Senior User Experience Researcher (macys.com) - Full-time / Part-time

Job Overview:

Macy’s Inc. seeks a passionate, team-oriented Lead User Researcher to join its Customer Experience organization to play a key role in shaping the user experience design for Macy’s.com, Macy’s app, and Macy’s retail stores. The Lead User Researcher plays a key role in gaining user insights that will inform the design of engaging user experiences. Candidates should have a minimum of 7 years of experience researching across digital channels. Strong candidates will have a proven track record of leading the development and implementation of world class user research studies in a fast paced collaborative team environment, obtaining research findings that solve for business goals and user needs, working and influencing in a cross-functional context, and advocating research and data to inform the design of user experiences. In addition to being an individual contributor, the Lead User Researcher will mentor User Researchers and guide their efforts to align with Macy’s strategic vision. The candidate is responsible to perform other duties as assigned.

This position reports to the Director of User Research.

Essential Functions:

• Plans and conducts user research across channel(s) and domains (business units).
• Effectively collaborates with executives, managers, teams, designers, and stakeholders to identify user research opportunities on user-facing products.
• Partners with other customer data teams (e.g. consumer insights, analytics, etc.) to ensure user research efforts are coordinated with other customer data teams.
• Helps define user success metrics that gauge how well user needs are being met for assigned channel(s) and domain(s).
• Develops and conducts quick, generative and evaluative user research studies, including guerilla usability testing, to gauge business (as measured by KPI’s) and user success (as measured by user success metrics) of user experience designs.
• Invents new and adapt existing research practices as needed, to deliver the insights and knowledge that help teams stay on track and customer focused.
• Quickly synthesizes qualitative and quantitative data to develop a better understanding of our customers, give insight into business/user value, and identify potential customer and business risks.
• Is a highly effective presenter, communicator, and influencer who can bring the voice of the customer to life.
• Helps teams understand customer needs, pain points, attitudes, and behaviors through thoughtful and actionable research that can informing both tactical and strategic efforts.
• Serves as a subject matter expert on our customers’ behaviors, needs, and values for assigned channel(s) and domain(s).
• Mentors User Research team and UX Designers on user research methodologies.
• Regular, dependable attendance & punctuality.

Decision Making:

• Research contributor, tireless advocate of the customer, influence on project implementation.

Essential Functions:

70% Development and execution of user research across channels.
10% Strategic thinking, developing POVs to inform product vision.
10% Collaboration & communication with all projects and initiatives to ensure consistency and clarity.
5% Monitor and evaluate user research studies conducted by user research team members, monitor integration of user research into designs, development of team members.
5% Personal development.

Qualifications:

Education/Experience:

• Bachelors degree in Human Factors, HCI, Cognitive or Experimental Psychology, Sociology, or related field.
• Masters degree preferred.
• Minimum 5 years user research in all areas of user research (design research, market research, quantitative research) across consumer mobile applications, websites, or retail stores.

Communication Skills:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to read, write and interpret business and technical documents.
• Create and present documentation, findings and points of view material.
• Strong verbal and written communicator with all levels of business leaders; ability to influence and cultivate strong relationships with key business stakeholders and executives in the organization.
• Strong ability to communicate and influence product management and user experience designers to incorporate user research findings into product designs.
• Solid negotiation skills across a variety of audiences; can successfully advocate among peers and to executive leadership.

Mathematical Skills:

• Basic math functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and analytical skills.

Reasoning Ability:

• Solid time management and prioritization skills; ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, at various stages of their development.
• Must be able to work independently with some supervision.

Physical Demands:

• This position involves regular ambulating, sitting, hearing, and talking.
• May occasionally involve stooping, kneeling, or crouching.
• May involve close vision, color vision, depth perception, and focus adjustment.
• Involves use of hands and fingers for typing on keyboard and using a mouse.
• May be a need to move or lift items under 10 pounds.

Other Skills:

• Highly knowledgeable of implementing a variety of research methods (e.g. guerilla testing, rapid ethnography, contextual. Inquiry, focus groups, surveys, online remote testing, lab observation/logging tools such as Morae, concept testing, usability testing, A/B or multivariate experimentation testing, etc.).
• Must have a strong research portfolio that clearly demonstrates using a variety of research methods to drive decision making in an organization.
• Strong user research skills, including research experience across different methods, with both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
• Strong research and collaboration skills.

Work Hours:

• Ability to work a flexible schedule based on department and company needs.

Company Profile:

As the fastest growing part of Macy's Inc. business, macys.com is achieving record sales and broadening our workforce. With offices in New York and San Francisco, macys.com is the best of all worlds. The entrepreneurial thinking of a Web business complements the stability and support of a national brand. Creativity and ingenuity partner with business acumen and tech savvy to build a unique business poised for continued growth. Employees at macys.com have long term opportunities and are encouraged to utilize their Supervisors and Human Resources for cross-functional movement to further their careers. At macys.com we are committed to giving back to the community by partnering with local charitable organizations. By skillfully combining the power of the Internet with the best in retailing, macys.com is reaching new heights.


This job overview is not all inclusive. In addition, Macy’s, Inc. reserves the right to amend this job overview at any time. Macy’s is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. Macy’s, Inc. – including Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s – will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal convictions in a manner consistent with SFPC Art. 49 and LA MC ch.XVIII Art. 9 .