User Research Manager (Portfolio Manager)

Company Description

Ubisoft is a global leader in gaming, with teams across the world creating original and memorable experiences — from Assassin’s Creed and Rainbow Six to Just Dance and more. We believe that diverse perspectives help both players and teams thrive. If you’re passionate about innovation and pushing the boundaries of entertainment, join us on our journey and help create the unknown!

Job Description

At Pixel, we are more than just a user research lab. We are committed to helping Ubisoft create the best gaming experiences by placing players—their behaviors, motivations, and expectations—at the heart of the design process.

In partnership with production teams and using various methodologies at our disposal, we analyze player feedback to provide in-depth and relevant insights and support decision-making.

Within the Player Experience Insights (PX Insights) department, the User Research Manager is responsible for a team organized by portfolio and reports to the Associate Director. This team is organized to support productions, possibly grouped by brands, through Insights Managers (Pixies) and dedicated user research analysts. Team members can be in Montreal, Quebec, Toronto and Cary (NC) for the United States. The PX Insights department includes several similar teams to cover all productions supported by Pixel in North America. In collaboration with other Portfolio User Research Managers and under the supervision of the Associate Director, the User Research Manager translates the department’s strategic vision and direction into concrete objectives for their team, contributes to the continuous improvement of practices, and supervises the team's KPIs to ensure optimal resource utilization within Pixel.

• Transform the strategic vision into concrete objectives for your portfolio, in collaboration with other portfolio managers and the Associate Director.
• Lead and empower a multisite team of Player Experience Insights (PXI) managers and a team leader responsible for user research, guiding them through management, leadership coaching, and relationships with various partners.
• Prioritize user research initiatives across projects in your portfolio, in partnership with a project manager.
• Use key performance indicators to monitor the health and performance of resources assigned to your portfolio.
• Build meaningful collaborations with strategic partners (VP Prod/HQ duo) and maintain positive relationships with key stakeholders and production team members, developing cross-expertise collaborations.
• Create and strengthen relationships with Pixel's cross-functional teams (discipline leads, topic leads, project managers) to ensure the implementation of standards in the portfolio, in coherence with other portfolio managers.
• Support and advocate for Pixel's mission within the team and with various partners.
• Represent Pixel in external forums and global discussions, contributing to elevating the department's status.
• Strengthen relationships with key strategic partners to enhance the department's contribution to Ubisoft's success.
• Act as an ambassador for the department and participate in global alignment discussions and external forums to elevate the department's position.

Qualifications

• Has at least 3 years of experience in team management, demonstrating a proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop collaborators in a dynamic environment.
• Is results‑oriented, capable of anticipating risks and adapting resources to priorities.
• Is motivated by the desire to drive change at all levels of an organization.
• Has extremely strong knowledge of game development, game design, and production cycles.
• Has solid experience and relevant achievements in conducting mixed‑method research, generating actionable insights for production partners and stakeholders.
• Possesses strong communication skills, capable of managing a variety of stakeholders at different levels of the organization.
• Can guide and develop team members in managing multiple diverse stakeholders with varied priorities, perceptions, and interests.