Director, Research WhatsApp Business Lead
Menlo Park, California, US
Facebook's mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. Through our family of apps and services, we're building a different kind of company that connects billions of people around the world, gives them ways to share what matters most to them, and helps bring people closer together. Whether we're creating new products or helping a small business expand its reach, people at Facebook are builders at heart. Our global teams are constantly iterating, solving problems, and working together to empower people around the world to build community and connect in meaningful ways. Together, we can help people build stronger communities - we're just getting started.
WhatsApp drives the adoption of Meta monetization products in parts of the world where we have historically had smaller revenue opportunities. In order to grow the Meta ecosystem, we are bringing online both first time online businesses from around the world as well as marketeers looking to grow WhatsApp as their next big channel. The Business Products team, based in Meta Headquarters, is at the forefront of enabling businesses to run their entire operations from the WhatsApp Business app. We are seeking an experienced and strategic Director of Research to lead our WhatsApp Business research team; with a background in user experience research, leadership skills, and working with cross-functional teams. The Director will lead a team of researchers focused on Business app growth, Business AI, Paid Messaging, Meta Verified for WhatsApp to build a unified vision of the app and the value to businesses it can deliver while maintaining message quality.
Responsibilities
Lead and manage a team of UX researchers: Provide guidance, mentorship, and support to help team members grow and develop their skills
Develop and execute research strategies: Collaborate with product leaders to identify research needs, design studies, and analyze data to inform product decisions related to WhatsApp Business
Conduct complex research projects: Design and execute qualitative and quantitative research studies, including interviews, surveys, usability testing, and ethnographic research to understand business needs and behaviors on WhatsApp
Communicate research findings: Present research results to stakeholders, including product leaders, designers, and engineers, to inform product decisions that balance business needs with user experience
Influence product strategy: Use research insights to advocate for user-centered design and influence product roadmaps for WhatsApp Business
Stay up-to-date with industry trends: Participate in conferences, workshops, and online forums to stay current with the latest research methods and technologies related to business messaging and monetization
Collaborate with cross-functional teams: Work closely with product management, design, engineering, and marketing to ensure research is integrated into the product development process for WhatsApp Business
Develop and manage budgets: Oversee research budgets, including vendor contracts and internal resources
Minimum Qualification
10+ years of experience in user experience research: Proven track record of leading research teams and conducting complex research projects
Proven experience in leadership and management skills: motivating and guiding team members, as well as building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders
Proficiency in qualitative and quantitative research methods, including survey design, statistical analysis, and data visualization
Executive communication and presentation skills: Demonstrated experience of communicating complex research findings to technical and non-technical audiences
Demonstrated experience to think critically about research findings and translate them into actionable recommendations
Experience working closely with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to achieve shared goals
Preferred Qualification
Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Sociology, or related field: PhD preferred
Experience with business messaging platforms: Familiarity with business messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or WeChat
Knowledge of advertising and marketing principles: Basic understanding of advertising and marketing concepts, including targeting, segmentation, and positioning
Experience with data analysis tools: Familiarity with data analysis tools, including SQL, Excel, or Tableau
Have experience working with teams on commerce experiences enabled by GenAI
Have experience in working with Monetization efforts
Experience partnering with Data Science and Product Growth around quantified funnel conversion, experimentation and strategic and tactical improvements
WhatsApp is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. You may view our Equal Employment Opportunity notice here. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. We may use your information to maintain the safety and security of Facebook, its employees, and others as required or permitted by law. You may view Facebook’s Pay Transparency Policy and Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law notice by clicking on their corresponding links. Additionally, WhatsApp participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law.
WhatsApp is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at accommodations-ext@fb.com .