Human Factors Research Technologist (Fixed Term, 12 Months)

Snap Inc is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Snap contributes to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together.

The Company operates Snapchat, a visual messaging app that enhances your relationships with friends, family, and the world, and Specs Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary dedicated to making computing more human, in addition to Bitmoji, Saturn, and other digital services.

What you’ll do

As a Human Factors Specialist, you will develop and apply human-centered research methods, objective measurement systems, and rapid prototyping techniques to improve the comfort, fit, wearability, and user experience of next-generation Augmented Reality devices. Working closely with Industrial Design, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, and User Research, you will translate human insights into measurable engineering requirements and product improvements.

• Design and execute quantitative and qualitative human-subject studies to evaluate comfort, fit, wearability, thermal comfort, and overall user experience using lab instruments, surveys, and user assessments.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret ergonomic, anthropometric, and biomechanical data—including IPD, head shape, ear-to-forehead geometry, hinge forces, and other wearability metrics—to generate actionable product insights.
• Develop novel measurement methods, instrumentation, and experimental protocols to objectively characterize wearability and human-device interactions.
• Design, fabricate, and validate instrumented prototypes, wearable devices, laboratory fixtures, and custom measurement systems.
• Integrate sensing technologies—including pressure, force, temperature, motion, eye tracking, and physiological sensors—into research prototypes and experimental platforms.
• Support rapid product iteration through CAD modifications, prototype development, engineering characterization, and experimental validation.
• Collaborate with Industrial Design, Engineering, Product Design, and User Research to translate human factors insights into product requirements and design decisions, balancing user needs with technical and product constraints.
• Build and maintain human factors datasets, engineering guidelines, and standardized research methods that enable future product development.
• Document experimental methods, calibration procedures, and research findings to improve measurement quality, repeatability, and organizational knowledge.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Strong grounding in human factors, ergonomics, biomechanics, wearability, anthropometry, and human-centered research methods.
• Expertise in designing and executing quantitative and qualitative human-subject studies, including experimental design, protocol development, and data interpretation.
• Strong analytical and statistical skills with the ability to process, visualize, interpret, and communicate complex experimental datasets.
• Strong understanding of engineering characterization, measurement systems, laboratory instrumentation, and objective evaluation techniques for physical products.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, calibrate, and validate novel experimental methods, custom measurement systems, and engineering test protocols.
• Hands-on experience designing, fabricating, instrumenting, and troubleshooting wearable prototypes, laboratory fixtures, and research hardware.
• Proficiency integrating sensors and data acquisition systems, including pressure, force, temperature, motion, eye tracking, and physiological sensing technologies.
• Strong mechanical aptitude with experience in CAD, rapid prototyping, mechanical assembly, and iterative hardware development.
• Experience developing calibration procedures, validation methods, and standardized research workflows to improve measurement quality, repeatability, and scalability.
• Excellent technical writing, documentation, and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical findings into actionable engineering recommendations.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple concurrent projects, and collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary product development teams.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Factors, Ergonomics, Biomechanics, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, Kinesiology, or a related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of experience conducting human-subject research and supporting product development, engineering validation, or applied research for wearable devices, consumer electronics, medical devices, or related physical products.
• Experience designing and executing quantitative and qualitative human-subject studies, including experimental design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
• Experience developing and applying quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods, laboratory instrumentation, and engineering characterization techniques for wearable devices and physical products.
• Hands-on experience designing, fabricating, instrumenting, and validating research prototypes, laboratory fixtures, or custom measurement systems.
• Experience analyzing experimental data using MATLAB, Python, R, or similar analytical tools.
• Demonstrated ability to translate human factors research into engineering requirements, product decisions, and design improvements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in Human Factors, Ergonomics, Biomechanics, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, Kinesiology, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience developing novel measurement methods to characterize physical interactions between wearable devices and the human body.
• Experience with pressure mapping, force sensing, thermal characterization, eye tracking, motion capture, physiological sensing, or other human factors measurement technologies.
• Experience designing and developing instrumented wearable prototypes, custom laboratory fixtures, and engineering test systems.
• Experience with embedded systems, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, microcontrollers, or custom data acquisition systems.
• Experience using 3D scanning, anthropometric datasets, digital human models, or other human-centered design and evaluation tools.
• Experience supporting multidisciplinary hardware product development from concept through product launch.

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please don’t be shy and provide us some information.

"Default Together" Policy at Snap: At Snap Inc. we believe that being together in person helps us build our culture faster, reinforce our values, and serve our community, customers and partners better through dynamic collaboration. To reflect this, we practice a “default together” approach and expect our team members to work in an office 4+ days per week. 

At Snap, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to create innovative products that improve the way people live and communicate. Snap is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. EOE, including disability/vets.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law (by example, the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, where applicable).

Our Benefits: Snap Inc. is its own community, so we’ve got your back! We do our best to make sure you and your loved ones have everything you need to be happy and healthy, on your own terms. Our benefits are built around your needs and include paid parental leave, comprehensive medical coverage, emotional and mental health support programs, and compensation packages that let you share in Snap’s long-term success!

Compensation

In the United States, work locations are assigned a pay zone which determines the salary range for the position. The successful candidate’s starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. The starting pay may be negotiable within the salary range for the position. These pay zones may be modified in the future.

Zone A (CA, WA, NYC):

The base salary range for this position is $130,000-$196,000 annually.

 

Zone B:

The base salary range for this position is $124,000-$186,000 annually.

Zone C:

The base salary range for this position is $111,000-$167,000 annually.