The Company
PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy.
We operate a global, two-sided network at scale that connects hundreds of millions of merchants and consumers. We help merchants and consumers connect, transact, and complete payments, whether they are online or in person. PayPal is more than a connection to third-party payment networks. We provide proprietary payment solutions accepted by merchants that enable the completion of payments on our platform on behalf of our customers.
We offer our customers the flexibility to use their accounts to purchase and receive payments for goods and services, as well as the ability to transfer and withdraw funds. We enable consumers to exchange funds more safely with merchants using a variety of funding sources, which may include a bank account, a PayPal or Venmo account balance, PayPal and Venmo branded credit products, a credit card, a debit card, certain cryptocurrencies, or other stored value products such as gift cards, and eligible credit card rewards. Our PayPal, Venmo, and Xoom products also make it safer and simpler for friends and family to transfer funds to each other. We offer merchants an end-to-end payments solution that provides authorization and settlement capabilities, as well as instant access to funds and payouts. We also help merchants connect with their customers, process exchanges and returns, and manage risk. We enable consumers to engage in cross-border shopping and merchants to extend their global reach while reducing the complexity and friction involved in enabling cross-border trade.
Our beliefs are the foundation for how we conduct business every day. We live each day guided by our core values of Inclusion, Innovation, Collaboration, and Wellness. Together, our values ensure that we work together as one global team with our customers at the center of everything we do – and they push us to ensure we take care of ourselves, each other, and our communities.
Job Summary:
What you need to know about the role:
This is a Staff Experience Researcher role within PayPal’s EMEA Markets team, part of Global Customer Insights. You will lead mixed-methods customer research across EMEA, with a focus on Germany, to generate insights that improve customer experiences and guide decisions.
Meet our team:
The EMEA Markets team connects key markets, including the UK and Germany, with PayPal’s global Experience Research organization. We ensure local needs, cultural nuance, and market dynamics shape product strategy and customer experience. We partner across Consumer, Checkout, Financial Services, Merchant, and Global Product Solutions to bring the regional customer voice into global product direction.
Your way to impact:
You will combine qualitative depth with quantitative rigor to answer complex customer and product questions. Your insights will influence product roadmaps and go-to-market decisions, ensuring EMEA needs are reflected in PayPal’s growth priorities.
Job Description:
Essential Responsibilities:
- Develop clear plans and priorities to gather insights and make data-driven decisions to meet team performance
- Perform more-complex analysis using highly specialized product knowledge and advanced business expertise
- Lead functional projects and programs that enhance user experiences based on research findings.
- Design methodologies including user testing, surveys and data analysis understanding of business needs and industry trends
- Develop and implement research methodologies that optimize user testing and data collection processes.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of research practices and team efficiencies.
Minimum Qualifications:
- 5+ years relevant experience and a Bachelor’s degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.
Additional Responsibilities & Preferred Qualifications:
Your day-to-day:
Design and lead end-to-end customer research programs - including concept testing, customer needs research, journey exploration, and competitive analysis - using a balanced mix of qualitative and quantitative methods.
Conduct and manage qualitative research (in-depth interviews, focus groups, ethnographic studies) in English and/or German, and commission native-language research through local agencies where required.
Synthesize insights from multiple data sources - survey, behavioral, diary studies, and market data - into clear, strategic narratives that inform product and business decisions.
Partner with product, design, and regional leadership to prioritize research that addresses the highest-impact questions and localization risks across EMEA Tier 1 markets.
Elevate mixed-methods research standards across the EMEA Markets team -establishing repeatable frameworks and contributing to PayPal's broader research community.
What do you need to bring:
7+ years of experience in customer research, market research, or a related field, with proven ability to deliver strategic insights using both qualitative and quantitative methods.
Strong qualitative research expertise—skilled in interview design, moderation, ethnographic methods, diary studies, and thematic analysis—paired with a solid quantitative foundation (surveys, statistical interpretation, behavioral data).
Experience working with EMEA/Germany markets and a nuanced understanding of regional consumer behavior, cultural context, and localization requirements.
Ability to synthesize across methodologies and data types, delivering integrated insights that balance rigor, speed, and strategic relevance.
Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence product, design, and business partners at all levels
Preferred Qualifications:
Proficiency in German (professional level) and experience conducting or commissioning research in German.
Familiarity with financial services, payments, or fintech customer landscapes in EMEA.
Experience managing local research agencies and vendors in Germany and/or the UK.
Knowledge of tools such as Qualtrics, dScout, Deceiver, UserTesting, or equivalent platforms.
Experience contributing to research operations, templates, or team playbooks.
English (professional level); German language proficiency (professional level) is a strong plus. Ideally additional language, such as French, Italian or Spanish.
Experience presenting to VP-level stakeholders.
What sets this role apart:
Focus on market-level strategic insights - not purely UX research - with direct influence on regional growth strategy.
High visibility with senior stakeholders across product, commercial, and regional leadership.
Opportunity to define and lead the quantitative research capability for EMEA within a globally influential insights organization.
Work at the intersection of customer understanding, competitive intelligence, and business strategy.
Subsidiary:
PayPal
Travel Percent:
0
PayPal does not charge candidates any fees for courses, applications, resume reviews, interviews, background checks, or onboarding. When making an application directly, we will never ask you to share passwords, one-time passcodes (OTP), or verification codes. Any such request is a red flag and likely part of a scam. All communication regarding your application will come from official PayPal email domains. If you suspect fraudulent activity, please report it immediately. To learn more about how to identify and avoid recruitment fraud please visit https://careers.pypl.com/contact-us.
For the majority of employees, PayPal's balanced hybrid work model offers 3 days in the office for effective in-person collaboration and 2 days at your choice of either the PayPal office or your home workspace, ensuring that you equally have the benefits and conveniences of both locations.
Our Benefits:
At PayPal, we’re committed to building an equitable and inclusive global economy. And we can’t do this without our most important asset-you. That’s why we offer comprehensive, choice-based programs, to support all aspects of personal wellbeing—physical, emotional, and financial—delivering meaningful value where it matters most. We strive to create a flexible, balanced work culture with a holistic approach to benefits, including generous paid time off, healthcare coverage for you and your family, and resources to create financial security and support your mental health.
Who We Are:
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
PayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. In addition, PayPal will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at [email protected].
Belonging at PayPal:
Our employees are central to advancing our mission, and we strive to create an environment where everyone can do their best work with a sense of purpose and belonging. Belonging at PayPal means creating a workplace with a sense of acceptance and security where all employees feel included and valued. We are proud to have a diverse workforce reflective of the merchants, consumers, and communities that we serve, and we continue to take tangible actions to cultivate inclusivity and belonging at PayPal.
Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please Join our Talent Community.
We know the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates. Please don’t hesitate to apply.
