Director, User Experience and Research - NBC Sports Next

Company Description

SPORTS NEXT

NBC Sports Next is where sports and technology intersect. We’re fueled by our mission to innovate, create larger-than-life events and connect with sports fans through technology. We’re a subdivision of NBC Sports and home to leading technology platforms and digital applications for Youth & Recreational Sports; Golf; and Emerging Media.  

At NBC Sports Next, we equip more than 30MM players, coaches, athletes, sports administrators and fans in 40 countries with more than 25 sports solution products, including SportsEngine, the largest youth sports club, league and team management platform; SportsEngine Play, the first ever streaming service for youth and amateur sports, GolfNow, the leading online tee time marketplace and provider of golf course operations technology; and GolfPass the ultimate golf membership that connects golfers to exclusive content, tee time credits, instructional content and more.  

Job Description

NBCUniversal is seeking a Director of User Experience Research to lead the strategic research vision for SportsNext. This role will align user research efforts with broader organizational goals while also addressing immediate product and design needs. The Director will work closely with partners across Product, Design, Data Science, and Analytics to drive both evaluative and foundational research that informs current features and future roadmaps.

Reporting to the VP of Product Design and Research, this leader will manage a small team of UX researchers and play a key role in elevating the voice of the user across the organization—shaping product direction and influencing senior stakeholders along the way.

At SportsNext, we’re creating a connected ecosystem of products that serve a diverse range of users across both B2C and B2B experiences. A deep understanding of our users’ needs is essential to delivering meaningful, high-impact products — and that’s where research plays a critical role.

As Director of UX Research for SportsNext, you’ll lead a growing team of researchers who shape the future of our products through meaningful, actionable insights. You’ll work across a multidisciplinary team of designers, content strategists, product managers, engineers, analysts, and data scientists — all deeply invested in improving how people experience and manage sports and recreation.

In this role, you’ll serve as a team lead, coach, and expert practitioner. You’ll be responsible for supporting the growth and development of your team, helping them thrive while ensuring their work drives measurable impact. You’ll bring a strong mixed-methods background — designing and executing studies ranging from interviews and usability testing to surveys and data analysis — and consistently advocate for the user voice throughout the product development process.

You’ll also collaborate with leaders across SportsNext to ensure our work is user-driven, strategically aligned, and grounded in a deep understanding of both consumer and business needs — whether in youth sports or the world of golf.

Responsibilities:

• Leading a high-performing team of user researchers, providing guidance, mentoring, and coaching while setting new standards for methodological rigor and research excellence
• Fostering a collaborative, innovative, and inclusive research culture
• Partnering with stakeholders across the organization to define and prioritize research initiatives that align with business objectives and center user needs
• Own and drive the User Research roadmap, ensuring stakeholder and product
• needs are met and well aligned to achieve organizational KPIs and goals
• Vendor selection and management
• Communicating research findings effectively, translating complex insights into
• actionable recommendations for key decision-makers
• Influencing strategic and tactical product roadmaps with cross-functional leadership
• Managing complex schedules across multiple projects to ensure on time delivery
• Driving strategic initiatives to inform and shape research programs• Collaborating closely with cross-functional leaders in Product, Design, Marketing, and Analytics
• Connecting with other Research colleagues across NBCUniversal to share insights as well as lessons learned in conducting research
• Staying abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies, continuously evolving our research methodologies and approaches

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Anthropology,
• Statistics, or a related field
• Expertise in quantitative and qualitative research study design
• Expertise across a number of qualitative and quantitative research methods — including surveys, digital ethnographies, focus groups, etc.
• Familiarity with behavioral user analytics
• 10 years of experience executing applied research
• 8 years of experience leading collaborative efforts across disciplines
• 6 years of experience managing, leading, and growing a team of user researchers
• 5 years of consumer product research experience
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent data storytelling and presentation skills
• Extensive experience driving strategic product value through stakeholder influence
• Preferred Qualifications:
• Master’s degree or PhD in Sociology, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Anthropology,
• Statistics, or a related field
• Expertise in group moderation and facilitation
• 10 years of experience conducting UX research on products
• 8 years of experience working with executive leadership
• 5 years of experience driving projects in a large, matrixed organization

Fully Remote: This position has been designated as fully remote, meaning that the position is expected to contribute from a non-NBCUniversal worksite, most commonly an employee’s residence.

Additional Information

As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with an NBCUniversal employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. NBCUniversal's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.  

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access nbcunicareers.com as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by emailing [email protected].

Although you'll be hired as an NBCU employee, your employment and the responsibilities associated with this job likely will transition to SpinCo in the future. By joining at this pivotal time, you'll be a part of this exciting company as it takes shape.

For LA County and City Residents Only:  NBCUniversal will consider for employment  qualified applicants with criminal histories, or arrest or conviction records, in a manner  consistent with relevant legal requirements, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative For Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, where applicable.