Research Specialist - Human Factors - Usability & User-Centered Design
3M· Mechanical Or Industrial Engineering· Oct 20, 2026 · 7d ago
US, Minnesota, Maplewood
In office
Full-time
$146K–$178K
Job description
Job Description:
Research & Development | Human Factors, Usability & User-Centered Design
Collaborate with Innovative 3Mers Around the World
Choosing where to start and grow your career has a major impact on your professional and personal life, so it’s equally important you know that the company that you choose to work at, and its leaders, will support and guide you. With a wide variety of people, global locations, technologies and products, 3M is a place where you can collaborate with other curious, creative 3Mers.
This position provides an opportunity to transition from other private, public, government or military experience to a 3M career.
The Impact You’ll Make in this Role
As a Research Specialist - Human Factors, Usability & UX Research, you will apply human factors psychology, usability, Voice of Customer, perception, cognition, and user-centered design to support innovative PPE and related digital experiences. You will translate user needs into product requirements, interface designs, workflows, validation methods, and evidence-based recommendations.
· Design and execute qualitative and quantitative human factors, usability, Voice of Customer, and user-needs research for PPE and related digital experiences.
· Plan and conduct expert reviews, interviews, surveys, observational studies, concept evaluations, and formative and summative usability studies.
· Translate findings into personas, use cases, workflows, user requirements, design requirements, interface concepts, and product recommendations.
· Evaluate physical and digital interfaces for comprehension, efficiency, accuracy, learnability, and safe use.
· Apply knowledge of perception, cognition, judgment, decision making, and biases to product and experience design.
· Use experimental design, statistical analysis, eye tracking, and other appropriate methods to generate reliable evidence for project decisions.
· Partner with industrial design, product engineering, software, front-end development, UX/UI design, regulatory, and business teams through iterative development.
· Explore augmented reality, virtual reality, and multimodal communication approaches that connect digital information and interaction with physical products.
Your Skills and Expertise
To set you up for success in this role from day one, 3M requires (at a minimum) the following qualifications:
· Bachelor s degree (completed and verified prior to start) in Human Factors Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Experimental Psychology, Human-Computer Interaction, User Experience, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, Design Research
· Three (3) years of experience conducting usability, user experience, or Voice of Customer research in an industrial, academic, healthcare, consumer product, medical device, software, or safety in a private, public, government or military environment
Additional qualifications that could help you succeed even further in this role include:
· Doctorate or Master s degree in Human Factors Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Experimental Psychology, Human-Computer Interaction, User Experience, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
· Experience developing research protocols and applying qualitative and quantitative experimental methods, surveys, interviews, or observational research.
· Experience analyzing research data and communicating user needs and design recommendations to cross-functional stakeholders.
· Advanced knowledge of human perception, cognition, decision making, usability, user-centered design, and Voice of Customer research.
· Experience supporting PPE, safety products, medical devices, industrial equipment, software, or other complex physical and digital products.
· Experience with UI and workflow design, user-requirements gathering, concept generation, iterative testing, and design validation.
· Experience conducting formative and summative usability research, including research supporting regulated products.
· Proficiency in experimental design, statistical analysis, survey development, data visualization, and eye-tracking or equivalent behavioral research methods.
· Experience developing or evaluating augmented reality, virtual reality, multimodal communication, or interactive digital environments.
· Education or practical experience in electrical engineering, computer science, mathematics, software development, or front-end development.
· Strong experimental design, research moderation, scientific writing, data analysis, and technical communication skills.
· Ability to convert user insights into intuitive physical and digital experiences.
· Independent problem solving combined with effective multidisciplinary collaboration.
· Project leadership, stakeholder management, curiosity, and a commitment to worker safety.
Work location:
· Work location: This role follows an on-site working model, requiring the employee to work at least four days a week at the 3M Center in Maplewood, MN.
· Travel: May include up to 20% domestic/international
· Relocation: May be authorized
Must be legally authorized to work in country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B status).
Supporting Your Well-being
3M offers many programs to help you live your best life – both physically and financially. To ensure competitive pay and benefits, 3M regularly benchmarks with other companies that are comparable in size and scope.
Chat with Max
For assistance with searching through our current job openings or for more information about all things 3M, visit Max, our virtual recruiting assistant on 3M.com/careers.
Applicable to US Applicants Only:The expected compensation range for this position is $145,676 - $178,049, which includes base pay plus variable incentive pay, if eligible. This range represents a good faith estimate for this position. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant knowledge, training, skills, work location, and/or experience. In addition, this position may be eligible for a range of benefits (e.g., Medical, Dental & Vision, Health Savings Accounts, Health Care & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Disability Benefits, Life Insurance, Voluntary Benefits, Paid Absences and Retirement Benefits, etc.). Additional information is available at: 3m.com.
All US-based 3M full time employees will need to sign an employee agreement as a condition of employment with 3M. This agreement lays out key terms on using 3M Confidential Information and Trade Secrets. It also has provisions discussing conflicts of interest and how inventions are assigned. Employees that are Job Grade 7 or equivalent and above may also have obligations to not compete against 3M or solicit its employees or customers, both during their employment, and for a period after they leave 3M.
Learn more about 3M’s creative solutions to the world’s problems at www.3M.com or on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @3M.
Responsibilities of this position include that corporate policies, procedures and security standards are complied with while performing assigned duties.
Safety is a core value at 3M. All employees are expected to contribute to a strong Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) culture by following safety policies, identifying hazards, and engaging in continuous improvement.
Pay & Benefits Overview: 3m.com
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Please note: your application may not be considered if you do not provide your education and work history, either by: 1) uploading a resume, or 2) entering the information into the application fields directly.
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