Director, User Experience Research

Applications will be accepted through July 6, 2022.

Minimum qualifications:

• PhD in Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Science, Experimental Psychology, Anthropology, Information Science, a related field, or equivalent practical experience

• 15 years of experience managing research and insights teams

• Experience applying research methodologies (e.g., interviews, focus groups, field and lab studies, diary study and surveys) to influence product roadmaps

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience translating research into design, product, and strategic decisions

• Experience in a management consulting organization or related capacity of business problem solving

• Experience working in a highly creative and collaborative entrepreneurial environment

• Ability to be an advocate for the role of research in strategic decision making and product development

• Excellent people and leadership skills, with comfort leading research in an ambiguous space, working to define methods and approaches

• Demonstrable capability in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies

About the job

In this role, you will lead a team of executive mix-method researchers who use any tool or approach necessary to establish fundamental insights, generate/test hypotheses, and help tell the story of our work. You will execute your own research while managing, mentoring, and supporting the UX Research team. You will thrive in a fast-paced, creative environment, display a high degree of analytical excellence, and have endless curiosity about how Google may reach its potential to do well by users while thriving as a business.

User experience is at the forefront of how we create intuitive, innovative, and beautiful products that people love. We strive to learn and understand our users’ needs, behaviors, and emotions to gather insights that inform product strategy and design. Our UX teams include designers, researchers, content strategists, and engineers who are passionate about quality, usability, and simplicity. We work on collaborative teams to solve complex challenges and craft experiences that highlight our products’ unique capabilities and personalities. Our work touches billions while exemplifying a key principle that is core to Google’s philosophy: “Focus on the user and all else will follow.”

Responsibilities

• Hire, manage, and mentor a team of researchers accountable for durable user insights around emerging trends, industry dynamics, and technologies across the entire portfolio.

• Anticipate nascent, often ambiguous opportunities with technologies, trends, and platforms with the goal of Google leading/playing a role in their development.

• Work against organization norms to deliver insights and influence outcomes with a long-term and cross-company perspective for issues of concern and opportunity. Employ expert, data-driven storytelling and analytical excellence to persuade at the executive level to inform strategic shifts in Google’s organization and investments.

• Partner directly with Director-level Product Management and UX counterparts to shape strategies and define opportunities that leverage Google’s scale and unique abilities.

• Apply a wide range of multidisciplinary research skills in the development of product and organizational strategy.

Google is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. See also Google's EEO Policy and EEO is the Law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing our Accommodations for Applicants form.