Senior User Research Expert (Requirements Analyst)

Leidos•McLean, VA

About The Position

The customer is undertaking a major redesign of its suite of tools to improve the workflow and efficiency of its analytic research, writing, review, coordination, and dissemination activities. The User Research Expert will support this effort by conducting empirical user research and translating findings into clear, actionable requirements that inform the design and development of its tool set. The User Research Expert will conduct user research in support of analytic software, tools, and capabilities to clarify what kinds of understanding are required, where they should reside, and how they inform decisions at scale. This role bridges mission stakeholders and technical teams to ensure analytic systems align with real world analyst workflows, cognitive processes, and decision environments. User research functions as a risk reduction and tradecraft discipline, preventing investment in systems that are misaligned with how analysts think, reason, collaborate, and operate. The ideal candidate has demonstrated proficiency in various research methods including: conducting contextual inquiry, ethnographic observation, and shadowing studies; designing and facilitating structured and semi-structured user interviews; planning and moderating usability testing sessions and focus groups; creating surveys and analyzing quantitative feedback; performing heuristic evaluations and expert reviews; developing user personas, journey maps, workflow diagrams and service blueprints; analyzing in-app and behavioral data in conjunction with qualitive methods; and conducting jobs-to-be-done analysis and task analysis.

Requirements

Master’s degree in a field that uses advanced data analytics (such as human-centered interaction, cognitive or experimental psychology, or information science) and 15+ years of experience in user research OR Bachelor’s degree in a field that uses advanced data analytics (such as human-centered interaction, cognitive or experimental psychology, or information science) and 17+ years of experience in user research.
Minimum 3 years of experience conducting empirical user research in software development environments and conducting research across multiple levels: interface/interaction, product, and workflow/mission.
Expertise working in Agile development environments, industry-standard research and design tools such as Figma or AdobeXD.
Strong understanding of Human-Centered Design principles and practices, knowledge of UI/UX best practices and design patterns, and familiarity with accessibility standards and inclusive design practices.
Demonstrated ability to facilitate collaborative sessions, including workshops, design critiques, and synthesis activities.
Excellent verbal communication and presentation skills.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience working with the DA, Sponsor or IC analytic components.

Responsibilities

Plan, conduct and document user research across all levels (interface, product and workflow/mission) appropriate to project phase and scope.
Proactively identify and recruit a roster of representative users, schedule and conduct user research sessions with Sponsor’s application users, and promptly document findings in written reports.
Create and maintain user personas, journey maps, workflow diagrams, and other research artifacts to communicate findings.
Analyze research data to identify behavioral patterns, pain points, unmet needs, and opportunities for improvement; synthesize research findings across multiple studies to identify systemic issues; and translate findings into actional recommendations for product, design and engineering teams.
Lead contextual inquiries, ethnographic observation, shadowing, interviews, workshops, surveys, usability testing sessions, and focus groups