Principal UX Researcher Job at The Walt Disney Company in Santa Monica

Principal UX Researcher

Apply Now Apply Later Job ID 10135876 Location Santa Monica, California, United States / San Francisco, California, United States Business Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology Date postedNov. 10, 2025

Job Summary:

Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product Technology Technology is at the heart of Disney’s past, present, and future. Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology is a global organization of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, data scientists, and more – all working to build and advance the technological backbone for Disney’s media business globally.

The team marries technology with creativity to build world-class products, enhance storytelling, and drive velocity, innovation, and scalability for our businesses. We are Storytellers and Innovators. Creators and Builders. Entertainers and Engineers. We work with every part of The Walt Disney Company’s media portfolio to advance the technological foundation and consumer media touch points serving millions of people around the world.

Here are a few reasons why we think you’d love working here:

• Building the future of Disney’s media: Our Technologists are designing and building the products and platforms that will power our media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come.
• Reach, Scale & Impact: More than ever, Disney’s technology and products serve as a signature doorway for fans' connections with the company’s brands and stories. Disney+. Hulu. ESPN. ABC. ABC News…and many more. These products and brands – and the unmatched stories, storytellers, and events they carry – matter to millions of people globally.
• Innovation: We develop and implement groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms, and solve complex and distinctive technical problems

Design is centrally responsible for the design supporting all consumer-facing and business products and tooling for the Disney Entertainment & ESPN portfolio, including sports, entertainment, enterprise, UX, creative services and design research.

About Disney Streaming Product Design:

Disney Streaming Product Design is home to the designers redefining how audiences experience entertainment. We build across platforms that reach millions every day, and we’re constantly exploring what’s next. Whether it’s how stories are watched, interacted with, or felt, our goal is to design experiences that move people.

About the Role:

We’re looking for a Principal UX Researcher for Emerging Experiences to help shape the next generation of how audiences experience Disney+. You’ll lead discovery and evaluative research across new technologies, from spatial computing to immersive interaction models. You’ll partner with Product, Design, and Engineering to translate human behavior into insight that drives product strategy and innovation.

This is a high-impact leadership role focused on bringing clarity to ambiguity. You’ll identify the right questions, design the right studies, and connect findings to strategic decisions. You’ll influence how Disney Streaming defines and measures success in new modalities, ensuring every design decision starts and ends with the user.

You’ll work side by side with Principal Designers and Product Managers to explore, validate, and evolve our vision for the future of entertainment.

What You’ll Do

• Lead end-to-end research programs across discovery, validation, and measurement for emerging experiences including XR, spatial, and multi-device ecosystems.
• Partner with design and product leadership to define learning agendas and research roadmaps aligned to business strategy.
• Use generative methods to uncover unmet needs, behaviors, and motivations, turning them into actionable frameworks and opportunity spaces.
• Conduct evaluative research to assess usability, comfort, and engagement in immersive and spatial environments.
• Translate research findings into clear, compelling narratives that influence executive decisions and cross-functional roadmaps.
• Collaborate with engineers and designers to identify feasibility constraints and inform iterative product experimentation.
• Partner with data science to triangulate qualitative insights with behavioral analytics.
• Mentor designers and junior researchers in research planning, synthesis, and storytelling.
• Champion inclusivity and accessibility in emerging modalities, ensuring new technologies feel human and inviting for everyone.

What To Bring

• 10+ years of experience in UX Research, Human Factors, or related field, with a strong portfolio of studies that shaped product strategy and design.
• Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent work experience.
• Expertise across a range of qualitative and quantitative methods, and the ability to choose the right one for the question.
• Proven experience leading research in emerging technology domains (XR/VR/AR, spatial computing, multi-screen environments).
• A track record of influencing product strategy and direction through evidence-based insight.
• Strong storytelling and synthesis skills with the ability to make complex findings clear, credible, and actionable for any audience.
• Comfort navigating ambiguity and designing studies for uncharted product spaces.
• Deep empathy for users and an instinct for translating emotion and behavior into product opportunity.
• Experience mentoring and elevating the practice of UX Research within cross-functional teams.

Bonus Points

• Advanced degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Psychology, Anthropology, or related discipline.
• Experience with biometrics, eye-tracking, motion, or spatial analytics.
• Familiarity with Unity, Unreal, or other XR prototyping tools.
• Experience working closely with creative or content-driven product teams.

The hiring range for this position in Santa Monica, CA is $167,700.00 to $224,900.00 per year, and in San Francisco, CA is $183,700.00 to $246,400.00 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.
Disney Streaming Technology LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney champions a business environment where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a constantly evolving world.

About Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology:

At Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology, we’re blending imagination and innovation to reimagine the ways people experience and engage with the world’s most beloved stories and products. Our work is wide-ranging and deeply sophisticated. We create amazing experiences, transform the future of media, and build products and platforms that enable the connection between people everywhere and the stories and sports they love.

Disney’s ability to marry world-class technology with one-of-a-kind creativity makes us unique. It is at the heart of our past, present, and future. We are Storytellers and Innovators. Creators and Builders. Entertainers and Engineers.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world‑class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

Disability Accommodation For Employment Applications The Walt Disney Company and its Affiliated Companies are Equal Employment Opportunity employers and welcome all job seekers including individuals with disabilities and veterans with disabilities. If you have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation in order to search for a job opening or apply for a position, email Candidate.Accommodations@Disney.com with your request. This email address is not for general employment inquiries or correspondence. We will only respond to those requests that are related to the accessibility of the online application system due to a disability.

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