Senior User Researcher - Activision

Activision • Los Angeles, CA

1d • $92,920 - $171,814 • Hybrid

About The Position

Activision is looking for a passionate and experienced Senior User Researcher to lead user research on some of the world’s best-known franchises. Your role will primarily focus on owning and driving research for Call of Duty Mobile and other Activision projects. The ideal candidate is a motivated and experienced researcher familiar with testing Mobile shooters, including Multiplayer, Battle Royale, and live ops for player sentiment and usability, and who can translate insights into meaningful impact on development decisions. In this role, you will plan and execute research activities while developing a strategic approach to research for your product area. As you grow into your responsibilities, you will be expected to build strong relationships with stakeholders, identify opportunities where research can add value, and contribute to the development of research practices within the team. This role is based in our Sherman Oaks, California office and follows an onsite work schedule of three days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday). Work arrangements may change at the company’s discretion to meet business needs. Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

Requirements

• Deep experience conducting and leading applied user research and product evaluation on mobile free-to-play games.
• Experience owning research workstreams and managing stakeholder needs within a development context.
• Experience working on free-to-play, or , evolving products (e.g., live ops, feature iteration, or player retention).
• Experience with, and passion for video games is a must, and an ideal candidate will be well versed in at least one of Activision’s titles, preferably Call of Duty
• Bachelor’s degree required (computer science, statistics, branches of psychology, human computer interaction, human factors, or related field). Advanced degree is preferred.
• Strong understanding of qualitative research methods and study design for game development contexts.
• Experience integrating multiple data sources (qualitative, quantitative, telemetry) into cohesive insights.
• Strong project management and prioritization skills across multiple research efforts.
• 5–7+ years of experience conducting user research for video games.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with research on prototype or early development game projects.
• Experience with user testing of console and PC first-person games.
• Experience mentoring or supporting the development of other researchers.
• Knowledge of data visualization software is a plus.
• Familiarity with quantitative research methods is a plus.
• Familiarity with telemetric methods and tools is a plus.
• Functional proficiency in Mandarin, Simplified Chinese, and other relevant spoken and written languages.

Responsibilities

• Leads and owns user research for at least one mobile-focused project, including all stages from planning to execution.
• Develops and maintains a strategic research plan aligned with product goals and development timelines.
• Carries out and oversees research using a variety of methods, including, but not limited to: usability testing, appreciation playtesting, balance testing, focus groups, interviews, surveys , heuristic evaluation, card sorting, longitudinal studies, and exploratory research.
• Integrates multiple sources of insight, including qualitative findings, survey data, and telemetry (where applicable), to deliver robust and actionable insights.
• Crafts and delivers clear, actionable reports and presentations, driving alignment with development teams and influencing product decisions.
• Proactively identifies research opportunities and partners with stakeholders to ensure research is aligned with key development questions and priorities.
• Offers design recommendations grounded in research findings, player behavior, and domain expertise.
• Contributes to the evolution of research methods, tools, and best practices within the team.
• Mentors and supports junior researchers through feedback, knowledge sharing, and collaboration.
• Occasionally travels to run on-site tests or engage directly with development partners.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others
• Relocation assistance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior