UX/Human Factors Engineer

MIT Lincoln Laboratory•Lexington, MA

3d•$92,000 - $128,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Bioanalytics Systems & Technologies Group develops analytics, software architectures, systems, bioinformatics tools, and AI algorithms for national security needs in chemical and biological defense, biosecurity, public and global health, and warfighter performance. The role is an Assistant Staff position supporting innovative research and the Laboratory’s national security mission through technical and research assignments on multidisciplinary teams. The UX/Human Factors Engineer will support qualitative user research and the iterative design and prototyping of data science platforms and AI-enabled decision support tools for US Government users. The work includes partnering with stakeholders to understand end-user needs, translating research findings into workflows and low-fidelity designs, and helping distribute research and design tasks across the team. The position is grounded in qualitative research and involves synthesizing input from users and stakeholders to inform human-centered design of complex systems in a mission-driven environment. Research and design activities include planning and conducting qualitative user research, translating findings into user workflows, developing wireframes and low-fidelity designs, conducting user testing, synthesizing findings into research-supported recommendations, and communicating those findings to multidisciplinary research and development teams. Broader technical contributions may include design and development, data analysis, programming, testing, troubleshooting, modeling, simulation, and documentation of systems or prototypes. The position is onsite. The successful candidate must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret-level DoD security clearance; U.S. citizenship is required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Factors, UX Research, Engineering Psychology, a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience consistent with the general Assistant Staff qualifications.
Demonstrated experience in qualitative user research, including behavioral, ethnographic, or comparable methods for generating end-user insights.
Proficiency engaging stakeholders to gather and understand user needs and conduct user evaluations.
Experience producing low-fidelity deliverables, including wireframes and user workflows.
Critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and problem-solving ability, including iterating on solutions.
Ability to ask insightful questions, navigate ambiguous or novel challenges, and iteratively develop and refine solutions.
Proficiency with core UX/UI tools such as Figma, Sketch, or similar.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
A portfolio demonstrating experience contributing to or leading behavioral research involving end users, stakeholders, or both.
Ability to learn and apply technical tools, systems, standards, and procedures in a team environment.
Ability to document work clearly, ask clarifying questions, collaborate, pay attention to detail, and receive and apply feedback.
For Assistant Staff Level 2, typically at least 1 year of relevant research, engineering, or other technical experience; a Master’s degree may be considered.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret-level DoD security clearance.
U.S. citizenship.

Nice To Haves

Experience with quantitative research or data analysis.
Experience organizing, analyzing, and synthesizing complex datasets or information from multiple sources.
Ability to produce polished high-fidelity UI designs.
Experience developing or contributing to design systems or component libraries.
Basic front-end development skills.

Responsibilities

Plan and conduct qualitative user research.
Engage stakeholders to understand end-user needs and conduct user evaluations.
Translate research findings into user workflows, wireframes, and low-fidelity designs.
Conduct user testing and synthesize findings into research-supported recommendations.
Communicate research findings and recommendations to multidisciplinary research and development teams.
Support design, development, data analysis, programming, testing, troubleshooting, modeling, simulation, and documentation of systems or prototypes.
Contribute to data collection, documentation, and component- or subsystem-level deliverables supporting broader research and mission-focused efforts.
Learn and apply relevant mission context, technical standards, systems, platforms, and project processes.
Communicate progress, technical results, assumptions, risks, and questions clearly, and incorporate feedback into technical work products.
Depending on level, identify small process improvements and assist new hires, interns, or less experienced staff.