Senior User Researcher - Activision

Job Title:

Senior User Researcher - Activision

Requisition ID:

R027524

Job Description:

Your Mission

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:

• 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.

Player Profile

Experience

• 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

Knowledge & Skills

• 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.

Key Attributes

• A passion for video games, especially FPS, PvE, PvP, Action/Adventure, Strategy, Simulation/Management games, particularly on mobile platforms.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Entrepreneurial mindset: proactively identifies opportunities to expand research impact and value.
• Excellent interpersonal communication (both written and verbal).

Extra Points:

Experience

• 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 & Skills

• 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.

Our World

At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We’re driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™, and Guitar Hero®. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our “press start” is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.

We’re not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we’re forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.

We’re in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater — this could be your opportunity to level up.

Ready to Activate Your Future?

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to [email protected]. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• 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;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $92,920.00 - $171,814.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.