User Experience (UX) Field Researcher
SAIC Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, United States
Defense and Space Manufacturing · 10,001+ employees
About the role
The UX Field Researcher will serve as a bridge between operational end-users and development teams to capture real-world behaviors and pain points. They are responsible for planning field research, conducting usability studies, and translating findings into actionable design requirements for mission-critical software.
What they look for
Requirements
Candidates must possess at least six years of experience in UX research or human factors engineering, with a minimum of three years supporting defense or military programs. A bachelor's degree in a relevant field is required, along with an active Secret security clearance.
Full description
SAIC is seeking an experienced UX Field Researcher to support a mission-critical modernization program delivering a modular, adaptable software suite of essential capabilities across multiple warfighting functions. In this role, you will serve as the critical link between operational end-users and design and development teams, capturing real-world user behaviors, needs, and pain points to drive intuitive, mission-effective software experiences.
This position operates across cloud and tactical edge environments, conducting field research and usability studies in both garrison and deployed settings, including Denied, Degraded, Intermittent, and Low Bandwidth (DDIL) environments, to ensure solutions are optimized for the unique demands of the operational user.
The work is to be performed at the customer site at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), MD.
This role is contingent upon award news in Fall 2026.
Key Responsibilities:
- Plan and execute field research studies, contextual inquiries, and usability evaluations with operational end-users across multiple echelons, security domains, and mission environments
- Translate observed user behaviors, workflows, and pain points into actionable design insights, personas, journey maps, and user stories that inform platform development priorities
- Serve as the primary advocate for the end-user, ensuring Human System Integration (HSI) principles and UI/UX best practices are embedded throughout the software development lifecycle
- Evaluate and validate platform usability including navigation, workflow efficiency, data visualization, symbology rendering, and overall user experience against operational requirements and mission context
- Support testing and validation of tactical edge configurations, ensuring user experience requirements account for operations in DDIL environments including degraded connectivity and constrained hardware scenarios
- Participate in product demonstrations, design reviews, and agile development cycles, providing rapid user-centered assessment of solution compliance and operational utility
- Collaborate with vendors, partners, requirements analysts, and Government stakeholders to ensure user research findings are accurately captured, communicated, and translated into verifiable design requirements
SAIC® is a premier mission integrator focused on advancing the power of technology and innovation to serve and protect our world. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, intelligence, and civilian markets includes secure high-end solutions in mission IT, enterprise IT, engineering services, and professional services. We integrate emerging technology, rapidly and securely, into mission critical operations that modernize and enable critical national imperatives.
We are approximately 23,000 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. SAIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $7.3 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom.
