Human Factors Scientist

Position Summary:

Are you ready to pioneer the future of pediatric healthcare safety and innovation? Boston Children's Hospital is expanding its world-class Immersive Design Systems (IDS) team, and we are looking for a visionary Human Factors Scientist to transform how care is delivered.

Reporting directly to the Director of Human Factors and Systems Design (HFSD), this high-visibility role puts you at the intersection of human-centered engineering, clinical excellence, and groundbreaking research. You won't just study clinical workflows—you will actively re-engineer systems, eliminate clinical risks, and drive safety across our main hospital campus and all regional satellites.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead Enterprise System Redesign: Spearhead complex, high-stakes human factors (HF) projects using usability evaluations, heuristic analysis, live clinical observations, process mapping, rapid prototyping, and simulation debriefing to optimize performance and prevent harm.
• Architect Education & Culture: Co-design and deliver hospital-wide HF curricula, department-specific training, and interactive employee orientations. Launch creative outreach initiatives to elevate human factors awareness enterprise-wide.
• Fuel Research, Grants & ROI Measurement: Co-lead grant acquisition to fund innovative studies, construct robust qualitative/quantitative evaluation frameworks, and publish scholarly research to build international recognition for the HFSD program.
• Drive End-to-End Project & Change Management: Direct enterprise initiatives from inception and planning through to data evaluation and closing, ensuring peak technical rigor, quality improvement, and alignment with hospital strategic goals.
• Build High-Impact Partnerships: Forge strong relationships with clinical leaders, interprofessional staff, the Patient and Family Advisory Council, and international partners to embed human-factors thinking into everyday clinical operations.
• Maintain Cutting-Edge Expertise: Monitor program performance, adapt curricula based on new evidence, and participate in continuing education across safety science, systems design, and design thinking.

Experience Required:

• Technical & Methodological Mastery: Demonstrated success applying advanced human factors methodologies, safety science, and systems simulation to high-risk, complex environments.
• Proven Project Leadership: Track record of driving large-scale change management initiatives with diverse stakeholder groups across multi-site enterprises.
• Research & Analytical Rigor: Deep proficiency in qualitative and quantitative data analysis, metric development, grant proposal writing, and scholarly writing.
• Collaborative & Adaptable Work Style: Exceptional communication skills paired with the flexibility to thrive in a full-time, hybrid model (blending remote work autonomy with collaborative on-site work in Boston).

Education:

• Master’s Degree Required. PhD highly preferred in Human Factors, Ergonomics, Systems Engineering, Applied Cognitive Psychology, or a related discipline.