Posted Nov 17

VRChat is hiring a
Lead UX Researcher (Mixed-Methods)

•
Full-Time
Join the VRChat Team!

VRChat offers a first-of-its-kind, game-changing platform that provides an endless collection of social VR experiences and gives the power of creation to its robust community. With over 250,000 worlds and growing, VRChat’s vision is to allow users to bring their imaginations to life and help shape the metaverse anywhere in the world on any device. VRChat has raised $100M to date with the support of investors Makers Fund, Anthos Capital and HTC and is building out a strong team to achieve hyper-growth in the coming years.

Job Overview

The Lead UX Researcher (Mixed-Methods) is the first UX Research hire for VRChat, and will be responsible for establishing a strong UX research function at the company. This person will build out a research rhythm and culture and infuse the organization with an objective and user-centric way of assessing product work & direction.

The role will initially report into the CPO & EVP at VRChat, but will eventually rotate into the design org upon the hiring of a VP Design. The role will work closely with cross-functional teams across Product Management, Product Design, Engineering, production and Community to ensure all product work is pointed in the right direction.  

Responsibilities

    • Run foundational research to establish baseline consumer, creator and payer personas, use-cases, value props (vs alternatives), market sizes, and “what makes people stay”. Build this out for concentric circles based on different criteria (level of engagement with product, adopters vs likely to adopt, etc.) to understand the maximal opportunity for VRChat into the future.
    • Partner with the Community team to turn the VRChat community into an active source of ideas and feedback (invert the community from a constraint to a springboard).
    • Establish rolling research (regular cadence of research opportunities) to extract generalized insights/pain points, test specific new concepts and product ideas, and shine light on recent launches for continued iteration.
    • Pioneer virtual lab concepts using the VRChat platform itself, and explore ethnographic research techniques in people’s “natural” environments within VRChat. 
    • Partner with Data Science on recurring insights sessions to share key learnings and drive a culture of user-centric product development, and a greater empathy for users.
    • Identify research opportunities proactively, and through partnership with product managers, engineers, data scientists, and other functions.
    • Ensure deliverables meet team needs under the tight time frames of a rapidly growing company.
    • Make decisions on when to run studies internally versus working with external vendors to accomplish business goals while effectively managing costs.

Experience, Skills & Qualifications

    • 5+ years experience in applied product research.
    • Experience with a range of qualitative methods such as in-depth user interviews, contextual inquiry, journey mapping, participatory design, and usability testing.
    • Experience with a range of quantitative methods such as working with large scale data in multi-method studies, applied statistics, and survey design and response effects.
    • Ability to plan and conduct research in close collaboration with people in a variety of roles, including Product Management, Design, Engineering, and other functions.
    • Experience leading research at different parts of the product development process, from foundational work, to concept testing through launch & iteration.
    • Expert communicator and storyteller, with the ability to present research findings from a user-centric perspective.
    • Comfortable with the logistical challenges and workflows of recruiting for research.
    • MS/PhD, human behavior related field (HCI, Psychology, Social Science, Information Science, etc.).
    • Familiarity with data visualization tools.
    • Experience working with external vendors and driving strong research through them within appropriate bounds of costs and timelines.

Benefits

    • Work from anywhere! VRChat is a 100% remote company
    • Health Benefits
    • 401K for US & RRSP for Canadian Employees
    • Stock Options
    • Generous paid holiday schedule
    • Unlimited/Flexible vacation time
    • Paid parental leave benefits
VRChat is an equal-opportunity employer, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. VRChat fosters a diverse, creative, and collaborative environment where anyone can contribute to any of the ongoing projects or direction of the roadmap at any time. If you’re a passionate team player who wants to have an impact on a dynamic team, we’d love to hear from you!
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