User Research Associate (UX)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: User Research Associate (UX)

Company: Sleeper

Location: San Francisco, CA, USA

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience (UX) Research / Product Operations

Date Posted: 2026-08-28

Experience Level: 0-2 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is pivotal in understanding user behavior and needs to inform product strategy and design decisions within a dynamic sports technology platform.

• Focus on deploying a mix of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies to gather actionable insights for product iteration and feature development.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including product managers, designers, and engineers, to translate research findings into tangible product improvements.

• Contribute to a data-driven decision-making process by providing robust user insights that align with company objectives and user satisfaction goals.

• The position demands a proactive approach to user research, emphasizing a blend of independent work and strong team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "User Research Associate (UX)," given the emphasis on "deploying quantitative and qualitative research methodologies," "fundamental knowledge of statistics and experimentation," and potential experience with "quantitative analytics tools or dashboards," this role significantly overlaps with Product Operations and Data Analytics functions within a UX context. The focus on a "sports platform" used by "over 10 million people" suggests a high-impact role in a fast-growing consumer tech environment.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design, plan, and execute user research studies using a variety of qualitative and quantitative methodologies (e.g., user interviews, surveys, usability testing, A/B testing, data analysis).

• Analyze research data to identify key user pain points, needs, and behaviors, translating complex findings into clear, concise, and actionable insights.

• Collaborate with product managers, designers, and engineers to define research questions and integrate user feedback throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Develop and maintain user personas, journey maps, and other artifacts that represent the target audience and inform product strategy.

• Conduct competitive analysis and market research to understand the broader user landscape and identify opportunities for innovation.

• Present research findings and recommendations to stakeholders across the organization, effectively communicating the voice of the user.

• Contribute to the development and refinement of research processes and best practices within the design and research team.

• Participate in team-building activities and "research" by engaging in sports or computer games to foster a deeper understanding of the user base.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibility of deploying both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, combined with a need for statistical understanding and potential analytics tool experience, indicates a need for a highly analytical researcher. This goes beyond basic usability testing and requires the ability to design experiments and interpret statistical data to drive product decisions.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Information Sciences, Statistics, Data Analytics, Human-Centered Design, Psychology, Sociology, or a related field.

Experience: Minimum of 1+ years of hands-on experience in UX research, with a proven track record of deploying both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.

Required Skills:

• Proficient in designing and conducting qualitative research methods such as user interviews, usability testing, and focus groups.

• Experience with quantitative research methods, including survey design, data collection, and analysis.

• Fundamental understanding of statistics and experimentation principles, including hypothesis testing and experimental design.

• Ability to translate complex data and user insights into clear, actionable recommendations for product teams.

• Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment.

• Self-driven with a proactive approach to identifying research opportunities and driving projects forward.

• Familiarity with research tools for remote testing and/or surveys. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with quantitative analytics tools (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics) or dashboard creation.

• Familiarity with statistical software or programming languages (e.g., R, Python) for advanced data analysis.

• Experience with HCI principles and human-centered design methodologies.

• Understanding of the sports or gaming industry, with a passion for sports.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "0-2 years" experience level, coupled with the requirement for a "fundamental knowledge of statistics and experimentation," suggests that candidates with strong academic backgrounds in quantitative fields or internships/co-op experiences where they applied these skills will be highly competitive. The preference for analytics tools and statistical software indicates a leaning towards candidates who can bridge the gap between qualitative insights and quantitative data.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A portfolio showcasing at least 2-3 distinct UX research projects that demonstrate a deep understanding of research methodologies.

• Projects should clearly articulate the research problem, the methodologies employed (qualitative and quantitative), the process followed, and the impact of the research on product decisions.

• Include examples of how you have translated research findings into actionable insights and recommendations.

• Demonstrate experience with data analysis and the ability to present findings in a clear, compelling manner.

• Showcase familiarity with research tools and platforms used for data collection and analysis. Process Documentation:

• Highlight your process for planning and scoping research projects, including defining objectives and selecting appropriate methodologies.

