Human Factors Scientist (Ph.D

Human Factors Scientist

Exponent is the only premium engineering and scientific consulting firm with the depth and breadth of expertise to solve our clients' most profoundly unique, unprecedented, and urgent challenges. Our vision is to engage multidisciplinary teams of science, engineering, and regulatory experts to empower clients with solutions that create a safer, healthier, more sustainable world. For over five decades, we've connected the lessons of past failures with tomorrow's solutions to advise clients as they innovate technologically complex products and processes, ensure the safety and health of their users, and address the challenges of sustainability.

Join our team of experts with degrees from top programs at over 500 universities and extensive experience spanning a variety of industries. At Exponent, you'll contribute to the diverse pool of ideas, talents, backgrounds, and experiences that drives our collaborative teamwork and breakthrough insights. Plus, we help you grow your career through mentoring, sponsorship, and a culture of learning. Thanks for your interest in joining our team!

We are currently seeking a Human Factors Scientist for our Human Factors Practice in New York, NY for a Summer 2026 start date. In this role, you will work as part of a team to analyze human performance related to a wide variety of scenarios involving consumer products, FDA/EPA-regulated products, and occupational work. These assignments will involve the analysis of past incidents and managing safety risk to help prevent such incidents in the future.

You will be responsible for:

• Supporting a broad range of human factors and UX consulting activities, including litigation support, usability testing, sensory study design, survey development, and evaluation of how users interact with consumer products. This may include assessing human perceptual, cognitive, olfactory, and motor capabilities and their implications for safety and use-related risk.
• Supporting safety-focused litigation and investigations by analyzing human factors contributors to incidents, evaluating the design and effectiveness of warnings and safety information, and assessing product instructions, labeling, and patterns of use and misuse
• Working on multidisciplinary teams to provide case management, data processing, structured analysis, and cross-functional project support across engineering, UX, regulatory, and scientific domains
• Communicating complex analyses clearly and succinctly to non-technical audiences, including clients, attorneys, and other stakeholders
• Providing project management for multiple projects at a given time, including managing budgets and deadlines; managing project teams; and performing support tasks for team members
• Participating in the design and evaluation of warnings and safety information
• Contributing to business development by building and maintaining client relationships

You will have the following skills and qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Sensory Science, Food Science, or a related psychology discipline
• Currently based in or willing to relocate to the New York City area
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, as well as strong interpersonal skills
• Experience with U.S. food‑regulatory frameworks, including FDA and USDA compliance requirements and familiarity with CFR Title 21 as it relates to food and cosmetic products, labeling, safety, and sensory evaluation standards
• Strong record demonstrating your ability to design behavioral studies using a variety of human subjects and database research methods (e.g., survey, experimental, quasi-experimental, case study)
• Experience leading multiple scientific studies from start (i.e., design) to finish (i.e., communicating your results)
• Proficiency in qualitative research methods and analyses, including study design, participant interviewing or observation, coding, and thematic analysis
• Willingness to travel for research sessions, client meetings, conferences, or on-site evaluations
• Assertive, self-starter, and able to work with accuracy and attention to detail under pressure and/or deadlines
• Proficiency in analytical, statistical, and computer programming (specifically Excel,…