Principal Researcher – RDS Central User Research Team
| Company | Riot Games |
|---|---|
| Location | Los Angeles, CA, USA |
| Salary | $Not Provided – $Not Provided |
| Type | Full-Time |
| Degrees | Master’s |
| Experience Level | Senior, Expert or higher |
Requirements
- 8+ years of relevant research experience (advanced degrees may substitute for up to 2 years).
- 4+ years of research experience specifically within the games industry.
- Demonstrated ability to conduct research that informs game product and portfolio strategy.
- Experienced in both qualitative and quantitative research methods—including in-depth-interviews, focus groups, playtests, diary studies, and surveys—with deep specialization in at least one.
- Proficient in core statistical methods—including regression, correlation, and factor analysis—and experienced with a statistical package such as Q, R, or SPSS.
- Strong understanding of game design, direction, and game product strategy.
- 3+ years of experience partnering directly with senior executives or high-level stakeholders.
- Skilled at synthesizing research findings into clear, actionable insights for product leadership.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills; able to influence across all levels of an organization.
- Proven ability to independently lead complex, multi-stakeholder projects and cross-functional workstreams in collaboration with diverse partners.
- Experience managing external vendors in driving research/insights projects.
- Demonstrated experience mentoring researchers, teaching research best practices, or developing systems and processes that advance the craft and impact of research within an organization.
Responsibilities
- Design and execute end-to-end studies using a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods to uncover player motivations, pain points, and emerging opportunity areas.
- Lead complex, high-impact research workstreams across Riot R&D—evolving milestone testing practices, establishing playtesting benchmarks, informing milestone & development decisions, and solving sophisticated research challenges.
- Generate strategic insights that challenge assumptions and directly influence product and game direction across Riot.
- Communicate research findings through compelling narratives that align stakeholders and drive executive decision-making.
- Champion the player perspective by delivering evidence-based guidance on player needs, motivations, and behaviors.
- Collaborate closely with game teams and insights partners to develop and socialize research-driven frameworks that shape both individual game strategy and broader portfolio direction.
- Advance strategic thinking and research framework development across R&D to support long-term innovation and player-focused development.
- Own research craft standards for the Central User Research (CUR) team—mentoring researchers and leading infrastructure improvements to raise the bar across CUR and Riot.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree or higher in a human-focused discipline such as Psychology, Anthropology, or Human-Computer Interaction.
- Experience in creating and validating benchmark metrics to support longitudinal tracking and strategic decision-making.
- Experience supporting game teams across the pre-launch lifecycle (incubation, prototype, preproduction, production).
- Experience partnering with Data Scientists & Analytics to integrate qualitative and quantitative insights.
- Proficiency with Tableau and SQL for data visualization and exploration.
- Advanced proficiency with Excel or Sheets for analysis and reporting.