Director, User Experience & Human Factors

Ipsos in US; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO

Healthcare plans

Wellness benefits

Flexible workplace policy

Job summary

Ipsos in US is seeking a Director of UX & HF (Medical Device) to lead human factors research, client management, and business development within FDA-regulated environments. The role guides a small research team and oversees end-to-end projects from scoping to delivery, including protocol development and FDA submissions.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in UX/HF, with medical device experience, strong communication, and the ability to manage complex client relationships in a fast-paced,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human factors, HCI, psychology, engineering, design or equivalent experience required.
• Minimum 5+ years UX & HF research experience, 3+ years in medical devices/healthcare.
• Hands-on validation (summative) usability testing for medical devices required.
• Working knowledge of FDA guidance and ANSI/AAMI HE75, IEC 62366-1.
• Experience with formative usability testing and use-related risk analysis.
• People management experience; leading a small team preferred.
• Strong client management and business development experience.
• Strong presentation and written communication skills with senior clients.
• Hybrid or Chicago-based location preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead human factors research for medical devices and healthcare products, including formative and validation usability testing aligned with FDA guidance.
• Manage key clients and accounts as the primary point of contact, building long-term relationships and growing business.
• Mentor and coach a team of researchers, providing feedback and professional development.
• Oversee multiple projects through scoping, bidding, study design, execution, analysis and delivery.
• Develop study protocols, moderator guides, and HF reports for FDA submissions.
• Review work for quality, consistency, and FDA/commercial alignment.
• Identify sales opportunities and lead sales meetings with Client Officers.
• Present findings to clients, defend insights, and anticipate questions.
• Create client-facing materials and lead internal training to grow the practice.
• Anticipate regulatory and project risks and prepare the team to mitigate them.

Skills

Project leadership

Client & account management

People management

Proposal & bid development

FDA guidance knowledge

Executive presentation

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s in human factors / HCI / psychology / engineering / design

Master’s degree or higher preferred

Job description

Job Description

Director, UX & Human Factors (Medical Device)

Who We Are

Ipsos is one of the world’s largest research companies and currently the only one primarily managed by researchers, ranking as a #1 full-service research organization for four consecutive years. With over 75 different data-driven solutions, and presence in 90 markets, Ipsos brings together research, implementation, methodological, and subject-matter experts from around the world, combining thematic and technical experts to deliver top-quality research and insights. Simply speaking, we help the biggest companies solve some of their biggest problems, serving more than 5000 clients across the globe by providing research, data, and insights on their target markets. And we’re proud to share we’ve received our Great Place to Work Certification for 2022!

About User Experience & Human Factors (UX & HF)

UX & HF covers all aspects of the end-user's interaction with a company, and its products. UX & HF research is at the heart of user-centered design, which is based on the notion that design should be informed by research about users, their expectations, their activities, and their interactions with products. Ipsos believes that as part of a user-centered design process, every design decision should be informed in part by UX & HF research. Moreover, Ipsos believes that simply conducting evaluative UX & HF research on completed designs is not as effective as conducting UX & HF research throughout the process.

What makes this role important at Ipsos?

The Director, UX & HF is responsible for project leadership, client and account management, and commercial bid approaches for medical device and healthcare engagements. This role specifically supports human factors research within the FDA-regulated environment, including formative and validation (summative) usability testing. The Director acts as an independent team leader, managing a small team of researchers and overseeing multiple projects with little oversight. The role is ideally based in Chicago, home of the Ipsos usability research lab where much of this work takes place.

What You Can Expect To Be Doing

• Lead human factors research for medical devices and healthcare products, including formative studies and validation (summative) usability testing aligned with FDA guidance.
• Manage key clients and accounts as the primary point of contact, building long-term relationships and growing the business within them.
• Manage, mentor, and coach a team of researchers, providing both formal and informal feedback in a motivating and supportive manner.
• Manage multiple projects through the full lifecycle: scoping, bidding, study design, execution, analysis, and delivery.
• Develop study protocols, moderator guides, and human factors reports suitable for inclusion in FDA submissions.
• Review the team's work to ensure quality, consistency, and alignment with FDA and industry guidance on conducting human factors research.
• Identify sales opportunities and lead sales meetings, partnering with Client Officers to recommend approaches and develop bids.
• Present findings to clients with confidence, defending insights and recommendations constructively and anticipating client questions.
• Help grow the UX & HF practice by creating client-facing material (e.g., case studies, points of view) and leading internal training and workshops.
• Anticipate project and client risks, including regulatory risks, and prepare the team to mitigate them.

