Human Factors UX Researcher

J.S. Held LLC•New York, NY

19h•$150,000 - $175,000•Hybrid

About The Position

J.S. Held is seeking an experienced User Experience Research or Human Factors Manager with an independent book of business to join our Human Factors team, specifically in the area of medical device or healthcare human factors. This is a unique opportunity for an entrepreneurial, highly driven person with a well-rounded skill set. The role requires strong quantitative and qualitative UX research skills, flexibility, strategic thinking, the ability to hire and mentor junior staff, contribute to team growth strategy, develop business, and perform research as an individual contributor on concurrent projects. The Human Factors team conducts studies on product use-related health, safety, usability, and user experience, employing methodologies like eye tracking, physiological data recording, and motion capture. Responsibilities include marketing and selling UX research projects, scoping and budgeting, writing proposals, operationalizing client needs into research questions, designing studies, collecting and analyzing data, and translating results into actionable outcomes. The role also involves growing and mentoring the team and contributing to strategic initiatives. Due to the importance of human-machine interaction for safety, work may involve litigation support for alleged product defects and potential expert witness testimony. Experiences can span various industries including automotive, medical, pharma, consumer electronics, appliances, heavy machinery, child products, and extended reality products, with the exact nature of work influenced by the candidate's ability to generate business.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Experimental, Developmental, Perceptual, or Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Science, Human Factors, or a related basic scientific psychology field preferred.
A minimum of five to ten years of experience in industry and with managing client projects.
Alternatively, Master’s Degree in Experimental, Developmental, Perceptual, or Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Science, or Human Factors, plus minimum of ten years experience in industry.
Existing book of business and strong client relationships.
Entrepreneurial drive and passion to succeed.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Proven track record of ownership of empirical research (both quantitative and qualitative), from study inception to study design and execution to data analysis and interpretation.
Excellent inferential statistics and data analytic skills.
Possible interest in potential litigation support and/or forensic work or, better yet, existing practice as a testifier.
Ability to travel as needed, depending on project assignments.
Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Nice To Haves

Independent book of business.

Responsibilities

Strong and immediate business development component.
Highly skilled study design, potentially including study execution, data analysis, and report preparation.
Hiring and mentoring of junior staff.
Managing multiple concurrent projects.
Potentially serving as a testifying expert in litigation.
Marketing and selling UX research projects.
Scoping and budgeting UX research projects.
Writing client proposals.
Operationalizing client needs as empirical research questions.
Designing bespoke studies.
Collecting data from participants using custom-tailored methodologies.
Analyzing data in creative ways.
Translating results back into actionable outcomes for clients.
Growing and mentoring the team.
Contributing to the team’s strategic initiatives.