• Detail your approach to recruiting participants and managing research logistics.

• Illustrate your methods for analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, identifying patterns, and synthesizing findings.

• Provide examples of how you document and communicate research insights to cross-functional teams.

• Showcase your understanding of iterative design processes and how research feeds into continuous product improvement cycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this associate-level role, the emphasis will likely be on the candidate's understanding of the research process, their ability to articulate their thinking, and the potential for growth rather than a vast portfolio. Demonstrating a structured approach to research, even from academic projects or internships, will be crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $75,000 - $95,000 USD per year (Base Compensation).

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance coverage.

• 401k retirement savings plan.

• Generous paid-time-off (PTO) policy.

• Regular virtual game-time sessions with company-sponsored snacks.

• Company-sponsored fantasy leagues with opportunities for real prizes.

• Bi-annual team outings for team-building and professional development.

Working Hours: Standard full-time work hours, approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility considered for specific project needs and team collaboration within the San Francisco time zone.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is based on the company's disclosure for specific US locations requiring such estimates. This range is competitive for an entry-level UX Research Associate in San Francisco, considering the tech industry and the specified experience level. The benefits package is typical for a growing tech company, with unique perks aligning with Sleeper's sports-focused culture.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Sports Technology / Social Platform. Sleeper operates at the intersection of sports, gaming, and social networking, leveraging technology to enhance fan engagement and social connections around sports. The platform is a key player in the fantasy sports and sports media landscape.

Company Size: Small, intentionally kept lean to maximize individual impact. This suggests a highly collaborative, agile environment where each team member's contribution is significant.

Founded: Sleeper was founded with a mission to create a digital playground for sports fans and their friends, growing to over 10 million international users. This indicates a history of successful product development and user acquisition.

Team Structure:

• The Design and Research team is integrated within a small, dedicated group of designers, engineers, and product experts focused on the Sleeper ecosystem.

• Collaboration is key, with a strong emphasis on cross-functional teamwork between research, design, product management, and engineering.

• The team appears to foster a culture of shared learning and fun, encouraging participation in sports and games as part of their "research" and team-building efforts. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is central, with research findings directly influencing product strategy and design.

• An iterative approach to product development, where user feedback and research insights are continuously incorporated.

• Emphasis on understanding user behavior through both deep qualitative insights and rigorous quantitative analysis.

• A "work hard, play hard" mentality, balancing intense focus on product development with team-building activities and shared interests.

Company Website: www.sleeper.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture emphasizes impact, collaboration, and a passion for sports. The small team size means this role will have significant visibility and influence. The "research" activities, including playing games, highlight a unique approach to understanding the user base and fostering team cohesion.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Entry-Level UX Research Associate. This role is designed for individuals early in their UX research careers, offering a foundational experience in a fast-paced tech environment. The focus is on learning, contributing, and developing core research skills.

Reporting Structure: Likely reports to a Lead UX Researcher, Senior UX Designer, or Head of Product/Design. The direct reporting line will offer mentorship and guidance.

Operations Impact: The insights generated by this role will directly influence the user experience of a platform used by millions, impacting feature development, user retention, and overall product strategy. This associate will play a critical role in ensuring Sleeper remains a leading platform for sports fans.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Development: Deepen expertise in quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, statistical analysis, and A/B testing. Opportunity to learn and utilize advanced analytics and research tools.

• Career Progression: Potential to advance to a UX Researcher, Senior UX Researcher, or specialize in areas like Product Analytics or Data Science within the company, depending on performance and company growth.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Gain hands-on experience working with product management, engineering, and design teams, fostering a holistic understanding of product development.

• Industry Exposure: Contribute to a rapidly growing and innovative company in the sports technology sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: For an associate role, the primary growth path is skill acquisition and demonstrating impact. The small team size means opportunities for broader exposure and potentially faster advancement if the candidate proves highly capable and adaptable.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site in San Francisco, CA. This indicates a traditional office-based work environment, designed to foster in-person collaboration and team cohesion.

