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Contract User Researcher Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Bixal

Sr. Service Designer/UX Researcher

Fairfax, VA · On-site +1

$125K - $130K/yr

This contract is building the platform engineering foundation that enables FSA's engineering teams ... Plan and execute sprint-cadence user research with FSA engineering teams using methods such as ...

Bixal

Sr. Service Designer/UX Researcher

Fairfax, VA · Remote

$125K - $130K/yr

This contract is building the platform engineering foundation that enables FSA's engineering teams ... Plan and execute sprint-cadence user research with FSA engineering teams using methods such as ...

Steampunk

UX/UI Designer

Mclean, VA · On-site

$75K - $140K/yr

Conduct user research and testing and effectively translate user needs into an implementable digital experience * Collaborate and communicate stakeholder and user needs on a cross functional team ...

Peraton

UX Designer

Herndon, VA · On-site

$66K - $106K/yr

Conduct user research, such as requirements elicitation, field observations, heuristic evaluations ... and contract considerations. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime ...

Peraton

UX Designer

Herndon, VA · On-site

$66K - $106K/yr

Conduct user research, such as requirements elicitation, field observations, heuristic evaluations ... and contract considerations. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime ...

Peraton

UX Designer

Herndon, VA

$66K - $106K/yr

Conduct user research, such as requirements elicitation, field observations, heuristic evaluations ... and contract considerations. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime ...

CACI

UX/UI Designer

Sterling, VA · On-site

Responsibilities Conduct structured operator research across mission phases and document workflows ... and contract wage rates, relevant prior work experience, specific skills and competencies ...

New

System One

UX Designer

Arrington, VA · On-site

Conduct user research (interviews, surveys, workshops, usability studies) with Soldiers, HR ... Document all design artifacts (wireframes, style guides, workflows) in contract management tools ...

Apex Systems

UX Designer

Richmond, VA · On-site

NET engineering teams to move from requirements and user research through wireframes, prototypes ... The position begins as a six-month contract with the intent to convert to direct hire. We ask that ...

Bespoke Technologies, Inc

UI/UX Developer

Reston, VA · On-site

$52 - $67.50/hr

... contract. The Senior UI/UX Developer will be part of a team of Application, Data, Cloud, and ... Experience conducting or supporting user research, usability testing, stakeholder interviews, and ...

NiyamIT

UI/UX Design Specialist

Ashburn, VA · On-site

This position is associated with a proposal submission and is contingent upon contract award ... Apply user research, feedback, and data-driven insights to inform design decisions. * Promote and ...

Niyam IT, Inc.

UI/UX Design Specialist

Ashburn, VA · On-site +1

This position is associated with a proposal submission and is contingent upon contract award ... Apply user research, feedback, and data-driven insights to inform design decisions. * Promote and ...

Niyam IT, Inc.

UI/UX Design Specialist

Ashburn, VA · On-site

This position is associated with a proposal submission and is contingent upon contract award ... Apply user research, feedback, and data-driven insights to inform design decisions. * Promote and ...

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All JobsContract User Researcher JobsContract User Researcher Jobs in Virginia

Contract User Researcher information

What is a contract user researcher?

Contract user researchers are professionals hired on a temporary or project basis to conduct research focused on understanding users' needs, behaviors, and experiences with products or services. They use various methods, such as interviews, surveys, usability testing, and field studies, to gather insights that inform design and business decisions. Unlike full-time employees, contract user researchers typically work for a specific duration or on particular projects, offering flexibility for both the employer and the researcher. Their expertise helps organizations create user-centered products and improve customer satisfaction.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a contract user researcher, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Contract User Researcher, you need expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methods, user experience principles, and a degree in human-computer interaction, psychology, or a related field. Familiarity with tools like UserTesting, Optimal Workshop, and analytics platforms, along with knowledge of usability testing protocols, is typically required. Outstanding communication, adaptability, and the ability to synthesize complex insights make someone stand out in this client-facing, project-based role. These skills ensure actionable, user-centered recommendations that drive product improvements and meet client objectives within tight timelines.

What are some common challenges faced by contract user researchers when joining new projects, and how can they be addressed?

Contract user researchers often face the challenge of quickly getting up to speed with the product, team dynamics, and existing research processes. Since contracts are usually for a limited duration, there's a need to rapidly build relationships and understand project goals to deliver actionable insights. To address these challenges, it's important to schedule early meetings with key stakeholders, review any existing research documentation, and set clear expectations for deliverables and timelines. Proactively communicating findings and being adaptable to different team workflows can also help establish trust and ensure a successful research engagement.

What is the difference between Contract User Researcher vs Full-Time User Researcher?

AspectContract User ResearcherFull-Time User Researcher
Employment TypeTemporary, project-basedPermanent, ongoing
CredentialsTypically requires relevant experience and research skillsRequires similar credentials, often with additional benefits
Work EnvironmentFreelance or agency settings, remote or onsiteIn-house, team-based, often onsite or hybrid
Industry UsageCommon in tech, consulting, and startupsWidely used across industries with dedicated research teams

The main difference between a Contract User Researcher and a Full-Time User Researcher lies in employment status and work arrangement. Contract roles are temporary and project-focused, offering flexibility but less job security. Full-time roles provide stability and ongoing team integration. Both roles require similar skills and credentials, but the work environment and employment terms differ significantly.

What are the most commonly searched types of User Researcher jobs in Virginia?

The most popular types of User Researcher jobs in Virginia are:

What cities in Virginia are hiring for Contract User Researcher jobs?

