User Experience Research Intern - Summer 2023

Program Dates: June 5, 2023 - August 11, 2023

This role is based in-person from Boston, MA.

This position requires a cover letter and online portfolio. Include the link to your portfolio in your resume, and the application question.

We are the User Experience Research (UXR) team at Wayfair and we’re tackling exciting challenges that are reshaping how people perceive, discover, find, purchase, and have goods delivered to their homes. We are a diverse team of world-class researchers who are hard at work to inform and influence product strategy and design by providing deep awareness and actionable insights of Wayfair customers. One of the three disciplines (along with Product Design and Content Design) within the Experience Design team, our approach is collaborative, data-driven, and fast-paced.

User research is one of our best kept secrets. We are a world class and rapidly growing team that drives strategic business, design, and product impact at scale. We define and solve big ambiguous problems. Driving through discipline excellence our function has a voice and is respected throughout the company. Our open role(s) offer you an opportunity to turbocharge your research career in a high performing research environment.

At Wayfair, the research team is structured in a global operational model, which means that in joining us you have regular access to learning, feedback, and input from researchers leading tracks of work across customers in all geographies, and digital storefronts.

User researchers at Wayfair are leaders, storytellers, and courageous trail blazers who leverage the full range of methods and techniques to deliver a nuanced understanding of the end-user and their needs. Self-starters in nature, they thrive in fast paced, fluid environments that allow team members to leverage their strengths and passions to influence what we do and how we do it.

Whether you prefer to lead research projects, individuals, and/or teams, at Wayfair we have a professional growth path and career track that allows you to plan for and pursue your aspirations.

We are looking for current students who are passionate about users and have a desire to help deliver positive user experiences through research. Our ideal candidate will be effective at designing and executing on research activities that enhance the end-to-end experience for our users. User Experience Research Co-ops and Interns are members of the larger Experience Design team and will work closely with product managers, product designers, and other research organizations within the company.

Interested in learning more about Wayfair’s Experience Design team? Check out our Medium: https://medium.com/wayfair-design

What You’ll Do:

Work with teams to identify, plan, and conduct studies that will drive to world-class product and design strategy/solutions. Methods may include contextual inquiries, field studies, participatory design, usability studies, and other activities selected to meet specific research goals.

Activities to achieve these goals may include:

• Research Planning

• Prepare for studies which employ a variety of research methodologies
• Ensure a clear understanding of the goals and objectives for research projects
• Meet with relevant stakeholders to review goals and objectives
• Craft studies optimized to address goals and objectives

• Research Implementation

• Under limited supervision, prepare project plans, study plans, moderator’s guides and other artifacts related to designing and conducting studies
• Work with research coordinators to ensure smooth logistics of recruiting participants
• Facilitate studies for approved initiatives
• Work with other researchers by participating in observation, note taking and analysis for studies as needed

• Data Analysis & Reporting

• Complete data analysis following studies and field visits
• Create, review and present research reports with teams and key stakeholders

• Collaborate with Global Experience Design team members to:

• Build internal body of knowledge
• Instill research best practices
• Develop and maintain internal awareness of user expectations

What You’ll Need:

Basic Qualifications:

• Actively pursuing a Bachelors or Masters degree in Human Factors, Experimental/Cognitive Psychology, HCI, or related field and/or commensurate experience, with a strong academic record.
• Must be returning to the course of study following completion of the internship. Must plan to graduate between December 2023 through May/June 2024.
• Must be able to commit to working 40 hours/week (9am-5pm, Monday-Friday) from June 5-August 11, 2023 in our Boston, MA office

Preferred Qualifications:

• Creation and administration of qualitative and/or quantitative studies including, but is not limited to, contextual inquiries, field studies, participatory design, surveys, usability studies, click stream analysis and other activities selected to meet specific research goals under limited guidance.
• Collection and crystallization of user attributes and needs
• Must possess excellent interpersonal, communication, and persuasion skills
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills
• Comfortable with fast-paced work environment and responsibilities for high visibility projects
• Experience working in an agile environment is a plus
• Demonstrable experience with multiple research methods (preferably in foundational and generative methods)
• Experience with current tools for web and mobile product research
• Ability to work on projects with limited supervision
• Ability to effectively communicate qualitative data into actionable UX goals

About Wayfair’s Experience Design (XD) Community:

Experience Design at Wayfair is a cross-disciplinary function including product design, user research, and content design. We create experiences for Wayfair’s customers by partnering with product managers, engineers, and analysts to build and optimize the full customer experience. Wayfair’s world class user research team systematically investigates and amplifies the current and potential user base and their digital experience to materially shape business, design & product strategy.

The Wayfair experience supports our mission to be the destination for all things home, helping everyone, anywhere create their feeling of home.

An Important Note about Wayfair's In-Office Policy:

All Boston-based interns, Co-ops, and corporate employees will be in office in a hybrid capacity. Employees will work in the office on designated days, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and work remotely the other 2 days of the week. We are continuing to monitor the evolving COVID-19 pandemic in partnership with state and local governments.

Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities
Wayfair is fully committed to providing equal opportunities for all individuals, including individuals with disabilities. As part of this commitment, Wayfair will make reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of qualified individuals with disabilities, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on business operations. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact candidateaccommodations@wayfair.com.

Need Technical Assistance?
If you are having any technical difficulty submitting your application, please reach out to our careers team at careers@wayfair.com.

About Wayfair Inc.
Wayfair is one of the world’s largest online destinations for the home. Whether you work in our global headquarters in Boston or Berlin, or in our warehouses or offices throughout the world, we’re reinventing the way people shop for their homes. Through our commitment to industry-leading technology and creative problem-solving, we are confident that Wayfair will be home to the most rewarding work of your career. If you’re looking for rapid growth, constant learning, and dynamic challenges, then you’ll find that amazing career opportunities are knocking.

No matter who you are, Wayfair is a place you can call home. We’re a community of innovators, risk-takers, and trailblazers who celebrate our differences, and know that our unique perspectives make us stronger, smarter, and well-positioned for success. We value and rely on the collective voices of our employees, customers, community, and suppliers to help guide us as we build a better Wayfair – and world – for all. Every voice, every perspective matters. That’s why we’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristic.

We are interested in retaining your data for a period of 12 months to consider you for suitable positions within Wayfair. Your personal data is processed in accordance with our Candidate Privacy Notice (which can found here: https://www.wayfair.com/careers/privacy). If you have any questions regarding our processing of your personal data, please contact us at dataprotectionofficer@wayfair.com. If you would rather not have us retain your data please contact us anytime at dataprotectionofficer@wayfair.com.

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