Staff User Experience Researcher (Incubations, Mixed Methods)

Airbnb; United States; On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid volunteer time

Health food and snacks

Generous parental and family leave

Learning and development

Annual travel and experiences credit

Job summary

Airbnb seeks a Staff UX Researcher to own end-to-end research for new incubation areas, shaping questions from framing to landing recommendations. You’ll partner with Product, Design, Business Operations, and Data Science to influence strategy and help senior leaders make informed decisions.

You’ll work across qualitative and quantitative methods, delivering fast insights when needed and deeper studies when warranted.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of research experience in UX or product
• Expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methods
• Ability to influence strategy with senior leadership

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end research for 0-to-1 incubation areas
• Frame questions and land actionable recommendations
• Collaborate with Product, Design, Ops, and Data Science
• Communicate findings clearly to stakeholders, including executives
• Lead brainstorming sessions to translate insights into product strategy

Skills

Qualitative research

Quantitative research

Statistical analysis

Survey design

Interviews & usability studies

Stakeholder influence

Cross-functional collaboration

Research leadership

Education

Bachelor’s in HCI / Cognitive Science / Psychology / Statistics

Tools

Claude

CodeSQL

Job description

• Research has been part of Airbnb from the beginning, ever since Paul Graham told the Airbnb founders, “go to your users.” As designers, the founders embraced this advice and got on a plane to meet with Airbnb hosts that very weekend. Since those early days, the value of research has been baked into Airbnb’s product culture
• We’re building our newest incubation work stream, and we’re looking for a Staff UX Researcher who is equally strong in qualitative and quantitative methods
• You’ll be one of the first researchers on the ground for a 0-to-1 effort, which means the questions aren’t defined yet, the roadmap will change, and your research will shape both
• You’ll know when to run fast to unblock a decision and when to go deep to get it right, while bringing senior stakeholders along the way
• Own end-to-end research for new incubation areas, from framing the questions to landing the recommendations
• Utilize appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods to deliver fast, actionable insights
• Triangulate across data sources and past learnings to get to the right signals in an ambiguous, fast-moving space
• Balance speed and rigor: deliver quick reads when the team needs to move, and deeper studies when a decision warrants it, without sacrificing quality
• Partner closely with cross-functional teams including Product, Design, Business Operations, and Data Science to shape strategy from research insights
• Communicate clearly and persuasively with stakeholders at every level, including senior executives
• Develop compelling narratives that make users’ needs, pain points, and opportunities impossible to ignore
• Lead brainstorming sessions and workshops to translate research insights into product decision and strategy

Benefits

• Paid volunteer time
• Health food and snacks
• Generous parental and family leave
• Learning and development
• Annual travel and experiences credit

A track record of delivering impactful insight in ambiguous, early-stage, or fast-changing problem spacesExperience with AI tools for user researchProven ability to work directly with senior leadership and influence strategy10+ years of research experience, with expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methodsExceptional written and verbal communication skillsHands‑on ability to run statistical analysis and design/analyze surveys, as well as lead foundational qualitative studiesStrong multi-tasking skills to own multiple projects at different stages simultaneouslyExperience on 0-to-1 or incubation productsFamiliar with Claude CodeSQL and comfort working directly with dataBackground in consumer products and/or hospitalityDegree in Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Statistics, or equivalent practical experience. (General guideline: strong researchers come from many backgrounds; please apply if you feel you’d be a good fit.)