Principal UX Researcher

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.