UX Research Manager, Play

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 8 years of experience in an applied research setting, or similar.
• 3 years of experience leading design projects and managing people or teams.
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative research methodologies (e.g., ethnographic field studies, lab studies, survey design, statistical analysis, usability testing, and foundational/generative research).

Preferred qualifications:

• Master's degree or PhD in Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Science, Statistics, Psychology, Anthropology, or a related field.
• 7 years of experience working with executive leadership (e.g., Director level and above).
• 5 years of experience managing projects, and working in a large, matrixed organization.
• Experience establishing research standards, frameworks, and operations—including leveraging modern tools (e.g., AI-assisted workflows) to accelerate team research processes.
• Track record of translating ambiguous user research into product strategy and influencing long-term roadmaps across cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Design).
• Passion for building a growth-oriented team culture with an ability to coach researchers from early-career to executive levels.

About the job:

At Google, we "Focus on the user and all else will follow." As a UX Research Manager, you will help define and drive the future of Google design by clarifying strategy and conceptualizing UX ecosystems. You are an expert researcher, a visionary leader, and a fierce advocate for both users and your team.

You will be responsible for guiding the careers of your team members, helping them realize their full potential, and inspiring forward-thinking design. You are an expert in qualitative research methods—such as field studies, interviews, and diary studies—to shape product development and influence overall strategy. In this role, you will understand both the execution and business aspects of our products, collaborating with leaders across UX, Engineering, and Product Management to create innovative experiences, leveraging your passion for brand, craft, and design quality.

User experience is at the forefront of how we create intuitive, innovative, and beautiful products that people love. We strive to learn and understand our users’ needs, behaviors, and emotions to gather insights that inform product strategy and design. Our UX teams include designers, researchers, content strategists, and engineers who are passionate about quality, usability, and simplicity. We work on collaborative teams to solve complex challenges and craft experiences that highlight our products’ unique capabilities and personalities. Our work touches billions while exemplifying a key principle that is core to Google’s philosophy: “Focus on the user and all else will follow.”

Responsibilities:

• Identify high-impact opportunities in ambiguous spaces, developing user research strategies that shape product direction and align cross-functional goals.
• Balance tactical usability studies with foundational strategic research to address immediate needs and long-term goals.
• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of UX researchers, setting goals and scaling modern methodologies and workflows.
• Partner with Engineering, Product, and Design leadership to integrate user research into core roadmaps and drive user-first principles.
• Manage resources to maximize business impact while inspiring innovation and contributing to a healthy, collaborative research community.