UX Researcher/ Human Factors Designer (Cognitive Systems Engineer)

Mile Two, LLC•Boston, MA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Mile 2 is seeking a Design / Research practitioner who designs systems for human cognitive load, complex workflows, and decision-making. This role supports U.S. Department of Defense customers and involves analyzing and optimizing complex, fast-moving, and human-centric technical environments. The core mission is to bridge complex technical tools with human workflows, ensuring organizations can seamlessly adopt and leverage advanced data and software tools to make better decisions. This is achieved through a multidisciplinary, human-machine systems approach to eliminate operational friction and context-switching bottlenecks. The position requires the ability to work onsite in either Dayton, OH or Boston, MA.

Requirements

Must currently have an active U.S. Security Clearance
Must be able to work from Mile 2 headquarters in Dayton, OH as well as Wright Patterson AFB as needed.
3–6 years of professional experience as a Cognitive Systems Engineer, Human Factors Engineer, UX Researcher, or in a closely related technical/operational role.
Strong foundational background in Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE).
Proven ability to map complex mental models, assess cognitive workload, and analyze context-switching friction.
Experience bridging the gap between highly technical product development teams and non-technical end-users (determining where marketing, training, or workflow redesign is needed).
Exceptional communication skills with the ability to confidently embed with client stakeholders, manage operational expectations, and proactively drive projects forward without heavy supervision.
Experience working with or supporting DoD clients, specifically the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) or similar scientific/research defense environments, is highly preferred.
Ability to foster growth in individuals and teams.
Effectively communicate orally and in written documentation up, down, and laterally across the organization and to external stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience working within or supporting Department of Defense (DoD) clients, specifically the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL/IZ or IZX) or similar military scientific and research environments.
Familiarity with or exposure to emerging artificial intelligence toolsets, large language model interfaces, or modern defense data environments (e.g., Genai.mil Agents, Envision, or equivalent platforms).
Experience working within an integrated digital enablement ecosystem alongside distinct project spokes like technical training/upskilling pipelines and specialized AI development teams.
Understanding of federal contracting environments, with the ability to identify operational alignment opportunities that support long-term contract consolidation strategies.

Responsibilities

Applies a Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE) methodology to analyze and optimize human-system interaction, workflow integration, and usability across unmanned vehicle and command-and-control platforms for LCMC and US Government customers.
Executes Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA), structured subject matter expert interviews, and Knowledge Elicitation (KE) sessions to capture cognitive ground truth and operational friction points.
Develops Abstraction Hierarchies, Work Domain Analysis (WDA), and decision-support architectures to define complex battlespace workflows and data boundaries.
Serves as Principal Investigators or lead engineers on multi-disciplinary projects, driving technical execution, research integrity, and strategic alignment with defense stakeholders.
Delivers comprehensive CSE systems reports and actionable recommendations to enhance situational awareness, mitigate cognitive overload, and improve decision-making timeliness in high-stakes operational environments.