Human Systems Research Scientist (M.S. + 4 years of experience or Ph.D.)

About the Company

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. We help you grow your career through mentoring, sponsorship, and a culture of learning.

• 950+ Consultants
• 640+ Ph.D.s
• 90+ Disciplines
• 30+ Offices globally

About the Role

We are currently seeking a Human Systems Research Scientist for our Data Sciences Practice in New York, NY. This role is for an accomplished human-subjects researcher who can lead complex data-collection programs, work hands-on with technical systems, and guide interdisciplinary teams in fast-moving, ambiguous project environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead local and global human-subjects data-collection programs, including study design, protocols, participant workflows, quality control, and delivery.
• Coordinate interdisciplinary teams across Data Sciences, Human Factors, Biomechanics, Health Sciences, and engineering.
• Troubleshoot prototype hardware, sensor arrays, mobile devices, operating systems, and research software in real-world study environments.
• Build lightweight tools for tracking, automation, visualization, data processing, and quality control.
• Document data flows from collection through delivery, including transformations, validation checks, exceptions, and quality gates.
• Develop and maintain strong client and stakeholder relationships.

Qualifications

• M.S. with at least 4 years of post-degree experience or a Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction, Human Factors, Biomechanics, Ergonomics, Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Kinesiology, or a relevant engineering/scientific field. Recent M.S. graduates do not meet this requirement.
• Presently legally authorized to work in the United States; no immigration sponsorship or processing required.
• Record of leading complex human-subjects research, user studies, or large experimental data-collection efforts.
• Experience in one or more areas such as HCI, human factors, biomechanics, ergonomics, behavioral or systems neuroscience, cognitive science, sensing systems, wearable devices, motion capture, or mobile-device research.
• Ability to turn ambiguous scientific or operational questions into rigorous approaches and communicate insights clearly to technical, executive, and client audiences.

Preferred: First-author research publication experience and/or presentation experience in academic, technical, industry, or client-facing forums.

Skills

Technical and Data Skills

• Hands-on comfort with instrumentation, data acquisition, synchronization, hardware/software troubleshooting, and operating-system quirks.
• Practical scripting or programming skills, such as Python, JavaScript, MATLAB, R, or similar tools for automation, data checks, and workflow support.
• Experience constructing data pipelines or processing workflows that transform raw human-subjects, sensor, device, or interaction data into analysis-ready datasets.
• Experience developing custom data-quality methods, audits, dashboards, or automated checks for missingness, synchronization issues, labeling errors, outliers, protocol deviations, or other sources of noise.
• Familiarity with machine learning concepts, dataset evaluation, labeling workflows, or model-assisted approaches to improving data quality.

Working Style and Travel

• Exceptional organization, attention to detail, practical judgment, and willingness to do hands-on work that may fall outside traditional data science or academic research roles.
• Strong interpersonal judgment and people-management skills, including the ability to motivate teams, coordinate contributors, and maintain high standards under time pressure.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to work independently and in multidisciplinary teams.
• Flexibility to support changing study timelines, participant schedules, evening/weekend needs, and domestic or international travel, including extended engagements of 2–4 weeks.

Work Environment

At Exponent, we have found that in-person interactions deepen employee engagement and are crucial for development, for realizing the full potential of our talented and diverse teams, and for building a more inclusive workplace where all have a sense of belonging. In our offices, you can expect a supportive culture and a collaborative, dynamic, multi-disciplinary work environment. Our consultants engage in-person in the office unless they are traveling for client work or other business activities.

We value the rich lives our colleagues enjoy outside of work and understand that work/life balance is critical to our employees and their well-being. Consultants have the autonomy to balance their work and personal schedules so you can meet with clients, visit inspection sites, attend conferences, and make time for priorities outside of work, too.

Pay

The base salary range for this position is dependent on experience and capabilities which will be assessed during the interview process.

Salary Range: USD $130,000.00 - USD $140,000.00 /Yr.

At the Associate and Senior Associate level, total compensation includes base salary, bi-weekly bonuses for high-intensity efforts, annual bonus, and 401(k) employer contribution of 7% of base salary.

Benefits

Access benefits information on our Life@Exponent page.

Exponent is committed to offering a variety of programs and resources to support health and well-being. We believe that providing competitive benefits as well as compensation and recognition programs empowers our staff to do work that makes a difference.