This might be the job for you if you have

• Bachelor’s degree in human factors, HCI, Psychology, Industrial Engineering, Industrial Design, Visual Design, Behavioral Sciences or equivalent experience is required (Master’s degree or higher preferred).
• 5+ years of conducting UX & HF research, with at least 3 years in the medical device or healthcare space.
• Required: hands‑on experience planning and conducting validation (summative) usability testing for medical devices.
• Working knowledge of FDA human factors guidance and related standards (e.g., ANSI/AAMI HE75, IEC 62366-1).
• Experience with formative usability testing and use‑related risk analysis.
• People management experience; leading a small team is welcome.
• Strong client and account management skills, with a record of building meaningful client relationships.
• Experience developing proposals and bids and supporting business development.
• Strong presentation and written communication skills with senior clients.
• Located in or near Chicago (preferred) to be close to our Ipsos usability research lab; other Ipsos office locations will be considered.
• Comfortable operating in a fast‑paced environment and working with cross‑functional and international teams.

If you don’t meet 100% of the requirements, we encourage all who feel they might be a fit for the opportunity to apply. We may consider a variety of backgrounds for a particular role and are also committed to considering candidates for available positions throughout our organization, not just the one you’re applying to!

In accordance with NY/CO/CA/WA law, the estimated base salary range for this role is $140,000 to $145,000. Your final base salary will be determined based on several non‑discriminatory factors which may include but are not limited to location, work experience, skills, knowledge, education and/or certifications.

What’s In It For You

At Ipsos you’ll experience opportunities for Career Development, an exceptional benefits package (including generous PTO, healthcare plans, wellness benefits), a flexible workplace policy, and a strong collaborative culture.

To find out more about all the great reasons to work at Ipsos, how we’re making an impact around the world, and more about our benefits and employee programs, please visit: Why Work at Ipsos | US

Commitment to Diversity

Ipsos recognizes the necessity of building an inclusive culture that values each employee’s individuality and diverse perspectives. For more than 40 years, our mission has been to generate and analyze data about society, markets, brands, and behaviors to provide our clients with the insights that elevate their understanding of the world. This could not be fulfilled without Ipsos’ diverse employees who compile and analyze this data—they are the essence of who we are and what we do.

We are committed to providing equal opportunity to all employees, creating an environment that promotes inclusion, and enabling employees from all walks of life to flourish. Ipsos encourages our employees to act in a respectful and responsible manner, in line with code of best practices concerning diversity and inclusion, human rights, equality, and civility for every individual.

Ipsos is An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other protected class and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

About Us

Ipsos is one of the world’s largest research companies and currently the only one primarily managed by researchers, ranking as a #1 full-service research organization for four consecutive years. With over 75 different data-driven solutions, and presence in 90 markets, Ipsos brings together research, implementation, methodological, and subject-matter experts from around the world, combining thematic and technical experts to deliver top-quality research and insights. Simply speaking, we help the biggest companies solve some of their biggest problems, serving more than 5000 clients across the globe by providing research, data, and insights on their target markets. And we are proud of our continuous efforts in making Ipsos the best place to work!

About The Team

The Innovation Service Line guides clients throughout the innovation journey as they develop and launch new or improved products and services spanning a range of verticals. We help our clients develop the initial idea for a product/service, ensure the fully‑articulated description of the product/service resonates with consumers, confirm that prototypes of the product/service properly deliver on consumer expectations, and finetune the full mix prior to launch. This is accomplished using best‑in‑class services, including idea screening, concept testing, product testing, price and line optimization, package testing and volumetric forecasting.