About the position:
The User Experience Research Director is a seasoned user research professional who has deep experience in research and design. The successful candidate will become a senior member of the Customer Insight Group which is responsible for research and analytics for all New York Times offerings, including the newspaper, NYTimes.com and mobile applications. The UX Research Director is the company’s thought leader and advocate for user research and its application to people-centered design, and will articulate why UX methods and practices enhance product quality, development processes and competitive advantage. The successful candidate will lead the user experience research team and will collaborate with news editors, designers, product managers, developers, marketers, data analysts, market researchers and other stakeholders to bring the voice of the customer into our new product development and product evaluation processes. She or he will also generate actionable insights about the New York Times audience to inform business decisions and to reinforce our strong positioning in the marketplace.
Responsibilities:
- Communicate the value of user research throughout the organization by delivering insights that lead to demonstrable business value, and evangelizing user research in the product development process
- Define and lead research on a wide range of New York Times products.
- Become a trusted partner of project stakeholders to define complex challenges and to create solutions
- Work closely with the newly formed New Digital Products team to provide design research expertise and support their ambitious product development goals
- Recommend and lead the most appropriate approaches in getting feedback from our audience including participatory design methods, interviews, ethnographic studies, user-initiated feedback tools, in-person and remote focus groups, card-sorting exercises, usability studies off-site, online or in our lab, as well as quantitative methods
- Generate innovative, strategy-driven research programs that use the best possible techniques to generate useful insights, particularly in growth areas such as mobile, social engagement and video
- Collaborate with web and customer analytics, custom and syndicated research and other Customer Insight Group teams to provide a holistic view of our users, readers and customers
- As group leader, coach team members and manage their performance, make sure projects are completed on time and on budget
Requirements:
- A four-year college degree is required and an advanced degree in computer science, human interaction, cognitive science, experimental psychology, information science, anthropology or related field is preferred
- 8+ years of user research experience; digital media experience a plus, particularly in mobile, video and social engagement areas
- Ability to think strategically and develop creative solutions to research challenges.
- Excellent presentation and writing skills
- Possesses a high degree of professionalism, and is articulate, confident and comfortable playing a consultative role among senior executives
- Extensive experience in designing and conducting user research, selecting research vendors and translating results into design decisions
- Proficiency in working with developers, product managers and designers and hands-on experience with rapid iteration
- Ability to swiftly revise and improvise research plans as needed
- A proven track record of working well with mutli-disciplinary teams and business partners
- Familiarity with Web analytics, A/B and multivariate testing methodologies
- Experience with methodologies such as iterative development and Agile a plus
- Strong computer proficiency, including knowledge of Microsoft PowerPoint, Word and Excel
J2W:DIC
J2W:MB
Company Information:
The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT) is a global media organization dedicated to enhancing society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news and information. The company includes The New York Times, International New York Times, NYTimes.com, INYT.com and related properties. It is known globally for excellence in its journalism, and innovation in its print and digital storytelling and its business model. Follow news about the company at @NYTimesComm.
EEO Information:
The New York Times Company is an equal employment opportunity employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, national origin, citizenship or any other protected characteristic. The New York Times Company is committed to diversity in its most inclusive sense.
The User Experience Research Director is a seasoned user research professional who has deep experience in research and design. The successful candidate will become a senior member of the Customer Insight Group which is responsible for research and analytics for all New York Times offerings, including the newspaper, NYTimes.com and mobile applications. The UX Research Director is the company’s thought leader and advocate for user research and its application to people-centered design, and will articulate why UX methods and practices enhance product quality, development processes and competitive advantage. The successful candidate will lead the user experience research team and will collaborate with news editors, designers, product managers, developers, marketers, data analysts, market researchers and other stakeholders to bring the voice of the customer into our new product development and product evaluation processes. She or he will also generate actionable insights about the New York Times audience to inform business decisions and to reinforce our strong positioning in the marketplace.
Responsibilities:
- Communicate the value of user research throughout the organization by delivering insights that lead to demonstrable business value, and evangelizing user research in the product development process
- Define and lead research on a wide range of New York Times products.
- Become a trusted partner of project stakeholders to define complex challenges and to create solutions
- Work closely with the newly formed New Digital Products team to provide design research expertise and support their ambitious product development goals
- Recommend and lead the most appropriate approaches in getting feedback from our audience including participatory design methods, interviews, ethnographic studies, user-initiated feedback tools, in-person and remote focus groups, card-sorting exercises, usability studies off-site, online or in our lab, as well as quantitative methods
- Generate innovative, strategy-driven research programs that use the best possible techniques to generate useful insights, particularly in growth areas such as mobile, social engagement and video
- Collaborate with web and customer analytics, custom and syndicated research and other Customer Insight Group teams to provide a holistic view of our users, readers and customers
- As group leader, coach team members and manage their performance, make sure projects are completed on time and on budget
Requirements:
- A four-year college degree is required and an advanced degree in computer science, human interaction, cognitive science, experimental psychology, information science, anthropology or related field is preferred
- 8+ years of user research experience; digital media experience a plus, particularly in mobile, video and social engagement areas
- Ability to think strategically and develop creative solutions to research challenges.
- Excellent presentation and writing skills
- Possesses a high degree of professionalism, and is articulate, confident and comfortable playing a consultative role among senior executives
- Extensive experience in designing and conducting user research, selecting research vendors and translating results into design decisions
- Proficiency in working with developers, product managers and designers and hands-on experience with rapid iteration
- Ability to swiftly revise and improvise research plans as needed
- A proven track record of working well with mutli-disciplinary teams and business partners
- Familiarity with Web analytics, A/B and multivariate testing methodologies
- Experience with methodologies such as iterative development and Agile a plus
- Strong computer proficiency, including knowledge of Microsoft PowerPoint, Word and Excel
J2W:DIC
J2W:MB
Company Information:
The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT) is a global media organization dedicated to enhancing society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news and information. The company includes The New York Times, International New York Times, NYTimes.com, INYT.com and related properties. It is known globally for excellence in its journalism, and innovation in its print and digital storytelling and its business model. Follow news about the company at @NYTimesComm.
EEO Information:
The New York Times Company is an equal employment opportunity employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, national origin, citizenship or any other protected characteristic. The New York Times Company is committed to diversity in its most inclusive sense.