UX Researcher/ Human Factors Designer (Cognitive Systems Engineer)

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

We are seeking a Design / Research practitioner who designs systems for human cognitive load, complex workflows, and decision-making—not necessarily a software developer or data analyst. Mile 2 Cognitive Systems Engineers (CSEs) must analyze and optimize complex, fast-moving, and human-centric technical environments. Our core mission is to bridge complex technical tools with human workflows, ensuring that the organizations we work with can seamlessly adopt and leverage advanced data and software tools to make better decisions. We do this by utilizing a multidisciplinary, human-machine systems approach to eliminate operational friction and context-switching bottlenecks. Our CSEs ensure we achieve our mission by utilizing their skills to:

• Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE) Approach: Applies a 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.
• Knowledge Elicitation and Task Analysis: Executes Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA), structured subject matter expert interviews, and Knowledge Elicitation (KE) sessions to capture cognitive ground truth and operational friction points.
• Work Domain and Systems Modeling: Develops Abstraction Hierarchies, Work Domain Analysis (WDA), and decision-support architectures to define complex battlespace workflows and data boundaries.
• Project Leadership and Technical Oversight: Serves as Principal Investigators or lead engineers on multi-disciplinary projects, driving technical execution, research integrity, and strategic alignment with defense stakeholders.
• Actionable Recommendations and Reporting: 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.

Required Qualifications

• Eligibility: Must currently have an active U.S. Security Clearance
• Location: Must be able to work onsite in either Dayton, OH or Boston, MA. 
• Experience: 3–6 years of professional experience as a Cognitive Systems Engineer, Human Factors Engineer, UX Researcher, or in a closely related technical/operational role.
• Core Specialty: Strong foundational background in Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE). Proven ability to map complex mental models, assess cognitive workload, and analyze context-switching friction.
• Product & Training Strategy: Experience bridging the gap between highly technical product development teams and non-technical end-users (determining where marketing, training, or workflow redesign is needed).
• Consultative & Communication Skills: Exceptional communication skills with the ability to confidently embed with client stakeholders, manage operational expectations, and proactively drive projects forward without heavy supervision.
• Defense/Federal Space Familiarity: Experience working with or supporting DoD clients, specifically the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) or similar scientific/research defense environments, is highly preferred.
• Leadership: 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.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Defense Sector Experience: 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.
• AI & Advanced Tool Ecosystems: 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).
• Cross-Functional Agile Collaboration: Experience working within an integrated digital enablement ecosystem alongside distinct project spokes like technical training/upskilling pipelines and specialized AI development teams.
• Contract & Program Growth Support: Understanding of federal contracting environments, with the ability to identify operational alignment opportunities that support long-term contract consolidation strategies.

A Note About Our Application Process

Please answer our screener questions honestly and thoroughly (rather than writing “see resume”). These are reviewed by real people—not bots—and play an important role in our selection process. Thoughtful responses will strengthen your application.