UX Researcher II

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Researcher II

Company: PrizePicks

Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: User Experience Research / Product Design

Date Posted: March 18, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-4 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Conducts end-to-end UX research, from study design and participant recruitment to data synthesis and actionable insight delivery, driving product development and user-centric decision-making.

• Collaborates closely with product managers, designers, and engineering teams to identify critical research objectives and integrate user feedback throughout the product lifecycle.

• Translates complex research findings into compelling strategic narratives and clear, actionable recommendations for diverse stakeholders, including senior leadership.

• Advocates fiercely for user needs, motivations, and pain points, ensuring a deep understanding of member experiences to inform product strategy and enhance user satisfaction.

• Leverages a variety of research methodologies, including qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, with a strong emphasis on both evaluative and generative research.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the core role is UX Research, its application within the Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) industry positions it as a critical function supporting Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy by ensuring product-market fit and optimal user engagement. This role requires a blend of deep user empathy and business acumen to translate insights into tangible product improvements that drive user acquisition and retention.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design, plan, and execute a comprehensive range of user research studies, including but not limited to usability testing, in-depth interviews, diary studies, surveys, and concept validation.

• Independently own and manage the entire research process for assigned product domains, from scoping research questions and recruiting appropriate participants to meticulously collecting, synthesizing, and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data.

• Foster strong, collaborative partnerships with cross-functional teams, including Product Management, Design, Engineering, and Marketing, to identify key research objectives and address evolving product needs.

• Develop and deliver clear, concise, and persuasive research findings, insights, and strategic narratives through compelling storytelling, creative artifacts, detailed reports, and engaging read-outs to influence product roadmaps and design decisions.

• Effectively communicate research insights and recommendations to a broad audience, including key stakeholders and senior leadership, ensuring research findings are understood and actionable.

• Champion a research philosophy that appropriately balances speed and efficiency with scientific rigor, maintaining curiosity, empathy, and a passion for uncovering user needs and solving complex problems.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of research processes, methodologies, and best practices within the team, sharing knowledge and mentoring junior researchers as needed.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "end-to-end research process within your domain" and "partnering closely with cross-functional team members" indicates a significant level of autonomy and responsibility. This suggests the role requires strong project management skills in addition to research expertise, particularly in scoping, prioritization, and stakeholder alignment, which are crucial for operations-aligned roles.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

Required Skills:

• Strong proficiency and hands-on experience with qualitative research methods, including designing and executing both evaluative (e.g., usability testing) and generative (e.g., in-depth interviews, diary studies) studies.

• Proven ability to own the end-to-end research process, from scoping and planning to data synthesis, analysis, and delivering actionable insights.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, with a demonstrated ability to translate complex research findings into clear, compelling narratives and strategic recommendations for diverse audiences.

• Demonstrated experience in collaborating effectively with cross-functional partners, including product managers and designers, to identify research objectives and influence decision-making.

• Familiarity with remote user testing platforms and tools (e.g., UserTesting, UserZoom, dscout, Lookback).

• A deep curiosity, empathy, and passion for uncovering user needs, motivations, behaviors, and pain points.

Preferred Skills:

• Comfort and familiarity with quantitative research methods, such as surveys, A/B testing, and log data analysis, or a demonstrated interest in developing these skills.

• Experience within the gaming, sports, or consumer technology industries.

• Experience with user segmentation and persona development based on research findings.

• Familiarity with agile development methodologies and working within product teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a portfolio or case studies highlighting "end-to-end research process and the impact your work had on an organization, team, product, and/or feature" is critical. For operations roles, this translates to demonstrating the ability to implement processes, drive efficiency, and deliver measurable business outcomes through user-centric solutions.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio or collection of case studies that clearly illustrate your end-to-end research process across multiple projects.

• Demonstrations of how your research directly informed product decisions, leading to tangible improvements in user experience, product features, or business metrics.

• Examples showcasing your ability to scope research needs, select appropriate methodologies, recruit participants, execute studies, and synthesize findings.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase your approach to documenting research plans, methodologies, participant recruitment strategies, and data synthesis processes.

• Provide examples of how you communicate research findings, including reports, presentations, or other artifacts designed to effectively convey insights and drive action.

