--- title: 'User Research Intern (Tools)- Master''s at Insomniac Games' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/user-research-intern-tools-master-s-insomniac-games-united-states-burbank-mr0x48hfc3b1' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-30' --- # User Research Intern (Tools)- Master's at Insomniac Games - **Company:** Insomniac Games - **Location:** United States Burbank, CA - **Compensation:** $40/hr - **Posted:** 2026-10-19 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-30 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/insomniac/jobs/6227520004 ## Job description Job ID: R-125941 Role Summary: Join Insomniac Games and gain hands-on experience conducting research that helps improve game development workflows and player experiences. As a User Research Intern, you'll collaborate with the User Research and Development Management teams to understand how individual contributors and leads use development tools such as Jira, Miro, and Confluence. You'll explore how these tools support daily workflows, identify challenges, and help uncover opportunities to improve how teams work together. You'll also support player research on game projects, gaining practical experience with surveys, interviews, usability testing, observation, and data analysis. This internship offers the opportunity to apply research methods to both internal development processes and player experiences while learning from experienced researchers and cross-functional partners. What You’ll Be Doing: - Collaborate with User Research and Development Management partners to develop research questions about tool use, workflow challenges, user needs, and workarounds across the studio. - Design and conduct surveys with individual contributors and leads to understand their experiences using Jira, Miro, Confluence, and related systems. - Assist with recruiting research participants and conducting interviews or observed workflow sessions, including remote sessions, while following participant consent and studio practices for recording. - Organize and analyze survey responses, interview notes, and observations to identify recurring themes, differences across roles, and opportunities for improvement. - Prepare reports and presentations that communicate research findings to tool owners and development partners, helping inform practical improvements and future research. - Support the planning and execution of usability studies and playtests for game projects, including participant logistics, session preparation, observation, and note-taking. - Analyze player feedback and contribute to research reports and presentations that help game development teams understand player experiences. - Apply research methods and insights from games research to internal development tool workflows, with guidance from the User Research team. What We’re Looking For: - Currently pursuing or have completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Psychology, Human-Computer Interaction, Human Factors, Cognitive Science, or a related field; or equivalent relevant experience gained through work, research projects, community work, or independent study. - Experience contributing to a game project or a demonstrated passion for games and player experience. - Familiarity with research methods such as surveys, interviews, usability testing, or observation through coursework, projects, or practical experience. - Curiosity about how people work, with an empathetic listening style and the ability to ask clear, neutral follow-up questions. - Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to organize research findings and share insights clearly. - Strong organizational skills and attention to detail when working with research participants, study materials, and data. - Willingness to learn unfamiliar tools and collaborate with researchers, tool owners, and game development teams. - Familiarity with Jira, Miro, Confluence, survey platforms, or similar tools is a plus. Prior experience with specific studio tools is not required. Eligibility: - Students with expected graduation between May 2026 and December 2029 from an accredited university. Advanced degree- Master's - Able to work during one of the following periods: May 17th - August 6th or June 14th - September 3rd. Relocation assistance is available for eligible candidates. - Must be available for the entire 12-week internship period. At this time, SIE will only consider applicants who are authorized to work for any employer in the United States and who will not require work visa sponsorship from SIE now or in the future to maintain their authorization to work in the United States. Our intern positions offer a fixed hourly pay rate. Please note that the pay rate is exclusive to the internship period and may not reflect what pay may look like following the completion of an internship. At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location. Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. Intern Pay Range $40.25—$40.25 USD Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks. Please refer to our[Candidate Privacy Notice](https://www.playstation.com/legal/careers-privacy-notice/) for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights. ## About Insomniac Games ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Insomniac Games is a AAA video game developer best known for creating the *Spyro the Dragon*, *Ratchet & Clank*, *Resistance*, and *Marvel's Spider-Man* franchises. - **Entity Type**: Private (Wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment, acquired in 2019) - **Headquarters**: Burbank, California, USA (with a second studio in Durham, North Carolina) - **Founded**: 1994 - **Founders**: Ted Price ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Computer Games / Interactive Entertainment (AAA Game Development) - **Target customers**: B2C (console gamers, primarily on PlayStation platforms) - **Mission or purpose statement**: To create games that have a positive and lasting influence on people's lives. ## Products & Services - **Marvel's Spider-Man (2018)**: Open-world action-adventure game, a critical and commercial smash hit. - **Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020)**: Standalone expansion/sequel. - **Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (2023)**: Sequel featuring both Peter Parker and Miles Morales. - **Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (2021)**: A flagship PlayStation 5 title showcasing near-instant loading and dimensional rifts. - **Spyro the Dragon (1998)**: Iconic classic platformer that defined a generation. - **Resistance (2005)**: First-person shooter franchise for PlayStation 3. - **Marvel's Wolverine (In Development)**: An upcoming, darker, mature-themed action game. