Senior User Researcher

Senior User Researcher

The Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) leverages technology to drive opportunity, improve public safety, and help government run better across New York City. From delivering affordable broadband to protecting against cybersecurity threats and building digital government services, OTI is at the forefront of how the city delivers for New Yorkers in the 21st century. At OTI, we offer great benefits, and the chance to work on projects that have a meaningful impact on millions of people. You'll have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology and collaborate with other passionate professionals who share your drive and commitment to making a difference through technology.

The Product Development team is seeking a Senior User Researcher to lead end-to-end research (generative, evaluative and mixed methods, desk research and analytics) on the cross-functional SPEED team. The Senior User Researcher will provide clear and actionable recommendations for the product team to deliver systems that will shorten new construction permitting. Responsibilities will include:

• Lead end-to-end research (generative, evaluative, and mixed methods synthesized with desk research and analytics);
• Translate qualitative and quantitative research into clear and actionable recommendations for product development team and project stakeholders.
• Represent user research to leadership, external stakeholders and technical teammates in plain language;
• Recruit and conduct research directly with the New Yorkers who use government services, many of whom face language, disability, or digital-access barriers that require thoughtful, accessible research design;
• Establish and maintain research operations: a participant recruitment pipeline appropriate for a government context, and reusable methods/templates the wider design team can use;
• Serve as the team's methodological quality bar: review other researchers' and designers' study designs and conclusions, catch these failure modes before they reach decision-makers, and codify guardrails into shared standards;
• Define methodological standard to ensure mixed-methods approaches are rigorous enough to inform decisions;
• Handle special projects and initiatives as assigned.

HOURS/SHIFT Day - Due to the necessary duties of this position in a 24/7 operation, candidate may be required to work various shifts such as weekends and/or nights/evenings.

WORK LOCATION Brooklyn, NY

Minimum Qualifications

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college in computer science, engineering, human computer interaction, interactive media, digital and graphics design, data visualization, communication or a related field, and four years of satisfactory full-time experience related to the area(s) required by the particular position and a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology and/or domain; or

2. An associate degree from an accredited college in computer science, engineering, human computer interaction, interactive media, digital and graphics design, data visualization, communication or a related field, and six years of satisfactory full-time experience related to the area(s) required by the particular position and a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology and/or domain; or

3. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, and eight years of satisfactory full-time experience related to the area(s) required by the particular position and a specialization in a relevant technology, process, methodology and/or domain; or

4. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1", "2", or "3" above.

Preferred Skills

The preferred candidate should possess the following:

• 10+ years of user research experience, including senior research roles on cross-functional product teams
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to address complex challenges
• Fast and accurate learner with ability to manage multiple research projects
• Deep fluency across research methods (interviews, contextual inquiry, diary studies, usability testing, surveys, and quantitative/behavioral analysis) with ability to cross check against desk research and analytics
• Experience creating visual artifacts such as journey maps, service blueprints and systems maps
• Experience researching with vulnerable, low-income, or historically underserved populations, with genuine command of accessible and equitable research practices (multilingual research, low-digital-literacy participants, trauma-informed methods)
• Experience building team research practice for an early-stage research team, including recruitment pipelines, repositories, research operations, rather than only working within an already-mature research org
• Best-in-class attention to detail with strong written and verbal communication skills in plain language you can write a findings memo to leadership
• Understanding of statistical principles to evaluate data
• Exemplify diverse representation and accessibility in research practice and past projects
• Experience researching multi-sided systems (e.g., applicants and caseworkers, or residents and developers) where different user groups have competing needs is plus
• Certification in evaluation practice (e.g., The Evaluators' Institute (TEI)) or equivalent education is a plus.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at

Residency Requirement

New York City Residency is not required for this position

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.