Scientist

UW-Madison College of Engineering; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 63,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

The HEART Initiative at UW-Madison College of Engineering seeks a Research Scientist to accelerate the translation of human-systems engineering research into real-world impact with industry, government, and academic partners.

The HEART Initiative engineers intelligent systems with humans in mind, developing methods, metrics, and frameworks that capture how people interact with emerging technologies, and translating that knowledge into human-ready technologies across healthcare, manufacturing,

Qualifications

• Demonstrated research experience in human factors, human-systems engineering, or related translational research.
• Experience designing and conducting human-subjects studies and analyzing results.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• At least two years of experience communicating to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a main point of contact and liaison with stakeholders.
• Conduct literature reviews, prepare reports, and disseminate information.
• Write or assist in grant applications to secure research funding.
• Collect and analyze data, conduct experiments and interviews.
• Support scholarly events and professional development activities.
• Help identify research problems and develop methodologies.

Skills

Human factors

Human-systems engineering

Communication of technical concepts

Public speaking / presentations

Education

Ph.D. in industrial and systems engineering or related field

Job description

Current Employees

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Job Category

Academic Staff

Employment Type

Regular

Job Profile

Scientist I

Job Summary

The HEART (Human-systems Engineering for Adaptive, Real-World, & Translational Applications) Initiative at the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering seeks a Research Scientist to accelerate the translation of human-systems engineering research into real-world impact with industry, government, and academic partners. The HEART Initiative engineers intelligent systems with humans in mind, developing methods, metrics, and frameworks that capture how people interact with emerging technologies, and translating that knowledge into human-ready technologies across healthcare, manufacturing, security, transportation, energy, and emerging tech. A central pillar of this mission is positioning Human-Readiness Levels (HRLs) as essential measures of performance, safety, and trust in deployed systems. Reporting to HEART Initiative leadership, the Research Scientist will serve as a hands‑on technical and strategic contributor who bridges research and practice. This person will interface directly with industry partners, conduct HRL assessments and evaluations, lead rapid research and development efforts, and drive both internal and external funding proposals. The role also serves as the HEART liaison to other initiatives across the College of Engineering and the broader UW‑Madison campus. This is an ideal position for a scientist who thrives at the intersection of rigorous human-systems research and practical, translational deployment.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Serves as a main point of contact and liaison with internal and external stakeholders providing information and representing the interests of a specialized research area
• Conducts literature reviews, prepares reports and materials, and disseminates information to appropriate entities
• Writes or assists in developing grant applications and proposals to secure research funding
• Collects and analyzes research data, conducts experiments and interviews, and documents results according to established policies and procedures under general supervision and limited responsibility
• Attends and assists with the facilitation of scholarly events and presentations in support of continued professional development and the dissemination of research information
• Assists with the identification of research problems and the development of research methodologies and procedures

Department

College of Engineering, Industrial & Systems Engineering (ISyE)

Compensation

The starting salary for the position is $70,000 but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated research experience in human factors, human-systems engineering, human-machine interaction, or a related translational research area
• Experience designing and conducting human-subjects studies, evaluations, or assessments and analyzing the resulting data
• Demonstrated experience communicating technical concepts, analyses, or findings to audiences with varying levels of technical expertise, as evidenced through work history, project experience, presentations, reports, or other communication deliverables
• At least two years of experience communicating technical concepts, analyses, or findings to both technical and non-technical audiences

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with Human Readiness Levels, Technology Readiness Levels, or comparable readiness/maturity assessment frameworks
• Experience partnering with industry, government, or clinical organizations to translate research into deployed technologies
• Experience contributing to competitive research proposals (e.g., NSF, NIH, DoD, industry, or foundation sponsors)
• Familiarity with one or more of HEART's priority domains: healthcare, manufacturing, security, transportation, energy, or emerging technology
• Track record of leading rapid, applied R&D projects on compressed timelines

Education

Required: Ph.D. (or equivalent doctoral degree) in industrial and systems engineering, human factors/ergonomics, cognitive science, biomedical engineering, computer science, psychology, or a closely related field.

Contact Information

Jenna Moss, [e-mail]

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Institutional Statement on Diversity

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

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