• Illustrate your methods for integrating user feedback and research insights into the broader product development lifecycle, ensuring a continuous feedback loop.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UX Researcher role, the "portfolio" is akin to an "operations portfolio" for other functions, showcasing practical application of skills, process execution, and demonstrable impact. This section emphasizes the need to highlight not just research findings, but the process by which those findings were achieved and leveraged for business impact.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Company-subsidized medical, dental, and vision plans.

• 401(k) plan with company match.

• Annual bonus opportunity.

• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO), with a strong encouragement to take at least 2 weeks.

• Generous paid leave programs, including 16-week paid parental leave and disability benefits.

• Workplace flexibility with modern work schedules focused on results rather than hours clocked.

• Company-wide in-person events and team outings.

• Lifestyle enhancement program.

• Company equipment provided (Windows & Mac options).

Working Hours:

• This is a full-time position. While the exact daily hours are flexible and focus on getting the job done, a standard expectation would align with approximately 40 hours per week. The hybrid work model allows for flexibility in structuring the work week.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimates are based on typical market rates for a UX Researcher II in Atlanta, GA, considering the provided experience level and the general compensation trends for tech roles in major US cities. Benefits are directly extracted from the provided text, with added context for operations professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Sports & Entertainment Technology / Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS). PrizePicks is a leader in the rapidly growing DFS market, operating within a dynamic and competitive entertainment landscape.

Company Size: Over 550 employees. This indicates a mid-to-large sized company that has experienced significant growth, suggesting a need for structured processes and efficient operations to support its expansion.

Founded: PrizePicks has established itself as a prominent player, recognized as the fastest-growing sports company in North America by Inc. 5000. This growth trajectory implies a culture of innovation, agility, and a strong focus on user acquisition and retention.

Team Structure:

• The UX Research team is likely part of a broader Product or Design organization, working closely with Product Management and Engineering.

• The role involves direct collaboration with Product Managers and Designers, suggesting a matrixed or project-based team structure.

Methodology:

• The company emphasizes a research philosophy that balances speed and efficiency with rigor, indicating a pragmatic and results-oriented approach to user understanding.

• Data-driven decision-making is implicit, with a focus on leveraging insights to inform product strategy and development.

• Collaboration and clear communication are highlighted as critical, suggesting a team environment that values shared understanding and collective problem-solving.

Company Website: http://prizepicks.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's rapid growth and recognition as a fast-growing sports company suggest a culture that is agile, innovative, and focused on scaling operations. For a UX Researcher, this means opportunities to impact a growing user base and contribute to product evolution in a fast-paced GTM environment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This position is classified as UX Researcher II, indicating a mid-level role. It signifies a professional who can independently manage research projects from conception to completion and is expected to contribute significantly to product strategy through their insights. This level typically requires 2-4 years of experience and demonstrates a capacity for influencing product direction.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, UX Researchers often report into a UX Research Manager, Director of Product Design, or Head of Product. The role requires close partnership with Product Managers and Designers, suggesting a collaborative reporting dynamic where insights are shared and acted upon across functional teams.

Operations Impact: The impact of this UX Researcher role is directly tied to enhancing the user experience of the PrizePicks platform. By understanding user needs, motivations, and pain points, the researcher influences product design and development, which in turn drives user acquisition, engagement, retention, and ultimately, revenue growth. Effective UX research is a critical component of a successful Go-To-Market strategy.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specific research methodologies (e.g., advanced quantitative analysis, behavioral economics) or product areas.

• Leadership Development: Potential to grow into a Senior UX Researcher role, leading larger initiatives, mentoring junior researchers, and contributing to research strategy.

• Cross-Functional Impact: Opportunity to gain broader product and business acumen by working closely with various departments, potentially leading to roles in Product Management or User Experience Strategy.

• Industry Expertise: Developing deep knowledge of the daily fantasy sports and broader sports technology market, becoming a subject matter expert.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "II" designation suggests a clear career path. Growth opportunities are framed in terms of deepening operational impact, expanding influence, and developing strategic capabilities within the UX Research discipline, which aligns with typical career progression in operations-focused roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a hybrid position based at the PrizePicks headquarters in Atlanta, GA. This indicates a blend of in-office collaboration and remote work flexibility.

Office Location(s): The primary work location is the PrizePicks headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. This offers access to a central hub for in-person team interactions and company events.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model supports both focused individual work and collaborative sessions with colleagues, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas.

