Staff Experience Researcher

PayPal PayPal · Fintech · New York, NY +1 · Experience Research

This role is a Staff Experience Researcher at PayPal, focusing on Venmo. The primary responsibilities include leading functional research projects to inform customer solutions, improving research practices and methodological rigor, and contributing to team efficiencies. The role requires strong analytical and research design skills, with an emphasis on user experience and data-driven decision-making.

What you'd actually do

  1. Develop clear plans and priorities to gather insights and make data-driven decisions to meet team performance
  2. Perform more-complex analysis using highly specialized product knowledge and advanced business expertise
  3. Lead functional projects and programs that enhance user experiences based on research findings.
  4. Design methodologies including user testing, surveys and data analysis understanding of business needs and industry trends
  5. Develop and implement research methodologies that optimize user testing and data collection processes.

Skills

Required

  • 5+ years relevant experience and a Bachelor’s degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.

Nice to have

  • Bachelor’s +8 or more years and/or Master’s Degree +6 or more years in the study of user experience, design, research or related fields; for example, Design, Information Architecture, Human Factors/HCI, Psychology, Cognitive or Social Sciences OR alternative equivalent project/portfolio experience.
  • Experience with a variety of research methods and approaches: contextual inquiry, in-depth interview, (un)moderated usability testing, diary study, etc.
  • Experience with service design and workshop facilitation
  • identifying research opportunities
  • scoping program requirements
  • shaping the product roadmap
  • guiding the evolution of the design
  • championing the voice of the customer
  • own and drive research programs from beginning to end
  • identify the right research questions
  • define the participant sample
  • choose the best methodology
  • design the study
  • execute with attention to detail and a high level of rigor
  • partner with stakeholders to ensure insights are acted upon
  • Skillfully and effectively present compelling insights and recommendations to multiple teams and leaders across the organization
  • leveraging strong storytelling skills to facilitate constructive debate and drive customer-centric decision-making.
  • Successfully leverage insights across various research functions and data sources (e.g. market research, product marketing, analytics, etc.) throughout the product development lifecycle.
  • Act as a vital liaison between design, product management, and marketing teams, driving alignment across all stakeholders.
  • Expertly facilitate workshops and design sprints by surfacing relevant findings, pitching research opportunities, and influencing the evolution of our product and design strategy
  • Act as a thought leader across our thriving Global Customer Insights community
  • drive strategic change initiatives
  • advocate for user-centric approaches
  • optimize workflows
  • establish best practices that evolve our craft.
  • Model a growth mindset by actively seeking and providing feedback, experimenting with new approaches, working to expand your skillset, and mentoring other researchers to help them grow.