Senior/Principal Scientist - Human Computer Interaction (HCI/HMI/UX)

Charles River Analytics; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Maternity/Paternity leave

Tuition reimbursement

Gym allowance

Free parking

Generous paid time off

Job summary

Charles River Analytics, a GRVTY company, seeks a senior researcher in Human-Systems Integration to lead teams of researchers, designers, and engineers. You will develop new human-AI interaction concepts and oversee user-centered evaluation of prototypes.

You will build relationships with customers and sponsors, direct technical work, and contribute to proposals, reports, and publications across disciplines in support of national security and government programs.

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s in Human Factors, Cognitive Systems Engineering, Interaction Design, or Cognitive Science (or a related field).
• 5+ years of hands-on experience analyzing work environments and conceiving, demonstrating, and evaluating user interface(s).
• Strong written and verbal skills with proposal writing and customer interactions; DoD pursuits preferred.
• Onsite at least 3 days per week (60% onsite / 40% remote) in Cambridge, MA.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow teams of researchers, designers, and software engineers to implement and evaluate user-centered solutions.
• Define, propose, and direct technical work; build relationships with customers, sponsors, and partners.
• Provide Human Systems subject matter expertise and collaborate across disciplines on new research opportunities.
• Contribute to proposals, technical reports, and research publications.
• Present work at briefings and conferences.

Skills

HCI/HSI research

Proposal writing & presentations

DoD program experience

Education

PhD or Master’s in Human Factors / Cognitive Systems / Interaction Design / Cognitive Science

Job description

Charles River Analytics, a GRVTY company, creates solutions and technology to tackle the world’s most challenging problems. Our team of technological entrepreneurs works together to push at the forefront of enhanced AI, robotics, smart sensing, and human-centered computing. The resulting research and development help to continuously advance government programs and discover new possibilities in the commercial marketplace. At Charles River, we take great pride in our success at attracting and retaining the most talented and creative problem-solvers in our field.

Now as part of GRVTY, we offer the same trusted capabilities with increased organizational depth and expanded capacity across mission-critical national security domains. Are you ready to accelerate our mission-focused innovations? We’d love to hear from you!

Charles River Analytics has an exciting opportunity for a passionate senior level researcher with experience in Human-Systems Integration, Human Factors, or Human-Computer Interaction to develop new tools and interfaces that help users partner with technology in challenging work environments.

In this role, you will lead and grow teams of researchers, designers, and engineers to understand work domains and user-support requirements, develop new human-AI interaction concepts, and demonstrate and evaluate interactive prototypes. You will define, propose, and direct technical work, building and maintaining strong relationships with customers, sponsors, and partners. You will also provide Human Systems subject matter expertise and will collaborate with staff across disciplines to conceive and pursue research opportunities in new and exciting technical areas and domains.

How you will make a difference:

• Develop and execute a research agenda in areas of Human-Systems Integration and Human-Autonomy Teaming
• Study, model, and understand diverse customer needs in complex systems
• Develop work-support solutions that build on principles of human perception, cognition, and decision making
• Coordinate and oversee the work of other researchers, designers, and software engineers to implement and evaluate solution concepts as part of a user-centered design process
• Build and maintain relationships with customers and collaborators
• Lead and contribute to proposals, technical reports, and research publications
• Present work at briefings and conferences

Areas to be Explored:

• Human-AI Teaming, Decision-Support Systems
• Command and Control, Mission Planning, Supervisory Control, Predictive Health and Maintenance, Cyber Operations, Intelligence Operations

What do you need?

• PhD or Master’s degree in Human Factors, Cognitive Systems Engineering, Interaction Design, or Cognitive Science (or a related field)
• Proven record of capturing and leading research and development contracts or grants as a Principal Investigator, Technical Lead, or Chief Engineer, or Program Manager
• 5+ years of hands-on experience analyzing work environments and conceiving, demonstrating, and evaluating user interface
• Strong written and verbal skills and prior experience in proposal writing, customer interaction, and presentation at technical conferences; Proven business development experience with DoD pursuits preferred
• Ability to be onsite at least 3 days per week (60% onsite / 40% remote) in Cambridge, MA

What does our Ideal Candidate have?

• 10+ years of relevant experience in HCI, HSI, or similar
• Domain experience in areas related to autonomous systems, intelligence analysis, or tactical aviation
• Experience as a PI or PM capturing and leading applied R&D programs through DARPA, AFRL, ONR, ARL, IARPA or other related government organizations
• Military Service or DoD work experience
• Technical or peer-reviewed publications in any of the above fields
• Strong design aesthetic and functional reasoning skills with superior attention to detail
• Knowledge and experience with state-of-the art machine learning algorithms and autonomy systems

Salary Range

$170,000 - $220,000

Why Charles River?

Charles River Analytics thrives on collaboration and values each team member. We offer competitive compensation plus bonus and retirement contribution, with an attractive benefits package including 100% employer-paid medical and dental insurance, as well as vision, life, and disability insurance, paid maternity/paternity leave, tuition reimbursement, monthly gym allowance, free parking, generous paid time off, and a casual environment. We offer tremendous flexibility and value work-life balance. We are also accessible by public transportation. Charles River became an employee-owned company in 2012, to set the stage for the next-generation of innovation, service, and growth in R&D. As we entered 2026, we joined forces with GRVTY, gaining the scale and capacity to transition, field, and sustain our innovations faster and more effectively than ever before.