Job Description
The role conducts mixed-method research for Waymo's Operations Tooling, leading projects on ground-level workflows. This informs designs for fleet teams and engineers by surfacing insights on emotions, behaviors, and attitudes. Researchers collaborate with UX designers, PMs, Ops, and Engineering to immerse in depot and road environments.
Waymo creates intuitive experiences for riders and powerful tools for teams building the autonomous driver. The multidisciplinary group includes designers and researchers digging into users' needs across digital and physical touchpoints.
Work involves running studies outside labs, interviewing participants, and building presentations with visuals. Team members stay updated on Ops priorities, scoping projects, and developing empathy through immersion. Interactions include feedback sessions praising collaborations. A constraint is managing up to 30% travel for field research at depots and offsites, alongside vendor partnerships for recruitment.
Compensation ranges from $196,000 to $248,000 USD based on location and skills. The hybrid position reports to a Research Manager and offers bonuses, equity, and comprehensive benefits. Travel includes depot visits and occasional international offsites.
Responsibilities
- Lead mixed-method research projects end-to-end
- Run on-the-ground studies including interviews
- Surface insights and build presentations
- Collaborate with UX Design PM Ops Engineering
- Stay updated on Ops Tooling priorities
- Shape UXR project prioritization and scoping
- Understand workflows and SOPs immersively
- Develop empathy for operations tool users
Requirements
- Led fast-paced mixed-method research projects
- Extensive experience mapping operations workflows
- Experience launching early-stage tech products
- Worked on multi-touchpoint offerings with physical elements
- Immersive collaboration with cross-functional teams
- Managed research operations like screening recruiting
- Experience with autonomous technologies preferred
- Partnered with research vendors preferred
- Localized products in non-English contexts preferred
- Fluency in Japanese preferred