Lead Researcher- Unannounced Title

Scopely; Culver City (CA); Remote; USD 170,000 - 253,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Bonuses

Healthcare benefits

Retirement benefits

Pet insurance

Paid holidays

Paid Scopely free days

Unlimited PTO

Job summary

Scopely is seeking a Lead Researcher to design and implement user research programs for a new Mobile/PC game, working remotely in the United States. You will drive the research roadmap, partner with product leadership, and deliver actionable insights to inform design decisions across development and live operations.

The role requires a strong foundation in mixed-method UX research, 8+ years experience in gaming, and the ability to mentor others while collaborating with cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in psychology, HCI, game design, social science, or related field.
• 8+ years of end-to-end UX research in gaming.
• Strong mixed-method research across production stages.
• Experience managing external research vendors.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders with evidence-based insights.
• Experience scaling research practices and tools within a team.

Responsibilities

• Lead research initiatives to understand player experience across game development and live ops.
• Partner with product leadership to inform design vision and roadmaps.
• Own end-to-end UX research, from strategy to delivery of insights.
• Collaborate with game dev, strategy, and leadership to translate insights into KPIs and decisions.
• Design and present quantitative and qualitative studies with cross-functional teams.
• Translate findings into actionable recommendations for design decisions.
• Manage external research partners when needed, ensuring timely results.
• Define and evolve research methodologies and best practices across the org.
• Mentor other researchers and grow team capabilities.

Skills

Mixed-method research

Stakeholder influence

Cross-functional collab

Research strategy

Mentorship

Attention to detail

Travel for research

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA / Master’s / PhD preferred

Tools

Qualtrics

SurveyGizmo/Alchemer

PlaytestCloud

UserTesting

SPSS

SQL

Job description

Scopely is looking for a Lead Researcher to join our Research & Insights team to design and implement user research programs for a new Mobile/PC game in development in the US on remote basis.

At Scopely, we care deeply about what we do and want to inspire play every day—whether in our work environments alongside our talented colleagues or through our deep connections with our communities of players. We are a global team of game lovers who develop, publish, and innovate in the mobile games industry, connecting millions of people around the world daily.

What You Will Do

In addition to executing high-impact research, this role serves as a strategic collaboration for the product, driving the research roadmap for the product and influencing key design decisions.

• Lead research initiatives to drive a deeper understanding of the player experience across game development and live operations
• Serve as a driving strategic partner to product leadership, identifying where research can inform design vision, roadmap priorities, and player experience strategy
• Own and drive the end-to-end user experience research function, from defining research strategy through execution, synthesis, and delivery of insights
• Collaborate with game development, strategy, and leadership teams to translate insights into KPIs, product decisions, and solutions to player experiencechallenges
• Design, execute, and present high-impact quantitative and qualitative user experience research studies in partnership with consumer insights, research operations, and cross-functional teams (e.g., Game Design, UX Design, Product Management, Production, Marketing, Data Analytics, etc.)
• Translate research findings into clear, actionable recommendations that influence design decisions and measurable outcomes
• As required, manage external research partners, ensuring cost-effective methods with clear objectives and timely, high-quality results
• Help define, evolve, and scale research methodologies, frameworks, and best practices across Scopely’s Research & Insight’s user research division
• Mentor and support other user researchers, contributing to the growth and maturity of the team’s capabilities and impact

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for a best-in-class user experience researcher who embodies Scopely’s Care Deeply, Iterate to Greatness, and Play to Win tenets—someone who takes ownership, moves with efficiency, and holds themselves to the highest standards. In this role, you will be expected to deliver actionable and transformative insights to your assigned product, while also helping to elevate the craft and maturity of research across the whole of Scopely’s user research division.

The ideal candidate has a passion for games, a strong foundation in mixed-method user experience research (e.g., surveys, usability playtests, IDIs, focus groups), and the ability to partner effectively with cross-functional stakeholders at all levels of the organization.

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Psychology, Human-Computer Interaction, Game Design, Social Science, or a related field; MBA, Master’s, or PhD preferred
• 8+ years of experience conducting end-to-end user experience research in gaming at either a developer/publisher or research agency
• Strong expertise in mixed-method user experience research, with demonstrated ability to select and apply appropriate methodologies across various stages of production
• Proven track record of driving measurable product or player experience improvements through research insights from a variety of sources
• Experience supporting product strategy and roadmap decisions through research in complex, cross-functional environments
• Experience working with and managing external research vendors
• Strong interpersonal, analytical, and project management skills
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and align cross-functional teams using evidence-based insights
• Experience scaling or improving research practices and tools within a team or organization
• Passion for gaming and a strong understanding of core loops and monetization of mobile/PC games
• High attention to detail, intellectual curiosity, and comfort tackling complex and ambiguous problem spaces
• Quarterly travel for in-person research at our LA-based Lab required

Bonus Points

• Familiarity with online survey tools (e.g., Qualtrics, SurveyGizmo/Alchemer) and remote testing platforms (e.g., PlaytestCloud, UserTesting)
• Experience advanced AI analysis or analytics tools such as SPSS and SQL
• Candidates with experience in social play or midcore live-service games strongly preferred

For candidates in CA, CO, NJ, NY, and WA, the annual salary range is provided below. In addition to base pay, employees may be eligible for equity, bonuses, and a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare benefits, retirement benefits, pet insurance, paid holidays, paid Scopely free days, and unlimited paid time off. Base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

CA, CO, NJ, NY, and WA Annual Salary Range

$169,600 — $253,000 USD

About Scopely

Scopely is a leading video game and global interactive entertainment company, home to many of the world’s most beloved and enduring experiences, including two of the most successful mobile games of all-time “MONOPOLY GO!” and “Pokémon GO,” along with “Stumble Guys,” “Star Trek Fleet Command,” “MARVEL Strike Force,” “WWE Champions,” the Scrabble franchise, “Yahtzee With Buddies,” and many others. Across mobile, web, PC, and console, Scopely creates, develops, publishes, and live-operates one of the most diversified and award-winning portfolios in the games industry — bringing hundreds of millions of players together through a shared love of play.

Founded in 2011, Scopely is powered by its exceptional team — including thousands of world-class gamemakers around the globe, a distinctive tenet-driven culture, and its proprietary technology platform, Playgami. Together, these strengths have fueled Scopely’s position as the #1 mobile games company in the U.S. and #2 globally, generating more than $10 billion in lifetime revenue. Whether building global sensations like “MONOPOLY GO!” from the ground up, or expanding through strategic acquisitions, including the FoxNext, GSN, and Scopely Explore games businesses — Scopely consistently delivers experiences players love today and return to for years to come.

Recognized multiple times as one of the \"100 Most Influential Companies in the World\" by TIME magazine and one of Fast Company's \"World's Most Innovative Companies\" and “Best Workplaces for Innovators,” Scopely believes that video games can be a force for good — creating meaningful connections, vibrant communities, and making life better through play.

Scopely has global operations and partners across four continents in more than a dozen countries worldwide. For more information, visit: https://www.scopely.com/.

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Employment at Scopely is based solely on a person's merit and qualifications. Scopely does not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), or any other basis protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.