Human Factors Usability Researcher & Evaluator

Torch Technologies, Inc.; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP participation

401(k) match

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Life insurance

Short-term disability

Long-term disability

Flexible spending accounts

Job summary

Torch Technologies, Inc. is seeking a skilled Human Factors Usability Researcher & Evaluator to join our HMI team. You will lead user-centered research to optimize usability, define performance metrics, and generate data-driven recommendations for system improvements.

Responsibilities include analyzing workflows, conducting interviews and studies, and communicating insights to stakeholders and engineers. This onsite role requires 20% travel and US citizenship; DoD experience is a plus.

Qualifications

• US Citizenship.
• BA/BS degree in Usability Engineering, Human Factors, Cognitive or Experimental Psychology, HCI, Industrial or Systems Engineering, or related field with a focus on human factors technology. Graduate degree is preferred.
• 3-8 years of experience in Human Factors research.
• Willingness to travel ~20% of the time to various locations across the U.S.
• This is an on-site position.
• Experience with DoW weapons systems and/or unmanned aircraft systems is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Analyze user workflows, tasks, and decision-making processes through personas, journey maps, and other usability methodologies.
• Conduct in-depth user interviews, heuristic evaluations, and cognitive task analyses to understand user needs.
• Advocate for the user in design and engineering discussions.
• Use usability metrics and KPIs to evaluate interactions with systems/products.
• Design and execute comprehensive usability studies from study plans to in-person facilitation.
• Gather and analyze quantitative and qualitative data to deliver actionable recommendations for design and workflow decisions.
• Produce usability reports and briefs to drive design recommendations and future system applications.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams of UX designers and engineers to implement findings.

Skills

User research

Communication

Stakeholder engagement

Problem solving

Education

BA/BS in Usability Engineering or related field

Graduate degree preferred

Job description

Torch Technologies

Thank you for your interest in employment with Torch Technologies. We are a 100% employee-owned, Certified Great Place To Work and named Best Places to Work in Huntsville/Madison County, headquartered in Huntsville, AL. Our team provides superior research, development, and engineering services to the Federal Government and Department of War. As one of the nation's top 100 defense companies, the services we provide directly support the men and women who serve our country. Our corporate mission sums up the pride our employee-owners take in the work we do: "Lighting the Pathway of Freedom". And, as a Certified Evergreen ESOP, we have made the commitment to grow and sustain our company for the next 100 years! Come grow with us!

Torch Technologies, a 100% employee-owned company, is seeking a talented Human Factors Usability Researcher & Evaluator to join our innovative Human-Machine Interaction (HMI) team. This role is both highly collaborative and customer-facing, requiring close engagement with stakeholders to understand system requirements and user needs. As part of the Human-Machine Interface (HMI) team, you will play a key role in optimizing usability through rigorous, data-driven human factors research. You will identify key system components, select appropriate research methods, define performance metrics, and design/execute humanfactors studies. Your work will focus on generating reliable, quantifiable data that leads to actionable recommendations and measurable system improvements.

Your responsibilities will include:

User Needs & Workflows:

• Analyze user workflows, tasks, and decision-making processes through detailed personas, journey maps, and other usability methodologies.
• Identify and understand user needs and pain points through in-depth user interviews, heuristic evaluations (analyses), and cognitive task analyses.
• Advocate for the user in design and engineering discussions.

Usability Research & Evaluation:

• Use relevant usability metrics and Key-Performance-Indicators (KPIs) to evaluate user interactions with a system/product.
• Design and execute comprehensive usability studies from the development of study plans/scenarios to the in-person participant facilitation of the study.
• Gather and analyze quantitative and qualitative data to deliver actionable recommendations and digestible insights that will drive design and workflow decisions.

Documentation & Communication:

• Produce usability reports, findings, and summaries that will drive practical design recommendations and future system applications.
• Support design reviews and communicate insights to stakeholders, UX designers, and engineers
• Integrate into cross-functional teams to guide and enhance research methodologies and their implementation among colleagues.
• We are looking for a candidate with a strong foundation in human-centered design and a proven track record of conducting impactful user research.

Required Qualifications:

• US Citizenship.
• BA/BS degree in Usability Engineering, Human Factors, Cognitive or Experimental Psychology, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Industrial or Systems Engineering, or a related field with a focus on human factors technology. Graduate degree is preferred.
• 3-8 years of experience in Human Factors research.
• Preferably 1.5 years of DoW experience.
• Proficiency in a variety of user experience research methodologies, including usability evaluations, customer interviews, task analysis, heuristic evaluation, and user surveys.
• Excellent communication, written, and interpersonal skills, with a strong commitment to customer satisfaction.
• Willingness to travel approximately 20% of the time to various locations across the U.S.
• This is an on-site position.
• Experience with DoW weapons systems and/or unmanned aircraft systems is a plus.
• To succeed in this role, you should be a proactive and creative individual with a passion for understanding and advocating for the user.
• Proactive and Organized: You have strong project management skills and can clearly communicate research findings through written reports and in-person presentations.
• A Critical Thinker: You are comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty, and you possess excellent critical thinking and analysis skills.
• Creative and Driven:You bring creativity and a strong drive to the design research process, constantly seeking innovative ways to improve the user experience.

Security Requirements:

• Must possess and be able to maintain a Final Secret Clearance or meet the eligibility requirements to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance.

Schedule: M-F; 8-5

Work Location: Customer- site

Travel:Yes, 20%

Relocation Assistance Available:No

Benefits:

Torch Technologies is proud to offer a stable and professional work environment, a competitive salary, and an excellent, comprehensive benefit package including: ESOP participation, 401(k) match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, Health Saving Accounts and Health Reimbursement Accounts, EAP, education assistance, paid time off, and holidays.

Applying to Torch Technologies:

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, citizenship, ancestry, marital status, protected veteran status, disability status or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law. Torch Technologies, Inc. participates in E-Verify.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access Careers Link as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by sending an email to [e-mail]. Thank you for your interest in Torch Technologies.