UX Researcher

Socket.dev; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

ECS in Arlington, VA is seeking a UX Researcher to plan, execute, and analyze research sprints that validate design decisions for the CIRCIA program. The role focuses on grounding decisions in verified user needs through rigorous studies and cross-functional collaboration.

You will conduct usability testing, interviews, surveys, card sorting, and tree testing with diverse users, translating findings into actionable recommendations for product and design teams to reduce delivery risk.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Design Research, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of UX research experience, including planning and conducting moderated and unmoderated studies.
• Experience synthesizing qualitative and quantitative research into actionable recommendations.
• Familiarity with research operations best practices (recruiting, scheduling, consent, documentation).

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with product managers, designers, and stakeholders to define research goals and select methods.
• Develop research plans and facilitation guides tailored to each effort.
• Follow approved research operations processes for participant outreach, scheduling, note-taking, and documentation.
• Analyze research findings and translate into clear insights and recommendations for design and content decisions.
• Develop human-centered design artifacts (e.g., journey maps, personas) to support decision-making.

Skills

UX research

Moderated studies

Unmoderated studies

Synthesis

Stakeholder communication

Research operations

Education

Bachelor's degree in HCI/Psych/Design Research

Job description

ECS is seeking a UX Researcher to work in our Arlington, VA (Hybrid) office.

About the Mission

ECS is seeking a UX Researcher to plan, execute, and analyze research sprints that validate design decisions and reduce delivery risk for CIRCIA incident reporting and related services. The CIRCIA program requires rigorous, ongoing user research to ensure that its digital products are grounded in verified user needs rather than assumptions. This role supports CISA's broader mission by ensuring that engineering and design investments are informed by real-world user behavior and feedback before development begins.

Job Description

ECS is seeking an experienced UX Researcher to support the CIRCIA program by planning, executing, and analyzing user research that validates design decisions and reduces delivery risk across digital products and services. In this role, you will coordinate closely with product managers and designers to define learning goals and select research methods that are appropriate to each stage of the design and development process.

You will conduct research activities including usability testing, interviews, surveys, card sorting, and tree testing to gather insight from a diverse user base that includes both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Your findings will directly inform design and product decisions, ensuring that the CIRCIA reporting experience is shaped by real user behavior.

This role requires strong skills in research synthesis and stakeholder communication. You will translate qualitative and quantitative findings into clear, actionable reports and present those findings to cross-functional and executive audiences to drive informed decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate with product managers, designers, and other stakeholders to define research goals and select appropriate methods (e.g., usability testing, interviews, surveys, card sorting, tree testing).
• Develop research plans and facilitation guides tailored to each research effort.
• Follow approved research operations processes for participant outreach, scheduling, note-taking, and documentation.
• Analyze research findings and translate them into clear insights and recommendations that inform design and content decisions.
• Develop human-centered design artifacts (e.g., journey maps, service blueprints, personas) as needed to support the broader team's decision-making.

Salary Range: $120,000 - $140,000

General Description of Benefits

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Design Research, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 5+ years of UX research experience, including planning and conducting moderated and unmoderated studies.
• Experience synthesizing qualitative and quantitative research into actionable recommendations.
• Familiarity with research operations best practices (recruiting, scheduling, consent, documentation).