Office Location(s): San Francisco, California, United States. Specific office details are not provided but can be assumed to be in a standard tech hub area within the city.

Workspace Context:

• A collaborative office space designed to encourage interaction between team members.

• Access to necessary tools and technology for research, data analysis, and communication.

• Opportunities for direct interaction with designers, product managers, and engineers, facilitating seamless communication and feedback loops.

• The environment is described as "fast-paced," requiring adaptability and efficiency.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, with an expectation of approximately 40 hours per week. While on-site, there may be some flexibility in daily hours, but core collaboration times will require presence in the office. The emphasis on team-building and game-time suggests a culture that values connection alongside productivity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in San Francisco suggests candidates should be local or willing to relocate. The collaborative office environment is a key aspect, aligning with the company's emphasis on teamwork and shared experiences.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, interest, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper dive into your experience, research methodologies, and understanding of UX principles. Expect questions about past projects and how you approach research challenges.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A dedicated session where you will present your portfolio. Be prepared to walk through 1-2 key projects, detailing your process, findings, and impact. This is where your ability to communicate research insights effectively will be evaluated.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with members of the design, product, and engineering teams to assess collaboration skills and how you integrate research into the product development lifecycle.

• Potential Research Exercise: You may be given a small research task or case study to complete, simulating real-world challenges.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss overall fit and strategic alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Storytelling: Structure your portfolio projects as compelling narratives. Clearly define the problem, your role, the methods used, key findings, and the impact or outcome.

• Methodology Clarity: Explicitly state which qualitative and quantitative methods you employed and why they were appropriate for the specific project.

• Data Visualization: If presenting quantitative data, use clear and effective visualizations. Explain your statistical approach and findings concisely.

• Actionable Insights: Emphasize how your research led to tangible product improvements or strategic shifts. Quantify impact where possible.

• Conciseness: Given the entry-level nature, focus on quality over quantity. Showcase your best work and demonstrate a solid understanding of the research process.

Challenge Preparation:

• Research Design: Be prepared to discuss how you would design a research study for a specific product feature or problem statement relevant to Sleeper.

• Methodology Justification: Articulate why you would choose certain research methods over others for a given scenario.

• Data Interpretation: Practice interpreting sample data sets and drawing actionable conclusions.

• Stakeholder Communication: Prepare to explain how you would communicate research findings to different stakeholders (e.g., engineers, product managers, executives).

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is a critical component for UX roles. Candidates should prepare to not only showcase their work but also articulate their thought process and the impact of their research. Given the emphasis on statistics and experimentation, be ready to discuss any quantitative analysis performed.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Research Platforms: Familiarity with tools for remote usability testing, surveys, and participant management (e.g., UserTesting.com, SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Qualtrics).

• Data Analysis Software: Proficiency in statistical analysis tools or languages is preferred (e.g., R, Python with libraries like Pandas, SciPy). Experience with spreadsheet software (e.g., Excel, Google Sheets) for data manipulation is essential.

• Collaboration Tools: Experience with tools like Slack, Jira, Confluence, Figma, and Google Workspace for cross-functional communication and project management.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Quantitative Analytics Tools: Experience with product analytics platforms like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics is a significant plus for understanding user behavior at scale.

• Dashboarding Tools: Familiarity with creating reports and dashboards to visualize user data and research insights.

CRM & Automation:

• While not explicitly stated as a primary focus for this role, understanding how user data integrates with CRM systems or marketing automation platforms can be beneficial for a holistic view of the user lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on both qualitative and quantitative research, along with a "fundamental knowledge of statistics and experimentation," strongly suggests a need for proficiency beyond basic survey tools. Experience with data analysis tools and potentially statistical software will be highly valued.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the user in all product decisions.

• Collaboration: A strong belief in teamwork and cross-functional partnership to achieve shared goals.

• Impact-Driven: A focus on delivering measurable results and making a significant contribution to the product and company.

