher to help establish the foundation of the team, guide our research practices, and partner with developers across the studio and at PlayStation Studios to deliver world-class experiences.

What you will do:

Collaborate with developers from across the studio to understand research needs and create actionable study plans that align with development goals
Design and execute research activities that support the creation and refinement of our games from usability testing to player experience evaluation
Moderate playtests, interviews, and surveys, observe user sessions, analyze findings, and synthesize actionable insights for development teams
Present findings clearly and persuasively to developers at all levels, fostering a deep understanding of player behavior, motivation, and experience
Partner with the Production and Design departments to embed user research meaningfully within development pipelines
Help evolve research methods, tools, and processes to support future Naughty Dog titles and the continued growth of our new UXR department
Mentor junior researchers, supporting their professional growth and contributing to a collaborative, learning-focused environment
Advocate for the voice of the player throughout the studio, ensuring that empathy, clarity, and data-informed creativity guide our decision-making

What skills you will use:

5+ years of experience in user research, UX research, or related fields within the games industry or interactive media
Proven expertise in qualitative and/or quantitative research methods (e.g., usability studies, interviews, surveys, analytics interpretation)
Strong ability to translate complex data into clear, concise, and actionable insights
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with experience presenting findings to multi-disciplinary audiences
Exceptional collaboration and influencing skills; able to work effectively with creative, technical, and production partners
Solid leadership skills, able to help mentor more junior colleagues and advocate for the UR department
A deep curiosity about player psychology, motivation, and behavior
High attention to detail, with a strong sense of ownership and accountability
Passion for games and a solid understanding of the development process from pre-production through launch

Preferred Qualifications:

Advanced degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Psychology, Interaction Design, or a related field
Familiarity with narrative, single player game research and player experience evaluation
Experience mentoring other researchers and/or building new research capabilities within a studio
Familiarity with data visualization, statistical analysis, or UX telemetry tools
Prior experience with AAA console or PC game development

Bonus Skills:

You’ve helped establish or scale a research function within a creative organization
You’re excited to help shape how Naughty Dog understands and serves its players
Experience with gameplay accessibility features
You bring a unique, interdisciplinary background or unconventional perspective that broadens how we think about games and players

Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about how we process your personal information, and your data protection rights.

The estimated USA base pay range for this zone (Los Angeles area) is listed below. This role may be eligible for additional compensation packages that includes annual bonus and other incentive plans.$135,000—$168,000 USD

Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.

Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights.