Director of UX Research - eBay Live/AI

At eBay, we're more than a global ecommerce leader — we’re changing the way the world shops and sells. Our platform empowers millions of buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets around the world. We’re committed to pushing boundaries and leaving our mark as we reinvent the future of ecommerce for enthusiasts.

Our customers are our compass, authenticity thrives, bold ideas are welcome, and everyone can bring their unique selves to work — every day. We're in this together, sustaining the future of our customers, our company, and our planet.

Join a team of passionate thinkers, innovators, and dreamers — and help us connect people and build communities to create economic opportunity for all.

About the role & team:

As the UXR Director leading the eBay Live and AI domains, you will be a key leader and pivotal stakeholder in shaping the future of one of eBay's most critical strategic pillars, overseeing a team which spans across product areas including eBay Live and our horizontal AI UXR team You will lead and inspire an organization of talented UXR ICs, acting as a force-multiplier for their development and the continuous evolution of the UXR function. We will depend on you to build meaningful, collaborative relationships with our design, product and engineering partners and senior leadership, with a focus on influencing and creating customer-informed strategies and inspiring continuous user-based product and feature innovation. 

In this role, you will work within the Design org, alongside partners from Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, Analytics and other core teams to ensure your research team is optimized to develop key insights to drive great experiences. You will support your team of talented User Researchers in designing, planning, conducting, and socializing user research across a spectrum of methodologies. You are a strong influencer and promoter within and outside the Design organization, as well as an external face for eBay’s User Experience Research team. 

What you will accomplish:

• Lead a team of User Researchers across the eBay Live and AI domains, providing research leadership as well as career development guidance and coaching tailored for a mix of junior to senior research talent as well as manager talent.

• Drive a mixed-methods research practice, gathering both generative and evaluative insights on designs and concepts. Methods include but are not limited to: in-depth user interviews, in-lab and field studies, online surveys, diary studies, usability testing, moderated and unmoderated remote testing, customer journey mapping, jobs to be done, benchmarking, heuristic evaluations, as well as stakeholder interviews.

• Cultivate and manage partnerships with cross-functional partners and company leadership (Design, Product Management, Marketing, Analytics, and various Business Units), being a user insights thought leader and core leadership partner..

• Establish and maintain an efficient strategy for scoping research, execution, and sharing insights to ensure velocity and visibility across internal partners.

• Help drive the impact of insights generated by the team and play a leadership role in elevating the User Research practice at eBay. 

• Define and lead initiatives that contribute to the maturity of our research practice.

• Manage budget and maintain a healthy bench of external vendors for specific needs.

What you will bring:

• Proven people leader with experience in all aspects of managing teams.

• 14+ years of experience in an applied user research setting.

• 10+ years of experience in managing user research/product research teams.

• 5+ years of experience in managing research managers.

• Experience with the eCommerce industry is a plus but not a mandatory requirement.

• Experience with AI is a plus but not a mandatory requirement.

• Advanced Degree in Human Factors, Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive or Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Science or a related field is desired.

• Consistent track record of building and curating user research programs, employing a range of methodologies.

• Practical experience in deploying qualitative and quantitative research methods throughout the product development lifecycle, from ideation to launch.

• Ability to solve complex problems and support the team in delivery of insights.

• Strong communication skills, experienced influencer, and advocate for user research.

This job posting relates to an existing vacancy within eBay.

eBay is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability, or other legally protected status. If you have a need that requires accommodation, please contact us at [email protected]. We will make every effort to respond to your request for accommodation as soon as possible. View our accessibility statement to learn more about eBay's commitment to ensuring digital accessibility.

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