• Passion for Sports: An authentic enthusiasm for sports and connecting friends over shared interests, which fuels the company's mission.

• Innovation & Experimentation: A willingness to explore new ideas, test hypotheses, and continuously improve processes and products.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Research is seen as a vital part of the entire product development process, requiring close collaboration with design, product, and engineering.

• Open Communication: Encouragement of candid feedback and knowledge sharing within the team and across departments.

• Agile & Iterative: A flexible approach that embraces change and continuous improvement based on user feedback and data.

• Team-Oriented: A supportive environment where team members work together, share responsibilities, and celebrate successes collectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "work hard, play hard" and team-building aspects, including playing games together, suggest a culture that values camaraderie and shared experiences as much as professional achievement. This is a key differentiator for Sleeper.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Translating Insights: Effectively translating raw data and user feedback into clear, actionable recommendations that resonate with diverse stakeholders.

• Fast-Paced Environment: Adapting research plans and methodologies quickly to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving product and market.

• Balancing Methodologies: Effectively integrating both qualitative and quantitative research to provide a comprehensive understanding of user behavior.

• Impact Measurement: Quantifying the impact of research on product success and business metrics in a consumer-facing application.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Research Techniques: Opportunities to learn and master advanced quantitative analysis, experimental design, and statistical modeling.

• Tool Proficiency: Gaining expertise in industry-leading UX research, analytics, and data visualization tools.

• Product Strategy Input: Contributing directly to high-level product strategy discussions based on user insights.

• Mentorship: Learning from experienced designers, product managers, and engineers within a growing tech company.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique opportunity to hone analytical skills in a consumer-focused product environment, which is highly valuable for career growth in UX research and product analytics.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex research problem you tackled. What was your approach, what methodologies did you use, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on demonstrating your process, analytical thinking, and ability to translate findings into action).

• "How would you approach designing an A/B test for a new feature on Sleeper, and what metrics would you track to determine success?" (Prepare to discuss experimental design, statistical significance, and key performance indicators relevant to a sports/social app).

• "Imagine a user reports a bug or frustration with a core feature. How would you investigate this issue from a research perspective?" (Showcase your problem-solving skills and systematic approach to user feedback). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Sleeper and our mission to connect friends over sports?" (Research the company's platform, values, and recent developments. Show genuine enthusiasm for the product and its user base).

• "How do you approach collaboration with designers, product managers, and engineers?" (Highlight your experience working cross-functionally and your ability to communicate research effectively to different audiences).

• "Describe a time you had to present research findings that contradicted stakeholder assumptions. How did you handle it?" (Demonstrate your ability to advocate for the user with data and navigate challenging conversations). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the business or product impact of your research. Use metrics and concrete examples.

• Methodology Justification: Be ready to explain why you chose specific research methods for each project.

• Showcase Quantitative Skills: If applicable, highlight any statistical analysis, data interpretation, or A/B testing experience within your projects.

• Concise Storytelling: Practice presenting your projects within a defined timeframe, focusing on the most critical aspects of your process and findings.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on quantitative skills and experimentation, be prepared to discuss your statistical knowledge and any experience with data analysis tools or experimental design in your interview responses and portfolio.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this User Research Associate (UX) position:

• Submit your application directly through the Ashby careers portal linked for Sleeper.

• Tailor your resume: Highlight your UX research experience, specific methodologies used (qualitative and quantitative), any statistical knowledge, and experience with relevant tools. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare your portfolio: Ensure your portfolio showcases your best work, clearly detailing your research process, findings, and the impact of your work. Focus on projects that demonstrate both qualitative and quantitative skills.

• Practice your presentation: Rehearse walking through your portfolio projects, emphasizing your methodology, insights, and collaboration. Be ready to answer questions about your process and decision-making.

• Research Sleeper: Understand their platform, target audience, and recent news. Think about potential research questions or areas for improvement relevant to their sports and social focus.

⚠️ 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.