Senior UX Researcher, YouTube Shorts Ads

Google•Mountain View, CA

8h•$159,000 - $230,000

About The Position

As a User Experience Researcher on YouTube Ads UX, you will lead viewer research across YouTube Shorts and work with a multidisciplinary UX team alongside Engineering and Product Management. You will help teams understand user needs and influence product development so that products are useful, usable, and helpful. The role focuses on defining how to optimize the health and pacing of the Shorts ad experience and shaping interactive, shoppable, brand, and sponsorship ad formats in the Shorts feed. You will conduct primary research, develop a research roadmap, and use viewer insights to inform product decisions and navigate trade-offs between ad interruption, viewer friction, and business goals. You will partner with YouTube TV product teams, Go-to-Market leads, and Ads teams to support a cohesive viewer experience. The role is part of Google Ads, which applies machine learning and Generative AI to its global advertising business.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
6 years of experience in an applied research setting, such as product or academic research, or similar.
Experience in mixed methods research, including qualitative approaches such as in-depth interviews and diary studies, and quantitative approaches such as surveys and log analysis.
Experience producing business impact through applied research.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree or PhD in Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Science, Statistics, Psychology, Anthropology, or a related field.
5 years of experience conducting UX research on products and working with executive leadership at Director level or above.
3 years of experience managing projects and working in a large, matrixed organization.
Experience with advanced statistical modeling, such as regression, segmentation, conjoint, or causal inference.
Experience conducting research for short-form video or advertising products.

Responsibilities

Develop a research roadmap addressing product and business questions using methods such as remote in-depth interviews, diary studies, prototype testing, surveys, and logs analysis.
Identify critical knowledge gaps in how viewers experience ads across Connected TV and Live content, challenging assumptions and the status quo.
Represent viewer needs and expectations to UX, Product Management, and Engineering to ensure product decisions support creator and advertiser goals.
Use viewer insights to navigate product trade-offs and balance ad interruption and viewer friction with business goals.
Partner with core YouTube TV product teams, Go-to-Market leads, and horizontal Ads teams to create a cohesive viewer experience.
Lead viewer research across YouTube Shorts and help define how to optimize the health and pacing of the Shorts ad experience and shape new ad formats.