Associate Cognitive Systems Engineer (Contingent Position)

Mile Two, LLC•Dayton, OH

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

Mile 2 is seeking an Associate Cognitive Systems Engineer to join their innovative team. This role supports U.S. Department of Defense customers and involves analyzing and optimizing complex, fast-moving, and human-centric technical environments. The core mission is to bridge complex technical tools with human workflows, ensuring seamless adoption and leverage of advanced data and software tools for better decision-making. This is achieved through a multidisciplinary, human-machine systems approach to eliminate operational friction and context-switching bottlenecks. The company values Supported Autonomy, Humble Expertise, Success as a Team Effort, and Tangible Results. Mile 2 emphasizes a human-centric approach to hiring, encouraging authenticity and personal touches in applications, and prohibits the use of AI during interviews.

Requirements

Ability to obtain a Security Clearance at Secret level, USG CAC, NIPR Access
Must be able to work from Mile 2 headquarters in Dayton, OH as well as Wright Patterson AFB as needed.
1 year of professional experience as a Cognitive Systems Engineer, Human Factors Engineer, Engineering Psychologist, or in a closely related technical/operational role.
Foundational background in Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE), data collection methods, and analytical techniques.
Proven ability to map complex mental models, assess cognitive workload, and analyze context-switching friction.
Experience bridging the gap between highly technical product development teams and non-technical end-users (determining where marketing, training, or workflow redesign is needed).
Strong communication skills with the ability to embed with client stakeholders, manage operational expectations, and proactively work projects without heavy supervision.
Familiarity with the Department of Defense (DoD), specifically the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) or similar scientific/research defense environments is highly preferred.
Effectively communicate orally and in written documentation up, down, and laterally across the organization and to external stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience working within or supporting DoD clients, specifically USAF or similar military scientific and research environments.
Familiarity with or exposure to emerging artificial intelligence toolsets, large language model interfaces, or modern defense data environments (e.g., Genai.mil Agents, Envision, or equivalent platforms).
Advanced degree in CSE, Human Factors, Engineering Psychology or a closely related field.
Experience with technical writing.
Experience working within an integrated digital enablement ecosystem alongside distinct project spokes like technical training/upskilling pipelines and specialized AI development teams.

Responsibilities

Applies a Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE) methodology to analyze and optimize human-system interaction, workflow integration, and usability across complex sociotechnical systems and platforms.
Executes Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA), structured subject matter expert interviews, and Knowledge Elicitation (KE) sessions to capture cognitive ground truth and operational friction points.
Develops Abstraction Hierarchies, Work Domain Analysis (WDA), and decision-support architectures to define complex operational workflows and data boundaries.
Serves as project leads or investigator on multi-disciplinary initiatives, driving technical execution, research integrity, and strategic alignment with stakeholders.
Delivers comprehensive CSE systems reports and actionable recommendations to enhance situational awareness, mitigate cognitive overload, and improve decision-making timeliness in high-stakes environments.