Lead UX Researcher

Summary

The Wikimedia Foundation is looking for a Lead UX Researcher to join the UX Research team, where you’ll lead in providing the insights decision-makers need to make informed, human-centered decisions.

The UX Research Team does qualitative and quantitative research to understand the experiences and needs of the humans who use and contribute to Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects. This role is to lead mixed-methods research for the “Increase our Reach” focus area of the WMF Annual Plan. You will partner cross-functionally with product managers, designers, data scientists, engineers, and fellow researchers for this area to identify high-impact research opportunities, and then execute research efforts to inform decisions and shape future strategy.

Work will include both foundational and evaluative studies, on topics including deepening our understanding of particular users and their needs within our “Beyond Wiki” audience (non-users, lapsed users, or users who interact with Wikipedia content only on other platforms such as AI chatbots); understanding how Wikipedia results are perceived in the context of search engine results, AI chatbot results, and other contexts, and continued evaluation of the effectiveness of particular designs for attributing Wikipedia content in these contexts (see past work). Work may also include informing continued future audience experiments in new formats (e.g. games, personalized content creation, other emerging platforms).

This role offers a unique opportunity to combine depth of research expertise and execution, with mission-driven impact.

You can find past projects conducted by the UX Research team on our team website. You can also learn about the work of the broader Research team through our bi-annual Research Report.

Note: This role reports to the UX Research team manager, and requires working with stakeholders across the organization in different timezones. It is expected that the person who will join us in this role will be available for critical meetings and synchronous work between 15:00 to 19:00 UTC. It is further expected that the candidate is open to traveling up to four times per year.

You are responsible for:

• Leading qualitative and quantitative UX research studies that inform product teams in building the right products and features for the right users.
• Proactively identifying, defining, and getting buy-in for strategic research projects.
• Communicating research findings and recommendations to stakeholders in clear and compelling ways.
• Acting as a trusted and strategic thought partner for cross-functional leads in your area of focus, and supporting them in the adoption of research-based human-centered recommendations.
• Informing planning and strategy discussions through research by consolidating, analyzing, and synthesizing what is known about users, products, services and organizational needs.
• Evolving best practices in UX research and driving improvement of team practices and processes
• Mentoring more junior ICs and guiding the work of contractors
• Documenting and communicating the process and results of your research publicly with the Wikimedia community

Skills and Experience:

• 6 or more years experience conducting UX research within a product organization, with a proven track record of leading impactful research projects in fast-paced environments and driving successful organizational outcomes
• Deep expertise with qualitative methods, e.g. interviews, contextual inquiry, diary studies
• Ability to conduct quantitative research end-to-end (in particular: surveys, large-scale unmoderated testing, large-scale diary studies, or quantitative UX benchmarking); expertise with experimental design and ability to do statistical analysis 
• Ability to work collaboratively with product teams to translate insights into actionable recommendations
• Master's or PhD degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Science, Statistics, Behavioral Economics, Linguistics, Psychology, Anthropology, or a related field.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, excellent at asynchronous communication.

Qualities that are important to us:

• Deep resonance with our mission, values, and guiding principles
• Ability to navigate tradeoffs between research velocity and rigor to deliver rigorous insights while meeting project timelines 
• Self-motivated and proactive
• A drive to deliver high quality work that prioritizes real-world impact
• An active listener who communicates responsibly across diverse, multicultural, and multidisciplinary individuals, teams, and communities
• Comfortable with working in the open and public exposure in multicultural and transparent environments
• Invested in the quality and health of our work place beyond the immediate team

Additionally, we’d love it if you have one or more of the following:

• Fluency in languages beyond English
• Experience contributing to Wikimedia projects
• Experience working as a UX researcher for projects that have a global reach (beyond a limited number of languages, cultures, and geographies)
• Experience working with international vendors and contractors
• Experience working with volunteer communities and projects

About the Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia free knowledge projects. Our vision is a world in which every single human can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. We believe that everyone has the potential to contribute something to our shared knowledge, and that everyone should be able to access that knowledge freely. We host Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, build software experiences for reading, contributing, and sharing Wikimedia content, support the volunteer communities and partners who make Wikimedia possible, and advocate for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive. 

The Wikimedia Foundation is a charitable, not-for-profit organization that relies on donations. We receive donations from millions of individuals around the world, with an average donation of about $15. We also receive donations through institutional grants and gifts. The Wikimedia Foundation is a United States 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with offices in San Francisco, California, USA.

As an equal opportunity employer, the Wikimedia Foundation values having a diverse workforce and continuously strives to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace. We encourage people with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate against any person based upon their race, traits historically associated with race, religion, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy or related medical conditions, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristics.

The Wikimedia Foundation is a remote-first organization with staff members including contractors based 40+ countries*. Salaries at the Wikimedia Foundation are set in a way that is competitive, equitable, and consistent with our values and culture. The anticipated annual pay range of this position for applicants based within the United States is US$131,939  to US$204,803  with multiple individualized factors, including cost of living in the location, being the determinants of the offered pay. For applicants located outside of the US, the pay range will be adjusted to the country of hire. We neither ask for nor take into consideration the salary history of applicants. The compensation for a successful applicant will be based on their skills, experience and location.

*Please note that we are currently able to hire in the following:
US States: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico*, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming (*US Territory or Federal District)

Countries: Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya*, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore*, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Our non-US employees are hired through a local third party Employer of Record (EOR) and must have current work authorization in their location. (*citizens/permanent residents only)

We periodically review this list to streamline to ensure alignment with our hiring requirements.

All applicants can reach out to their recruiter to understand more about the specific pay range for their location during the interview process.

If you are a qualified applicant requiring assistance or an accommodation to complete any step of the application process due to a disability, you may contact us at recruiting@wikimedia.org or +1 (415) 839-6885.

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