User Experience Research Intern - Master's

R-121957

About The Team

The UXR team runs User Research for Insomniac Games and coordinates with the dev team and PSS UXR central team to deliver actionable insights that improve the efficient development of high quality titles for our customers, resulting in a positive impact on SIE's profits and brand.

The User Experience Research Intern supports the research team in evaluating and improving player experience and usability across our games. This internship offers hands-on experience applying research methods to real game development challenges. Working alongside experienced researchers, you’ll help plan, run, and analyze studies that explore how players interact with our games—contributing insights that directly inform design and development decisions.

What You’ll Do

• Assist in preparing and running usability and playtest sessions for game features and content.
• Observe player sessions and take detailed notes on user behavior, feedback, and gameplay patterns.
• Support data collection efforts, including setting up surveys and basic telemetry queries under supervision.
• Help develop and test workflow processes for moderating and reporting studies.
• Collaborate with the research team to organize and interpret qualitative and quantitative results.
• Contribute to reports and presentations summarizing study findings for developers and stakeholders.
• Recruit internal and external playtest participants and help manage test scheduling and logistics.
• Support survey development using standard templates and question sets provided by researchers and designers.
• Participate in research team meetings and share insights or suggestions based on observed player feedback.

• Practical experience in user research within a professional game development environment.
• Exposure to the end-to-end process of planning, running, and reporting usability and playtest studies.
• Opportunities to collaborate with researchers, designers, and developers.
• Mentorship and feedback to strengthen research, analysis, and communication skills.
• Insight into how research contributes to creating engaging, player-focused gaming experiences.

What We’re Looking For

• Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Psychology, Human-Computer Interaction, Human Factors, Cognitive Science, or a related discipline with graduation expected between December 2026 and Spring 2027.
• Familiarity with UX research methods (usability testing, surveys, observational studies, etc.)
• Strong analytical and organizational skills.
• Clear and professional written and verbal communication.
• Experience with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and survey tools such as Qualtrics or Survey Monkey is a plus.
• Basic understanding of data interpretation (percentages, averages, ratios).
• A genuine interest in user experience and video games.

Eligibility

• Students with expected graduation between May 2025 and Spring 2027 from an accredited university. Advanced Degree - Masters
• Able to work during one of the following periods: May 18th - August 7th or June 15th - September 4th. Relocation assistance is available for eligible candidates.
• Must be available for the entire 12-week internship period.

At this time, SIE will only consider applicants who are authorized to work for any employer in the United States and who will not require work visa sponsorship from SIE now or in the future to maintain their authorization to work in the United States.

Our intern positions offer a fixed hourly pay rate. Please note that the pay rate is exclusive to the internship period and may not reflect what pay may look like following the completion of an internship.