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not applicable (private subsidiary). Acquired by Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2019 for an undisclosed sum. - **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue estimated at **$120.0M** (per LinkedIn). Over 70 million games sold lifetime. - **Notable Investors/Partners**: **Sony Interactive Entertainment** (parent company), **Marvel Entertainment** (key IP partner). - **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew **+11.5% YoY** to 387 employees. Actively hiring for *Marvel's Wolverine* and future projects. Continues to be one of the most prestigious first-party PlayStation studios. ## Competitive Advantages - **Proven Track Record**: Consistently delivers critically acclaimed, high-selling games (Spider-Man, Ratchet & Clank). - **Proprietary Engine & Tech**: Uses a heavily customized version of Insomniac's own engine, allowing for technical innovations like the near-instant loading in *Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart*. - **Strong IP Relationships**: Exclusive partnership with Marvel for high-profile games, and owns beloved original IPs like *Ratchet & Clank*. - **Sony Backing**: As a first-party studio, has access to massive resources, marketing, and job stability without the financial volatility of an independent studio. ## Strategic Focus - **Current priorities**: Shipping *Marvel's Wolverine*; continuing the *Spider-Man* franchise; maintaining a high standard of quality and technical innovation for PlayStation 5. - **Direction for growth**: Expanding the team (especially in technical and design roles) to handle multiple AAA projects simultaneously. ## Why Work Here - **Culture & Awards**: Has earned 20 local, regional, state, and national awards for its workplace culture. - **Remote/Hybrid Policy**: Supports **remote, in-studio, or hybrid** work arrangements. Remote employees must be based in the US or Canada. [insomniac.games](https://support.insomniac.games/hc/en-us/articles/46679299624595-Does-Insomniac-Games-support-remote-work-Can-I-work-remote-from-an-international-country-Can-I-work-from-Europe) - **Notable Perks**: Comprehensive benefits including health insurance, 401(k) matching, profit sharing, paid time off, sabbatical, game discounts, and a strong focus on work-life balance. [insomniac.games](https://insomniac.games/benefits-perks/) - **Engineering Culture**: Highly collaborative environment with a focus on technical excellence. Talent frequently moves between Insomniac and other top studios like Naughty Dog, Epic Games, and Blizzard. - **Employee Rating**: 4.1/5.0 on LinkedIn (57 reviews), with strong scores in Culture (4.1) and Compensation (4.1). ## Sources 1. [Insomniac Games Official Site](https://insomniac.games/) 2. [Insomniac Games Careers](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/insomniac) 3. [Insomniac Games Remote Work FAQ](https://support.insomniac.games/hc/en-us/articles/46679299624595-Does-Insomniac-Games-support-remote-work-Can-I-work-remote-from-an-international-country-Can-I-work-from-Europe) 4. [Insomniac Games Benefits & Perks](https://insomniac.games/benefits-perks/) 5. [Insomniac Games LinkedIn Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/company/insomniac-games) ## Other roles at Insomniac Games - [Narrative Coordinator](https://feeny.ai/job/narrative-coordinator-insomniac-games-united-states-wwcb70z8jb6s) — United States - [Senior User Experience Researcher](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-user-experience-researcher-insomniac-games-united-states-456excnsx7pt) — United States - [Senior Combat Designer (Enemies / Bosses)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-combat-designer-enemies-bosses-insomniac-games-united-states-4n7573070jkk) — United States - [Audio Design Intern- Undergraduate or Master's](https://feeny.ai/job/audio-design-intern-undergraduate-or-master-s-insomniac-games-united-states-12r8gxgw8a39) — United States Burbank, CA - [Lighting Intern- Undergraduate](https://feeny.ai/job/lighting-intern-undergraduate-insomniac-games-united-states-burbank-yh83ewavj7fx) — United States Burbank, CA - [Tech Art Intern- Undergraduate](https://feeny.ai/job/tech-art-intern-undergraduate-insomniac-games-united-states-burbank-vm9c9yevej6k) — United States Burbank, CA - [Engine and Tools Programming Intern – Undergraduate](https://feeny.ai/job/engine-and-tools-programming-intern-undergraduate-insomniac-games-united-states-xd567k49hch7) — United States Burbank, CA - [Dialogue Intern- Undergraduate](https://feeny.ai/job/dialogue-intern-undergraduate-insomniac-games-united-states-burbank-ke6hqdg0m9md) — United States Burbank, CA - [Game Design Intern-Undergraduate](https://feeny.ai/job/game-design-intern-undergraduate-insomniac-games-united-states-burbank-jy69591rnd6e) — United States Burbank, CA - [Gameplay Programming Intern - Undergraduate](https://feeny.ai/job/gameplay-programming-intern-undergraduate-insomniac-games-united-states-burbank-q1180q5443g9) — United States Burbank, CA / United States