Human Factors Engineer (HFE) Lead

MITRE; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 157,000 - 235,000; Full time

Job summary

MITRE's Human-Systems Integration (HSI) and User Experience (UX) group seeks a Lead Human Factors Engineer to drive user-centered software, collaborating with engineers, researchers, and sponsors. You will design, prototype, and evaluate interfaces, while mentoring junior staff and ensuring alignment with mission objectives.

This role requires a Secret clearance and on-site presence to collaborate across multidisciplinary teams.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of related experience with STEM or UX roles, or advanced degrees with relevant work.
• Experience with user research methods and usability testing.
• Proficiency with design tools such as Figma, Miro, Sketch, Axure RP, Balsamiq, Lucidchart, Adobe XD.

Responsibilities

• Lead human-centered design from research to iterative refinement.
• Apply AI-assisted tools to generate and refine interface concepts.
• Translate user and system requirements into design inputs within systems engineering.

Skills

User research

Usability testing

Communication skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

Figma

Miro

Sketch

Axure RP

Balsamiq

Lucidchart

Adobe XD

Job description

At MITRE, your passion fuels work that impacts our nation and improves lives. This is where your skills strengthen national security, cybersecurity, health, transportation, and citizen services. We’re a nonprofit engineering, applied research, and advanced technology organization working in the public interest. With objectivity and integrity at our core, we lead federally funded research and development centers for U.S. government agencies – collaborating with industry and academia to deliver integrated, high-impact solutions that advance our nation’s health, security, and prosperity. Our people tackle the toughest technical challenges, supported by competitive benefits, meaningful career development, and a culture of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence. Choose MITRE for a career with purpose — and help shape the future.

Department Summary:

MITRE’s Human-Systems Integration (HSI) and User Experience (UX) department is seeking a Lead Human Factors Engineer (HFE) who is passionate about designing and developing user-centered software solutions to address our sponsors' unique challenges. In this role, you will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams of engineers, designers, researchers, and stakeholders to frame complex problems, understand mission needs, and translate user insights into intuitive, scalable, and effective solutions. You will engage directly with sponsors and stakeholders through workshops, design reviews, and iterative feedback sessions to ensure solutions align with user needs and mission objectives.

As a Lead HFE at MITRE, you will apply and expand your expertise across UX, UI, front-end engineering, and human-machine teaming while contributing to meaningful projects supporting critical national missions. Our department fosters a collaborative environment that values technical excellence, curiosity, continuous learning, creativity, and a strong commitment to both end users and stakeholders. Our mission is to improve the overall user experience of government-facing technologies while promoting accessibility, safety, and operational efficiency across the system lifecycle. As part of the Software Engineering Innovation Division, you will strengthen your software architecture and engineering skills while designing human-centered, user-focused computing capabilities that address the challenges of our sponsors and deliver meaningful, effective user experiences.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Lead human-centered design efforts from user research and early concept development through interaction design, prototyping, usability evaluation, and iterative refinement of software and system solutions.
• Leverage AI-assisted design tools and human-centered methods to generate, evaluate, and refine interface and system design concepts, ensuring solutions align with user needs, usability standards, and safety requirements.
• Elicit, analyze, and translate user, operational, and system requirements into human factors design inputs, ensuring alignment with systems engineering processes, usability goals, and safety-critical performance needs.
• Provide technical guidance to small multidisciplinary teams, including other Human- Centered/Human Factors Engineers, UX Designers, and Front-End UX developers.
• Collaborate closely with HCE/HFEs, UX Designers, researchers, project leaders, and sponsors, leveraging leading practices towards solution impact.
• Advocate for the end-user, ensuring user-centered design principles are consistently applied throughout the solution path.
• Develop and maintain design systems and user interface guidelines, generating research and initiative proposals.
• Mentor early career team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Basic Qualifications:

• Typically requires a minimum of 8 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree or 6 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 3 years’ experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Experience with user research methods and usability testing, including facilitating interviews, focus groups, usability testing sessions, requirements gathering, and conducting heuristic assessments.
• Experience in working with design software such as Figma, Miro, Sketch, Axure RP, Balsamiq, Lucidchart, Adobe XD, or similar tools.
• Strong interpersonal skills, coupled with excellent verbal and written communication abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to share work findings with government sponsors or senior leaders.
• Demonstrated experience leading technical efforts and technically diverse teams.
• Must have an active Secret U.S Government issued Security Clearance. Per the U.S. Government’s eligibility requirements, you must be a U.S Citizen to be considered for a security clearance.
• This position requires a minimum of 3 days per week on-site.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree or PhD in Human Factors Engineering, Cognitive Engineering or Psychology, Human-Computer Interaction, Interaction Design, UX Design and/or Research, or a related field.
• Experience working autonomously from remote and on-site locations while staying connected with main campuses and collaborating with a specialized technical team.
• Experience collaborating closely with software developers, systems engineers, and technical architects, with sufficient technical fluency to understand system constraints, implementation tradeoffs, and their implications for human factors and design.
• Experience using Codex or similar AI-assisted development tools (e.g. Figma Make, Claude Code, etc.) to support the design workflow, rapid prototype concepts, and improve human factors outcomes through iterative, user-centered design.
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative research design, development, analysis, and presentation.
• Entrepreneurial, innovative spirit with demonstrated ability to identify opportunities, take initiative, and drive new ideas or improvements.
• Coaching or Mentoring experience.

This requisition requires the candidate to have a minimum of the following clearance(s):

Secret

This requisition requires the hired candidate to have or obtain, within one year from the date of hire, the following clearance(s):

Secret

Salary compensation range and midpoint:

$156,800 - $196,000 - $235,200 Annual

Work Location Type:

Onsite

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local or international law.

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