Principal Human Factors Engineer - Implantable Medical Devices

Newton Colmore Consulting Ltd; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A pioneering medical technology company in Oxford is seeking a Principal Human Factors Engineer to lead usability engineering for innovative implantable devices. The role involves developing usability strategies, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and mentoring others. Strong experience in human factors engineering for regulated medical devices is essential. The position offers hybrid working and a competitive package including shares, life assurance, and private healthcare.

Benefits

Shares / equity

Life assurance

Pension

Private healthcare

Income protection

Employer discount scheme

Qualifications

• Strong background in human factors engineering for regulated medical devices.
• Experience in surgical or implantable systems preferred.
• Ability to lead usability studies and navigate international regulations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver usability strategy in line with international standards.
• Lead formative and summative usability studies.
• Collaborate with engineering, clinical, and regulatory teams.

Skills

Human factors engineering

Usability studies

Communication skills

Empathy for users

Education

Degree in Human Factors Engineering or related field

Job description

Principal Human Factors Engineer - Implantable Medical Devices - Oxford

We're partnering with a pioneering medical technology company to recruit a Principal Human Factors Engineer who will shape how clinicians and surgical teams interact with transformative implantable devices. This is a rare opportunity to lead usability engineering across the full product lifecycle, embedding human-centred design into every stage of development and ensuring that systems are safe, effective, and intuitive to use.

The role is based in Oxfordshire and offers hybrid working, with three days on-site including Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Occasional travel to third-party sites across Europe will be required, so a willingness to travel is essential. This is a direct hire with a medical devices company - not a design consultancy.

In this role, you'll be responsible for developing and delivering the company's usability strategy in line with international standards and regulatory frameworks. You'll lead formative and summative studies in clinical and simulated environments, translating user insights into actionable design inputs and risk management decisions. You'll collaborate across engineering, clinical, regulatory, and quality teams to embed usability as a guiding design principle, not just a compliance checkbox.

You'll take ownership of the usability engineering file, contribute to global submissions, and represent human factors in audits, design reviews, and stakeholder presentations. Your work will span cadaver lab studies, system integration testing, and continuous evaluation of user experience across a portfolio of implantable medical technologies. You'll also mentor internal teams, manage external partners, and help foster a culture of user advocacy and design excellence.

To succeed in this role, you'll bring a strong background in human factors engineering for regulated medical devices, ideally with experience in surgical or implantable systems. You'll be comfortable leading usability studies, navigating international regulatory expectations, and translating complex user needs into clear design requirements. A proactive mindset, excellent communication skills, and a deep empathy for users will be key to your success.

This is more than a technical leadership role - it's a chance to influence how innovative medical technologies are experienced in real-world clinical settings. If you're passionate about usability, design, and making a meaningful impact, we'd love to hear from you.

Alongside the opportunity to lead impactful work, this role offers a competitive package including shares / equity, life assurance, pension, private healthcare, income protection, and an employer discount scheme - benefits more commonly found in larger organisations.

To learn more, contact Andrew Welsh, Director of Medical Devices, Biotech and Drug Discovery Recruitment at Newton Colmore, on [phone]. Alternatively, submit your CV and a member of our team will be in touch.