Senior UX Researcher (Contract)

For People • Arlington, VA

3d • $100,000 - $130,000 • Remote

About The Position

For People is a team of skilled technologists improving government digital services for disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. We embed directly in government agencies to modernize software, systems, and platforms so that they better serve people. This role will assist the State of Pennsylvania in navigating the transformation of its healthcare data interoperability infrastructure, which connects rural hospitals, clinics, paramedics, and the state Medicaid agency. The research conducted will inform decisions regarding this data infrastructure, identify points of friction, highlight individuals or groups being underserved, and define a workable target state from the perspective of various Medicaid-focused personas. The strategy for directing federal Rural Health Transformation funding will be significantly influenced by this research.

Requirements

• A humble and caring attitude aligning with For People's values: passion, fun, curiosity, sustainability, humility, and respect
• 6+ years of user research experience, ideally in healthcare, government, or other complex regulated environments
• Strong qualitative methods such as stakeholder interviews, contextual inquiry, persona development, and journey mapping
• Comfort working with reluctant or time-constrained stakeholders and translating their reality into deliverables that hold up to scrutiny
• Experience synthesizing across many voices into a small number of clear findings
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to present to executives and frontline staff alike
• Familiarity with research and synthesis tools such as Dovetail, Mural, Miro, or FigJam
• Must perform all work physically within the United States at all times.
• Must be a United States citizen.
• Must be able to pass a government-performed public trust background check.

Nice To Haves

• Experience researching Medicaid, HIE, HIO, or other healthcare interoperability environments
• Familiarity with rural health delivery, critical access hospitals, FQHCs, or county-based health programs
• Experience contributing research findings into service blueprints and roadmaps

Responsibilities

• Run primary research with the people who live inside Pennsylvania's rural health data system
• Build persona profiles for each priority rural provider archetype
• Map how clinical and claims data actually move across Health Information Organizations (HIOs), the providers they serve, the Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), and Commonwealth offices. Identify the breakpoints that matter most for patient care, public health, and Medicaid operations.
• Synthesize field findings into the As-Is picture and partner with the team to ground the target-state design in real user need rather than reference architecture.
• Co-author the discovery's research and strategy deliverables, including findings briefs, the target-state vision, and the sequenced recommendations that PA will use to direct federal Rural Health Transformation funding

Benefits

• Positive work-life balance
• Setting healthy expectations
• Making sure loved ones are taken care of first
• Paid travel to Pennsylvania (up to 10%) may be required for stakeholder workshops, interviews, and site visits over the course of the engagement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed