Job Details

Our Gaming Client is seeking an Associate Researcher to join their growing team!

Associate Researcher (Part‑Time, Hybrid)

Remote Status: Hybrid

Pay Rate: USD 41.19–54.12

Date Range: Feb 23, 2026 – Feb 22, 2027 (Part‑Time)

About the Role

The Research & Insights team empowers product and design decisions through high‑quality, data‑informed insights. We are an interdisciplinary group of researchers, analysts, and strategists passionate about understanding user needs and advocating for players across diverse communities. Our work ensures new features, experiences, and products are developed with clarity, empathy, and user‑centered thinking.

As an Associate Researcher (Moderator Contractor), you will support qualitative and quantitative research efforts, particularly around playtests, usability studies, and group discussions. You'll work alongside cross‑functional researchers to ensure that test sessions are run smoothly, participants are well supported, and feedback collected is actionable and high‑impact. This role includes hands‑on moderation, research operational support, and data organization/cleanup.

You'll contribute to multiple areas of an active game title, including gameplay mechanics, cosmetics, and new feature exploration.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate logistics for research studies, including scheduling, participant communication, and session moderation.
• Translate research requirements into participant recruiting criteria for upcoming tests.
• Support setup of test plans and surveys for playtests and user‑testing sessions.
• Execute research activities written and scoped by lead researchers, including usability tests, expert reviews, and structured playtests.
• Observe participants, take detailed notes, synthesize observations, and translate feedback into clear, actionable insights.
• Assist in creating research documentation and digestible reports based on collected data.
• Manage day‑of session setup, technology checks, participant facilitation, and post‑session cleanup.
• Lead or support group discussions with players to gather qualitative perspectives.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 6 months of experience in user research or moderating group discussions.
• Familiarity with gameplay systems and terminology for modern competitive games.
• Experience with survey tools such as Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, QuestionPro, etc.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills.
• Ability to work in‑person at the Los Angeles office as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• BA/BS in Psychology, Anthropology, Cognitive Science, Human‑Computer Interaction, Human Factors, or a related field.
• Experience in the video game industry.
• Understanding of game design fundamentals.
• Familiarity with production cycles in game development.
• Experience running playtests or similar live‑production research efforts.
• Experience with tools such as Qualtrics, Q, Sawtooth, or Tableau.

What Success Looks Like

You thrive by combining research craft with cross‑team collaboration. You're passionate about users, empathetic toward players, and excited by the opportunity to bring player feedback directly into feature development. Demonstrating curiosity, clear communication, and a strong relationship with games will help you excel in this role.