This role is for a human-centered UX Researcher to ensure services and customer experiences are grounded in a deep understanding of user needs, behaviors, and challenges. The successful candidate will apply human-centered design and evidence-based research practices to conduct and synthesize qualitative and quantitative research. This position supports the modernization of a large federal agency's enterprise data and analytics ecosystem, working within a cloud-based platform that provides data storage, analytics, governance, and AI/ML capabilities.
Responsibilities
Support the UX vision and strategy in alignment with project goals and business objectives
Collaborate with stakeholders to frame the problem, develop hypotheses, and create research plans
Conduct qualitative and quantitative research, including discovery interviews, usability testing, contextual inquiry, surveys, and journey-based research
Develop and maintain research artifacts such as personas, journey maps, and experience assessments
Analyze customer feedback to identify needs, pain points, and opportunities for improvement
Synthesize research findings into clear, actionable insights and recommendations
Communicate research findings and user outcomes clearly, objectively, and persuasively
Evaluate intake, onboarding, and enablement experiences to reduce customer friction and improve outcomes
Inform service design, product, CRM/workflow improvements, training needs, and continuous-improvement priorities, through research-driven recommendations
Partner with UX design, service design, product, engineering, and other cross-functional stakeholders to support decision-making and solution development
Advocate for user needs and ensure users are involved throughout the design and validation process
Apply human-centered design, accessibility, and federal service design principles to improve customer experiences
Document research activities, findings, decisions, risks, and supporting evidence to ensure traceability and continuous improvement
Requirements
U.S. Citizenship
Candidate must reside in the U.S., be authorized to work in the U.S., and all work must be performed in the U.S.
Candidate must have lived in the U.S. for three (3) full years out of the last five (5) years
Bachelor's degree in Human-Centered Design, UX Research, Psychology, Human Factors, Anthropology, Sociology, Design Research, Information Science, or related field; or a high school diploma with four (4) additional years of relevant experience in lieu of a bachelor's degree
Minimum 3 years of relevant experience aligned to the responsibilities of this role
Master's degree in related field may substitute for two (2) years of relevant experience
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Strong mixed-method research (qualitative, quantitative, surveys), synthesis, and presentation skills
Experience developing personas, journey maps, service blueprints, empathy maps, and customer experience artifacts that inform product and service design decisions
Experience utilizing research and collaboration tools such as Miro, Figma, UserZoom, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Dovetail, Microsoft Forms, or similar platforms
Understanding of research ethics and best practices to protect participants and control bias, including informed consent, personally identifiable information, NDAs, and related concepts
Understanding of usability and accessibility including heuristic and expert methods
Highly effective analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical audiences
Strong organization, attention to detail, and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple responsibilities
Collaborative cross-functional approach with a commitment to quality, accountability, and continuous improvement
Complete tasks effectively and on schedule as part of a broader development team
Participate in Agile process to learn quickly and iterate on the user experience
Nice to have:
Experience supporting Federal government, healthcare, or other highly regulated environments
Active or past clearance to work with Veterans Affairs
Experience working in Agile, cross-functional delivery teams
Understanding of accessibility, inclusive design, Section 508 compliance, and human-centered design principles
Experience supporting federal service design, analytics platforms, or enterprise technology modernization initiatives
Important Details
Work format: Remote, with occasional onsite meetings on the client site in Washington, DC. Strong preference for candidates who live in the Washington DC Metro Area.
About the Company
ICF is a global advisory and technology services provider that combines expertise with cutting-edge technology to help clients solve complex challenges, navigate change, and shape the future. The Digital Modernization Division delivers integrated, strategic solutions to federal clients, with expertise in cloud, cybersecurity, enterprise architecture, data modernization, and digital transformation.
ICF is a global consulting and technology services company with approximately 9,000 employees, but we are not your typical consultants.