• Tools & Technology: Employees are provided with company equipment, including options for both Windows and Mac, ensuring they have the necessary tools to perform their roles effectively. Access to remote testing tools is also specified.

• Team Interaction: The hybrid setup allows for regular in-person touchpoints with design and product teams, facilitating spontaneous discussions and team building, while also supporting remote collaboration tools for seamless communication with distributed team members.

Work Schedule: The company emphasizes "modern work schedules focused on getting the job done, not hours clocked" and "workplace flexibility." While a standard full-time commitment is expected (approx. 40 hours/week), there is likely flexibility in daily start/end times and a focus on output and achieving objectives rather than strict adherence to a traditional 9-to-5 schedule.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "workplace flexibility" and "modern work schedules" aligns with operational efficiency principles, where results and impact are prioritized. The hybrid model is designed to optimize both focused work and collaborative synergy.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely review your application and resume, focusing on your experience, qualifications, and portfolio.

• Hiring Manager Interview: An in-depth discussion about your UX research experience, methodologies, problem-solving approach, and fit with the team's philosophy. Be prepared to discuss specific examples from your portfolio.

• Skills Assessment/Case Study: You may be asked to complete a take-home assignment or a live case study exercise simulating a research challenge. This will assess your research design, analysis, and communication skills.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Designers, and potentially engineers to assess your collaboration style, communication effectiveness, and ability to influence cross-functional partners.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss your overall fit, strategic thinking, and long-term career aspirations within PrizePicks.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight End-to-End Process: Clearly map out your research journey for each case study – from understanding the problem and defining research questions to methodology selection, execution, synthesis, and delivering actionable insights.

• Showcase Impact: Quantify the impact of your research whenever possible. Use metrics, user feedback quotes, and examples of product changes that resulted from your work. Demonstrate how your research contributed to business goals or user satisfaction.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that align with PrizePicks' industry (DFS, sports tech) or showcase experience with similar research methods (qualitative, mixed-methods, evaluative, generative).

• Structure for Clarity: Organize your portfolio logically with clear headings, concise descriptions, and compelling visuals. Ensure it's easy for reviewers to navigate and understand your contributions.

• Tell a Story: Frame each case study as a narrative with a clear beginning (the problem), middle (your research process), and end (the solution/impact).

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Product: Familiarize yourself with the PrizePicks platform, its competitors, and the daily fantasy sports landscape.

• Methodology Fluency: Be ready to discuss the pros and cons of various research methods and justify why you'd choose a particular approach for a given problem.

• Problem-Solving: Practice framing research problems, identifying key hypotheses, and outlining a research plan to test them.

• Stakeholder Communication: Prepare to explain how you would communicate sensitive or complex research findings to different stakeholders, including executives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "portfolio" and "case studies" is paramount. This section provides actionable advice on how to present research work in a way that demonstrates operational capability – process execution, problem-solving, and impact measurement.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Remote Testing Platforms: Proficiency with tools such as UserTesting, UserZoom, dscout, Lookback, or similar platforms for conducting remote usability testing and participant interviews.

• Qualitative Data Analysis Software: Familiarity with tools for thematic analysis, coding, and synthesizing qualitative data (e.g., Dovetail, NVivo, or even advanced spreadsheet/document analysis).

• Survey Tools: Experience with platforms like SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, Google Forms, or Typeform for designing and deploying user surveys.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Quantitative Analysis Tools (Preferred): Bonus points for comfort with tools like Excel, Google Sheets for basic data analysis, or an interest in learning more advanced tools for log data analysis or statistical analysis.

• Presentation Software: Expertise in tools like PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Keynote for creating compelling reports and read-outs of research findings.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly listed, understanding how UX research insights can inform CRM strategies or product automation features would be beneficial. Proficiency in collaboration tools like Slack, Jira, and Confluence is standard for cross-functional team interaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "remote testing tools" and the "bonus points for quantitative methods" indicates a need for practical tool proficiency. For operations roles, this translates to understanding how to leverage technology to gather data, analyze it efficiently, and drive informed decisions.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A core value is being a fierce advocate for members and their experiences, placing user needs at the forefront of all product decisions.

