Expert Human Factors Engineer Reston

Core4ce is seeking an accomplished Human Factors Engineer Expert to support the Integrated Healthcare Transformation (IHT) initiative within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). This role requires a recognized expert in human factors engineering, human-centered design, and usability research who can apply state-of-the-art methodologies to evaluate, improve, and optimize healthcare technologies, systems, and processes. The successful candidate will leverage advanced research techniques and industry best practices to ensure healthcare products and workflows are safe, effective, efficient, accessible, and user-centered while supporting enterprise healthcare transformation initiatives.

• Serve as the senior Human Factors Engineering (HFE) subject matter expert supporting healthcare transformation, modernization, and digital health initiatives.
• Apply advanced human factors principles, emerging research, and industry best practices to evaluate products, systems, services, and operational processes.
• Design, lead, and execute complex human factors evaluations, usability studies, workflow analyses, cognitive task analyses, heuristic evaluations, and user research activities.
• Develop strategies, recommendations, and design solutions based on research findings to improve user performance, satisfaction, safety, and operational effectiveness.
• Assess existing products, systems, and processes and recommend redesigns or mitigation strategies when operational, technical, or business constraints limit the ability to make significant changes.
• Analyze the impact of proposed design changes on diverse user populations, including clinicians, administrative staff, Veterans, caregivers, and other stakeholders.
• Facilitate and actively participate in live user demonstrations, usability testing sessions, focus groups, interviews, and stakeholder workshops.
• Observe participant behavior and feedback during user research sessions and make real-time adjustments to questioning, evaluation techniques, and data collection approaches as appropriate.
• Identify usability issues, workflow inefficiencies, cognitive burdens, accessibility concerns, and potential patient safety risks.
• Translate complex human factors findings into actionable recommendations for engineering, development, product, and business teams.
• Collaborate closely with software engineers, product managers, clinicians, informaticists, and organizational leaders to integrate human-centered design principles throughout the product lifecycle.
• Develop and present findings, recommendations, reports, executive briefings, and design guidance to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ensure compliance with applicable human factors, usability, accessibility, and healthcare technology standards.
• Provide expert guidance on research methodologies, data collection techniques, evaluation frameworks, and dissemination strategies.
• Support organizational change initiatives by ensuring technology solutions align with user needs and promote successful adoption.
• Apply SAFe Lean-Agile principles and practices to support iterative design, continuous feedback, value delivery, and organizational transformation.
• Mentor and provide technical leadership to multidisciplinary teams on human factors engineering best practices and methodologies.

* This position is designed to be flexible, with responsibilities evolving to meet business needs and enable individual growth.

• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance for this role.
• Doctorate degree in Human Factors Engineering, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Cognitive Psychology, Industrial Engineering, Ergonomics, User Experience Research, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 12 years of experience in human factors engineering, usability engineering, user experience research, or related fields.
• Demonstrated expertise in applying state-of-the‑art human factors research methods, evaluation techniques, and design principles to complex systems and products.
• Extensive experience conducting usability studies, workflow analyses, cognitive task analyses, user interviews, focus groups, surveys, and observational research.
• Proven ability to assess products and processes and develop practical recommendations for redesign or mitigation when operational constraints exist.
• Experience evaluating how design changes impact multiple user groups and stakeholder populations.
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate live demonstrations, usability sessions, and stakeholder engagements while adapting in real time based on participant feedback and observations.
• Strong understanding of human cognition, human performance, workflow optimization, accessibility, and user-centered design principles.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills with the ability to clearly articulate human factors findings and recommendations to engineering teams, executive leadership, clinicians, and end users.
• Thorough knowledge of applicable human factors…