Principal UX Researcher (News & Sports)

Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology Technology is at the heart of Disneyu2019s past, present, and future. Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology is a global organization of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, data scientists, and more u2013 all working to build and advance the technological backbone for Disneyu2019s media business globally. The team marries technology with creativity to build world-class products, enhance storytelling, and drive velocity, innovation, and scalability for our businesses. We are Storytellers and Innovators. Creators and Builders. Entertainers and Engineers. We work with every part of The Walt Disney Companyu2019s media portfolio to advance the technological foundation and consumer media touch points serving millions of people around the world. _Here are a few reasons why we think youu2019d love working here:_ + Building the future of Disneyu2019s media: Our Technologists are designing and building the products and platforms that will power our media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come. + Reach, Scale & Impact: More than ever, Disneyu2019s technology and products serve as a signature doorway for fans' connections with the companyu2019s brands and stories. Disney+. Hulu. ESPN. ABC. ABC Newsu2026and many more. These products and brands u2013 and the unmatched stories, storytellers, and events they carry u2013 matter to millions of people globally. + Innovation: We develop and implement groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms, and solve complex and distinctive technical problems. Design is centrally responsible for the design supporting all consumer-facing and business products and tooling for the Disney Entertainment & ESPN portfolio, including sports, entertainment, enterprise, UX, creative services and design research. About the Role We are looking for a Principal UX Researcher to join our Product Design team. In this role, you will develop a systematic approach to research, analyze human needs, motivations, and trends, and provide valuable insights to guide near-to-long-term strategic planning. As a Principal UX Researcher at DEEP&T, you will work on products used by millions of Disney customers each year. You will conduct evaluative user research using methods like interviews, literature reviews, and usability testing. You will also conduct generative research through activities like design sprints, customer journey mapping, and diary studies. Working within a product design organization you will determine the best approach for translating research findings into actionable outputs. _A few reasons why we believe youu2019d love working here:_ + Impact u2013 We are shaping the future of Disney Entertainment. Our design and research drive innovation across our entire portfolio, from Disney+ to ESPN and beyond, creating magical experiences for audiences worldwide. + Collaboration u2013 Our team includes the industry's most talented designers, UX engineers, design operations experts, and leaders, all working together to push the boundaries of creativity and user experience. + Innovation u2013 We pioneer groundbreaking products and techniques that redefine industry standards, transforming how audiences engage with sports, entertainment, and news. What You Will Do A Principal UX Researcher plays a critical role in leveraging research, data, and human-centered design methodologies to inform product strategy today and drive innovation tomorrow. This role focuses on identifying key user needs, guiding the development of data-driven, user-centric solutions and operationalizing key research practices. As part of a multidisciplinary design team, the role will collaborate with experts across design, UX, and data to create cutting-edge products that enhance user experiences and drive business impact. + Develop & Manage Research Programs: Build and maintain a program for collecting, synthesizing, and communicating insights on human needs, motivations, and trends, to inform near and long term strategic efforts and programs. You operationalize key systems and processes to help benefit the broader business. + Conduct In-Depth Research: Lead qualitative and quantitative research efforts, including user interviews, surveys, market analysis, usability, and other research methods to gather deep insights into customer needs and behaviors. + Translate & Present Insights: Clearly translate research findings and data into actionable recommendations and present them concise and impactful manner to designers, partners and leadership teams. + Drive Rapid Prototyping & Testing: Develop and test prototypes of new solutions to validate concepts and gather feedback quickly. + Collaboration with Design & Product Teams: Work closely with design and product teams to understand and quantify user behavior, needs, and goals, ensuring research informs key business decisions. + Execute End-to-End Research: Design and execute a wide variety of research projects from early discovery and ideation to design validation, ensuring thorough insights at every stage. + Generate Actionable Insights & Strategic Recommendations: Synthesize research data to create compelling recommendations that directly influence product designs and strategic decisions. + Create Strategic UXR Frameworks: Build strategic customer frameworks curated from individual research projects to guide broader business strategies. + Mentor & Educate Teams on Research Methods: Lead by example and mentor colleagues across the company, empowering them to conduct effective customer research, from guerrilla methods to formalized studies. + Pioneer Innovation Research Methods: Drive innovation by exploring, refining, and codifying new research methodologies, setting the standard for the team and organization. Required Qualifications & Skills + 10+ years of applied product/design research or equivalent experience. + Bacheloru2019s degree in Computer Science, Human Factors, HCI, Psychology, Sociology, Cognitive Science, Research & Strategy, Anthropology or related field. + Strong portfolio or set of case studies showcasing a range of projects demonstrating your research process, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. + Ph.D. or Masteru2019s degree not required but a plus. The hiring range for this position in California is $187,900.00 to $252,000.00 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidateu2019s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered. Job ID: 10140823 Location: San Francisco,California Job Posting Company: Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & TechnologyThe Walt Disney Company and its Affiliated Companies are Equal Employment Opportunity employers and welcome all job seekers including individuals with disabilities and veterans with disabilities. If you have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation in order to search for a job opening or apply for a position, email with your request. This email address is not for general employment inquiries or correspondence. We will only respond to those requests that are related to the accessibility of the online application system due to a disability.

Created: 2026-02-02