Principal Researcher - Central Strategic Insights

The Insights discipline helps empower Rioters' decision-making to be more data-informed. We're an interdisciplinary group of scientists, consultants, and strategists from all sorts of backgrounds who join together to represent and advocate for gamers around the world. We believe that illuminating the globally diverse experiences, behaviors, and needs of gamers is critical to Riot living up to our player-focused mission. We're a group united by our love of games, science, and helping others succeed.

As a Principal Researcher on the Central Innovation Strategy & Insights team, you’ll be responsible for helping Riot build a deep understanding of the global gaming audience as well as the audiences for our particular games. You'll conduct a wide range of studies and analyses often in partnership with researchers on game teams - including qualitative interviews and global market surveys - to inform our holistic understanding of the global gamer audience, what opportunities we look to get involved in, and the strategy for games across our portfolio. You’ll be part of an interdisciplinary strategy team working closely with a diverse group of specialists to turn the findings of your research into recommendations and action. Your research background coupled with your deep understanding of data will ensure that you’re an effective advocate for players and can provide strategic guidance about their wants, needs, and behaviors. This role will report to the Director of Insights.

Responsibilities:

Work as part of a central team studying the global gaming audience and the audiences of Riot Games to inform portfolio and product strategy across all of our games
Construct, organize, and execute studies and surveys across a variety of methods designed to answer business and product strategy questions
Partner with analysts, researchers, and designers to generate insights and frameworks that’ll inform the strategic direction of various games
Be an effective advocate for players and provide strategic guidance about their wants, needs, and behaviors.
Provide strategic insights to test teams’ assumptions and inform their actions
Share your results with other Rioters in clear, illustrative presentations
Mentor other researchers, helping them learn from your own experiences

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Anthropology, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related discipline plus at least 8 years of relevant research experience (an advanced degree can account for 1 to 2 years of experience depending on Master’s or PhD)
Broad experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods including conducting interviews, focus groups, and online community studies, as well as performing survey research with deep expertise in at least one of these areas
3+ years doing research specifically in the games industry
Experience conducting research to answer product or portfolio strategy questions
Experience synthesizing & socializing research results and distilling results into impactful recommendations for product leadership
Trusted to operate independently regardless of structure and to have owned larger problems/projects/workstreams

Desired Qualifications:

3+ years of experience working directly with senior executives (includes clients)
Familiarity with basic statistical methods for data analysis (regressions, correlations, factor analyses)
Experience working with game teams through the entire lifecycle of the product (development, launch, and live operations)
Vendor management experience
Experience leading complex efforts with multiple collaborators

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise and a collaborative spirit that prioritizes the delight of players. We will look at your past studies and experience, but for this role, we also look for dedicated people with a personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about players' experiences, this is the role for you!

Our Perks:

Riot focuses on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy and other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.

Riot Games fosters a player and workplace experience that values teamwork embodied by the Summoner's Code and Community Code . Our culture embraces differences as a strength, and our values are the guiding principles for how we approach work. We are committed to putting diversity and inclusion (D&I) at the center of everything we do and promoting a fair and collaborative culture where Rioters treat one another with dignity and respect. We encourage you to read more about our value of thriving together and our ongoing work to build the most inclusive company in Gaming .

It’s our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including the California Fair Chance Act, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the Washington Fair Chance Act.

Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories:

Safeguarding confidential and sensitive Company data

Communication with others, including Rioters and third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minors
Accessing Company assets, secure digital systems, and networks
Ensuring a safe interactive environment for players and other Rioters

These duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, and compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs and additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency and security.

(Los Angeles Only) Base salary range between $178,800 USD - $249,200 USD + incentive compensation + equity + 401K with company match + medical, dental, vision, and life insurance + short and long-term disability + open PTO.