User Studies Operations Specialist

Apple • San Jose, CA

8h

About The Position

The User Studies Operations Specialist drives study execution, vendor strategy, and lab operations for a multidisciplinary neuroscience research team. The role partners with neuroscientists, researchers, and algorithm engineers to operationalize complex study protocols across multiple investigations, lead external research vendor engagements, and support high-integrity data collection for emerging technologies. It bridges study design and operational execution, contributing to protocol development, technical testing, participant-facing research, data preparation, and algorithm evaluation support.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Biomedical Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 3 years of experience in research operations, human behavioral or physiological research, or technology-focused lab management.
• Demonstrated expertise in human research execution involving complex sensing hardware, prototype software, and behavioral observation.
• Experience using AI tools, LLM workflows, or lightweight scripting such as Bash or Python to automate operational tasks, logging, or reporting.
• Strong commitment to participant privacy and data security, and experience navigating IRB, ethics, and legal review processes.
• Comfort bringing up early-stage hardware and software prototypes and troubleshooting technical issues in real time.
• Strong project management, cross-functional communication, and interpersonal skills to keep studies on track and put participants at ease.
• Foundational data hygiene and analysis skills, such as using Python or scripting tools for data validation, preprocessing, and analysis.

Nice To Haves

• Working familiarity with AI/ML principles, algorithmic evaluation pipelines, data annotation workflows, or model validation paradigms.
• Track record sourcing, vetting, and managing external research vendors, participant recruitment panels, or contractors, including SOWs, SLAs, and quality control.
• Experience with physiological sensing modalities such as eye-tracking, EEG, EMG, PPG, or motion capture.

Responsibilities

• Partner with researchers, algorithms teams, and engineers during protocol design to ensure operational feasibility, test hardware, and harden processes.
• Administer complex in-person and pilot testing protocols end to end, including overseeing participant recruitment, onboarding, and informed consent.
• Work with legal teams and review boards to seek approval for research investigations.
• Manage end-to-end research vendor relationships, from initial contacts for large-scale external studies through data delivery and quality assurance.
• Contribute to the research team by participating in study design critiques, reviewing research papers, and optimizing testing methodologies.
• Assist in structuring datasets and annotation or labeling schemes to support algorithm training and benchmark evaluation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time