• Curiosity & Empathy: The team operates with a deep curiosity about user behavior and a strong sense of empathy to understand motivations and pain points.

• Data-Driven Pragmatism: A philosophy that balances research rigor with speed and efficiency, valuing actionable insights that can be implemented effectively.

• Collaboration & Communication: Strong emphasis on partnering closely with cross-functional teams and communicating findings clearly to influence decision-making.

• Continuous Improvement: Openness to learning and growing, both individually and as a team, to refine research practices and enhance impact.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Researchers are expected to work closely with Product Managers and Designers throughout the product lifecycle, acting as a key partner in defining objectives and shaping solutions.

• Iterative Feedback: The culture likely supports an iterative process where research findings are shared early and often, allowing for continuous refinement of product concepts and designs.

• Storytelling & Influence: Collaboration involves effectively communicating research narratives to gain buy-in and influence strategic direction, requiring strong interpersonal and presentation skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The stated values (curiosity, empathy, speed/efficiency balance, collaboration) directly inform how an operations professional should approach their work and interactions within the team, emphasizing a blend of analytical rigor and interpersonal effectiveness.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Speed and Rigor: Effectively conducting thorough research within fast-paced product development cycles while maintaining methodological integrity.

• Translating Insights into Action: Ensuring that research findings are not just delivered, but are clearly understood and acted upon by product teams and leadership to drive meaningful change.

• Navigating Diverse Stakeholder Needs: Effectively communicating research to various audiences, from designers to senior executives, and aligning different perspectives.

• Scope Management: Independently scoping research projects appropriately to deliver maximum impact within project constraints and timelines.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Methodological Expansion: Opportunity to gain experience with quantitative research methods, expanding your toolkit beyond qualitative approaches.

• Domain Expertise: Deepen understanding of the DFS and sports technology industry, becoming a valuable subject matter expert.

• Strategic Influence: Develop skills in influencing product strategy and roadmap development through compelling research communication and partnership.

• Mentorship: Potential to learn from and contribute to a growing UX Research team, sharing best practices and developing leadership capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight areas where strong operational skills—project management, strategic communication, and process optimization—are crucial for success. Growth opportunities focus on expanding both technical research skills and strategic business impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance research rigor with a tight deadline. How did you scope your research and what trade-offs did you make?" (Assesses prioritization, efficiency, and methodological adaptability).

• "Walk us through a research project where your insights directly led to a significant product change or feature. What was the process, and what was the impact?" (Assesses end-to-end process ownership and impact demonstration).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about PrizePicks and the Daily Fantasy Sports industry?" (Assesses genuine interest and understanding of the business context).

• "How do you approach collaborating with designers and product managers who may have different priorities or perspectives?" (Assesses teamwork and conflict resolution).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each case study, clearly outline:

  • The Problem: What was the user or business challenge?
  • Your Role: What was your specific contribution?
  • The Process: What methods did you use and why?
  • The Findings: What key insights did you uncover?
  • The Impact: How did your work influence the product or business? Quantify where possible.

• Focus on Impact: Emphasize the tangible outcomes of your research. Use data, user quotes, and examples of product changes to prove your value.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Prepare to answer detailed questions about your methodology, data analysis, and decision-making process for each project.

• Demonstrate Curiosity: Ask thoughtful questions about PrizePicks' product, users, and existing research practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation for operations-focused roles like this emphasizes the ability to articulate processes, demonstrate impact, and show strategic thinking. The questions are designed to probe how candidates apply their skills to solve business problems.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link on the PrizePicks careers page.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to highlight 2-3 of your most impactful UX research projects. Ensure these projects clearly demonstrate your end-to-end research process, your ability to synthesize qualitative and quantitative data, and the measurable impact your work had on product development and user experience.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize keywords and responsibilities listed in the job description, such as "UX Research," "qualitative research," "generative studies," "usability testing," "data synthesis," "stakeholder influence," and "cross-functional collaboration." Quantify your achievements wherever possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your research process and insights using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions. Prepare to discuss specific examples from your portfolio that showcase your problem-solving skills and ability to drive user-centric decisions.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with PrizePicks, its product offerings, target audience, and recent news. Understand their position in the daily fantasy sports market and consider how UX research contributes to their growth and Go-To-Market strategy.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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