Lead, Consumer & Player Research and Insights

If you want to build own and see your impact join Skillz and level up your career.

Skillz is the competition infrastructure platform that powers real-money skill-based tournaments inside mobile games. We didnt just enter the competitive gaming market we invented it. Founded in 2012 by entrepreneur and inventor Andrew Paradise Skillz built the category from scratch: the patented matchmaking identity payments fraud protection and developer tools that make fair real-stakes competition possible at scale.

Skillz hosts billions of casual mobile gaming tournaments for millions of players worldwide and is revolutionizing the gaming industry. By fostering social competition within games the Skillz platform helps developers build multi-million dollar franchises by enabling real-money activity in their games and providing operational support while connecting players through fair enjoyable and meaningful competition.

Today Skillz is part of FIRY a global holding company operating at the intersection of gaming AI-powered performance marketing and developer infrastructure. Alongside RZR our AI-driven ad network and Beamable our backend and LiveOps platform Skillz sits at the center of a compounding data flywheel that no standalone competitor can replicate. 800000 daily tournaments. $7.5 billion in lifetime prizes paid to players. 90 million registered users.

Were a high-conviction team of builders who came from Apple Amazon Google Microsoft Tesla X Roblox Zynga Samsung Lyft EA Riot Nexon Gameskraft PlayStation Unity Scopely Tinder Intel Deloitte EY Twitch DraftKings Wynn Resorts and more. We operate like a startup hold ourselves to high standards and move fast with purpose. If you want to work on infrastructure that matters and be part of a team that fights for what it builds Skillz is the right place.

About the Role

Skillz is looking for a Lead Consumer & Player Research and Insights to build a deeper understanding of our players and bring their perspectives into critical business decisions. You will lead research across the player experience translating player needs motivations and behaviors into actionable insights that inform product features promotions prize structures and LiveOps. This is a highly cross-functional role that will help teams make more confident player-centered decisions.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead Skillzs Consumer and Player Research function establishing clear intake prioritization research standards and an accessible insights repository.
• Design and execute quantitative qualitative and mixed-method research to uncover player motivations pain points churn drivers and emerging experience risks.
• Establish a recurring Voice of the Player program including pulse surveys player panels targeted outreach and segmentation across key player groups.
• Partner with Product LiveOps Analytics and VIP teams to validate changes to features promotions prize structures and player economics before launch.
• Translate research findings into clear recommendations that influence roadmaps player-retention strategies and business decisions.
• Develop and manage a high-performing research team setting clear expectations while coaching analysts toward independent execution.

Key Competencies

• Expertise in consumer insights player research UX research and mixed-method research design.
• Strong ability to translate player feedback and behavioral data into practical business recommendations.
• Strategic judgment and confidence influencing high-stakes decisions in a fast-moving environment.
• Cross-functional collaboration with Product LiveOps Analytics Marketing and customer-facing teams.
• Clear executive communication research storytelling and stakeholder management.
• Strong people leadership coaching prioritization and operational discipline.

Experience

• 7 years of experience in consumer insights player research UX research market research or a related discipline.
• Experience building or scaling an insights function research program or Voice of the Customer/Player program.
• Demonstrated expertise across quantitative and qualitative methods including surveys interviews segmentation panels and behavioral analysis.
• Track record of influencing product retention monetization or customer-experience decisions through research.
• Experience managing and developing researchers or analysts.
• Gaming mobile consumer technology digital entertainment marketplace or other high-engagement product experience strongly preferred.

Total Starting Compensation including Base Bonus Equity: $160000

Location: Onsite Las Vegas NV

Why Skillz

• Youre building infrastructure not just features. Skillz is the competition layer for mobile gaming the matchmaking payments identity and fraud systems that make real-stakes competition trustworthy at scale. The work here compounds. Every improvement to the platform makes every tournament on it better.
• Founder-led. Andrew Paradise founded Skillz in 2012 with a single conviction: that fair real-money skill-based competition should exist at scale. Thirteen years later hes taken the company public on the NYSE built a portfolio of three independent businesses earned 90 patents and won the largest false advertising verdict in U.S. history. He is still here still the founder still the CEO still building. That kind of long-term commitment and alignment is rare in any company. At Skillz it defines the culture from the top down.
• Part of a compounding ecosystem. Skillz is one of three businesses inside FIRY alongside RZR our AI-powered performance ad network and Beamable our developer backend platform. Your work spans gaming ad tech identity payments and ecommerce. The platform you build on gets smarter and more valuable with every player developer and advertiser that enters the ecosystem.
• Comprehensive Benefits. 100% coverage for medical dental and vision for you and your dependents. 401K matching equity incentives pre-tax benefit options and more.
• Wellness Support. Meditation and mental health resources physical fitness coaching and classes family planning assistance health and parenting guidance virtual therapy sessions and more.
• Time Off. Competitive PTO and company holidays.
• Las Vegas Headquarters. Skillz operates in a five-day-a-week collaborative office environment at our 36000 square foot Las Vegas HQ. Free daily catered lunch snacks a full-size gym with showers commuter benefits team events and more.
• Recognized Success. Skillz has earned recognition as one of Fast Companys Most Innovative Companies CNBCs Disruptor 50 San Francisco Business Times Best Places to Work Forbes Next Billion-Dollar Startups and the #1 fastest-growing company in America on the Inc. 5000 list and many more.

Join Skillz and Lets Redefine the Boundaries of Gaming!

Together well create a world where skill passion and innovation thrive. We look forward to having you on board!

#LI-Onsite #LI-

Skillz embraces diversity and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As part of our commitment to diversifying our workforce we do not discriminate on the basis of age race sex gender gender identity color religion national origin sexual orientation marital status citizenship veteran status or disability status and we operate in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.