Sr. User Researcher

About Chalkboard

Chalkboard is building the future of sports gaming. Our mission is to blur the line between watching and playing by turning real-money sports gaming into a social, immersive experience built for fans who play to win. We're not just creating another betting app. We're reimagining how sports fans engage with the games they love.

At our core, we’re a team of sports-obsessed builders who value clarity, fairness, and the thrill of helping fans turn insight into action.

The Role

We’re looking for a Senior User Researcher to join Chalkboard and help us deeply understand our players; how they think, what motivates them, where they struggle, and what keeps them coming back. In this role, you’ll partner closely with Product, Design, Data, and Marketing to shape experiences that feel intuitive, social, and built for real sports fans.

You’ll play a meaningful part in how millions of fans experience sports in real time by bringing clarity to ambiguous problems, elevating the voice of the user, and ensuring our biggest bets are grounded in insight. If you love building research practices from the ground up, thrive in fast-moving environments, and want your work to directly influence product direction, this role is for you.

Your Game Plan

Build and scale Chalkboard’s research function from the ground up, delivering actionable player insights that directly shape product strategy, improve critical user journeys, and elevate how fans experience sports in real time.

Level Up Our Game

• Build and scale Chalkboard’s research function from the ground up — defining processes, tools, and best practices that grow with the company.
• Establish ongoing player feedback loops and research panels to continuously capture sentiment across sports seasons (NBA, NFL, and beyond).
• Elevate the quality and consistency of insights across teams, ensuring research meaningfully influences roadmap and prioritization.
• Partner with Data to triangulate behavioral analytics with qualitative insights to drive sharper decision-making.
• Continuously refine how we test, learn, and iterate — improving clarity, fairness, and usability across the product.

Play Like a Captain

• Act as the voice of the player in roadmap discussions, product reviews, and executive conversations.
• Bring structure to ambiguous problem spaces by identifying the right research questions and methods.
• Lead end-to-end research initiatives across discovery, concept testing, usability, and post-launch validation.
• Mentor PMs and Designers on best practices for research and scrappy testing methods in a fast-paced environment.
• Synthesize complex findings into compelling narratives that drive alignment and action.

Find a Way To Win

• Design and execute qualitative and quantitative research that moves at startup speed without sacrificing rigor.
• Translate nuanced behaviors — especially around sports gaming psychology and social dynamics — into clear, actionable product recommendations.
• Identify friction in critical moments (onboarding, deposits, contest entry, social engagement) and deliver solutions that improve conversion and retention.
• Adapt research methods creatively when faced with tight timelines, shifting priorities, or limited resources.

We Are Better Together

• Partner closely with Product, Design, Engineering, Marketing, and Growth to ensure insights are embedded throughout the product lifecycle.
• Create shared visibility into research findings so they drive action — not just presentations.
• Foster a culture of curiosity, player empathy, and evidence-based decision-making across Chalkboard.
• Help teams see beyond assumptions by grounding conversations in real player needs and motivations.

What You Bring To The Team

• 5+ years of experience in UX research, product research, or human-centered research roles.
• Experience leading end-to-end research projects independently.
• Deep expertise in qualitative methods (interviews, usability testing, diary studies, concept testing).
• Experience integrating quantitative insights (surveys, behavioral data) into research narratives.
• Proven ability to influence product decisions and roadmap prioritization.
• Strong synthesis and storytelling skills — able to translate findings into clear business impact.
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, growth-stage startup environment.

Pro Points

• Experience in sports, gaming, fantasy sports, betting, or adjacent consumer tech industries.
• Experience building research functions or practices from scratch.
• Familiarity with experimentation frameworks and A/B testing environments.
• Experience working closely with Growth or Lifecycle teams.
• Passion for sports culture and understanding fan behavior.

Why Chalkboard

We care about results, but also how we get there. Our core tenants aren’t slogans here, they’re how we operate. As Chalkboard grows, so do you. New problems, bigger plays, and opportunities to step up when it matters most happen often here.

We want our team performing at their best, so here’s how we support our players:

• Employee Sponsored medical, dental, & vision coverage starting within 30 days. We cover 80% for employees and 70% for dependents.
• 401(k) with company match
• Lunch on us everyday with a corporate DoorDash account
• Refuel in the office with protein shakes, energy drinks, and a snack buffet
• Flexible time off policy, plus 10 company holidays, WFH during the holidays

Chalkboard Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Chalkboard does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

Work Authorization: We welcome applicants who are currently authorized to work in the United States. At this time, we’re unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role.

Compensation Range: $140K - $155K