About Our Team   

 At PayPal, design isn't just about creating visually appealing products—it's about shaping experiences that empower and delight our customers. We place the customer at the heart of everything we do, striving to enhance their financial well-being through innovative solutions. As leaders in financial technologies, we're driven by a shared mission to make a positive impact on people and businesses worldwide. Our collaborative approach brings together diverse talents—from designers and researchers to engineers and product leaders—to craft seamless and impactful experiences that resonate with millions of users across the globe.  

The PayPal Purchase experience design team is responsible for delivering seamless, personalized, and rewarding buying experiences for our 30 million merchants and 426 million customers. We recently redesigned our checkout experience, creating a fast, flexible flow that facilitates secure and convenient transactions across 200 markets globally. Every day, we’re laser-focused on influencing the strategic vision of our product, building and growing our team to bring this vision to life, and making sure our team has the time, tools, knowledge, and support to do our best work.   

 What You Need to Know About the Role    

 We’re looking for a curious and empathetic Lead UX Researcher who is passionate about driving customer-centric decisions across the product development lifecycle. This includes early research to understand customer needs and problems, and continues through design definition and prototyping, to post-launch research that informs future iterations. Our studies employ a variety of qualitative or mixed methods research approaches; card sorting, tree tests, diary studies, surveys, interviews, (un)moderated usability testing, and concept evaluations. We start by asking the right questions and end with continuous storytelling that shapes our product strategy.  

Your Day to Day    

•  Be an influential member of a cross-functional product team(s) by identifying research opportunities, scoping program requirements, shaping the product roadmap, guiding the evolution of the design, and otherwise championing the voice of the customer across the organization. 

• Independently own and drive research programs from beginning to end: identify the right research questions, define the participant sample, choose the best methodology, design the study, and execute with attention to detail and a high level of rigor. 

• Skillfully and effectively present compelling insights and recommendations to multiple teams and leaders across the organization, leveraging strong storytelling skills to facilitate constructive debate and drive customer-centric decision-making. 

• Successfully leverage insights across various research functions and data sources (e.g. market research, product marketing, analytics, etc.) throughout the product development lifecycle. 

• Act as a vital liaison between design, product management, and marketing teams, driving alignment across all stakeholders. 

• Expertly facilitate workshops and design sprints by surfacing relevant findings, pitching research opportunities, and influencing the evolution of our product and design strategy 

• Act as a thought leader across our thriving Experience Design community: drive strategic change initiatives, advocate for user-centric approaches, optimize workflows, and establish best practices that evolve our craft. 

• Model a growth mindset by actively seeking and providing feedback, experimenting with new approaches, working to expand your skillset, and mentoring other researchers to help them grow. 

 What You Need to Bring     

• Masters, Bachelors, or Professional degree backed by 6+ years of experience in design, research, or related fields, demonstrating creativity, leadership, and significant impact within each previous role.  

• Experience in financial services, ecommerce, or related industries preferred; demonstrated understanding of sector-specific challenges, needs, and opportunities 

• Proficient in a variety of qualitative research methods and approaches: in-depth interviews, diary studies, contextual inquiry, participatory research, observational research, etc. 

• Proficient in a variety of quantitative research methods and approaches: choice-modelling survey design and analysis, significance testing, statistical analysis, concept testing, etc. 

• Strong cross-functional collaboration experience, including partnering with product management, design, marketing, and other key stakeholders to facilitate constructive debate, align product and design strategies, and deliver insights in a compelling narrative that drives change