Cities in Virginia with the most Contract User Researcher job openings:

Contract User Researcher jobs near you

Sr. Service Designer/UX Researcher

Bixal

Fairfax, VA • On-site, Remote

$125K - $130K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 28 days ago

Job description

Important Notice for Applicants:
At Bixal, we want to ensure a transparent and secure application process for all candidates. Official communication will come from an email address ending in @bixal.com or from @bixal.na.teamtailor-mail.com. Messages from other sources may be fraudulent, and you should exercise care to avoid any links or attachments included.
Bixal will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.
Need Assistance or a Reasonable Accommodation?
If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation to complete your application, we're here to help. Please reach out to us at talent@bixal.com and let us know how we can support you. You do not need to share personal details or disclose the nature of your request. You can expect a response from a team member within 24 hours during the regular work week and on the next operating day during the weekend or holidays.
Why Bixal?
Bixal is a consulting company headquartered in Fairfax, VA, working alongside governments and organizations to help them deliver better services and experiences to the communities they serve. Using evidence-based knowledge and technology, Bixal empowers clients to deliver on their missions more effectively by fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement.
Our values:
  • People-First: Emphasizing the importance of people in all aspects of work.
  • Collaboration and Transparency: Valuing teamwork and open communication.
  • Growth Mindset: Encouraging innovation and continuous improvement.
  • Creating Lasting Impact: Focusing on meaningful outcomes and positive change.

About the role:
Bixal is hiring a Senior Service Designer / UX Researcher to join our Developer Experience team on a newly awarded platform engineering contract with the Department of Education's Federal Student Aid (FSA). FSA manages nearly $1.7 trillion in federal student loans and serves more than 45 million borrowers. This contract is building the platform engineering foundation that enables FSA's engineering teams to deliver faster, more securely, and with less friction.
You will be the embedded HCD practitioner on a four-person Developer Experience team, working alongside a Technical Product Manager, a Content/Documentation Specialist, and a Software Engineer. Your job is to make the platform something developers actually want to use. You'll map the end-to-end developer journey, identify friction, run sprint-cadence usability testing, and translate research directly into the backlog. The people you're designing for are software engineers and developers, not end users of a public-facing website, and that distinction matters.
This is a full-time position. The contract consists of one 12-month base year and four 12-month option years.
Applicants must include a link to a portfolio of relevant work.
Compensation:
The salary range for this role is $125,000 - $130,000. In the spirit of transparency, most offers tend to land near the midpoint of the range. We make compensation decisions thoughtfully, considering your experience, the skills you bring, and our commitment to internal equity. Fairness and transparency are core to how we operate.
Responsibilities:
Research and Discovery
  • Map the end-to-end developer journey from access request through first production deploy, identifying high-friction points at each stage.
  • Plan and execute sprint-cadence user research with FSA engineering teams using methods such as contextual inquiry, usability testing, interviews, and behavioral analytics.
  • Synthesize qualitative and quantitative findings into actionable insights and translate them directly into prioritized backlog items.
  • rack adoption metrics and developer satisfaction (Developer NPS) to measure the impact of improvements over time.

Service Design
  • Design service blueprints, interaction patterns, user flows, and high-fidelity prototypes for developer-facing products including the self-service portal, onboarding toolkit, and golden-path templates.
  • Deliver design specifications and documentation that reduce implementation ambiguity and improve fidelity between design intent and what gets built.
  • Collaborate with the team's software engineer to keep the iteration loop tight within a single sprint cadence, ensuring research-backed interaction patterns are reflected in working software.
  • Design responsive, accessible interfaces that account for regulatory and secure interaction requirements without degrading usability.
  • Apply accessibility standards (Section 508, WCAG 2.1) to all developer-facing interfaces and documentation experiences.
  • Contribute to a developer experience metrics dashboard, defining what gets measured and why.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement
  • Work closely with the team's Technical Product Manager to align research priorities with the product roadmap and QASP performance measures.
  • Engage FSA engineering stakeholders to understand their workflows, constraints, and needs, building trust and buy-in for platform adoption.
  • Participate in agile ceremonies including sprint planning, backlog refinement, demos, and retrospectives.
  • Coordinate with adjacent vendor teams and FSA stakeholders to ensure the developer experience serves the broader engineering ecosystem.

Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant field plus at least eight (8) years of experience in service design, UX research, or human-centered design.
  • Proven ability to design intuitive, accessible, and production-ready experiences for complex, multi-step workflows serving large user populations.
  • Demonstrated experience reducing task friction, error rates, and avoidable support contacts through measurable design improvements.
  • Strong capability designing responsive digital experiences and system-driven UI behavior in collaboration with engineering teams.
  • Experience incorporating regulatory, accessibility, and secure interaction requirements into design artifacts without degrading usability.
  • Demonstrated expertise in applied research methods including contextual inquiry, usability testing, journey mapping, service blueprinting, and synthesis of qualitative and quantitative findings.
  • Experience conducting research with technical users, developers, or platform/tool users, and the ability to adapt methods appropriately for that audience.
  • Proven ability to translate research findings directly into prioritized backlog items, high-fidelity prototypes, specifications, and design documentation that reduce ambiguity and accelerate delivery.
  • Proficiency in Figma, Miro or FigJam, or equivalent collaborative design and whiteboarding tools.
  • Familiarity with developer tools and environments (e.g., CI/CD pipelines, portals, documentation systems) sufficient to understand the context developers work in.
  • Strong communication skills with the ability to present findings clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • U.S. citizenship required. Must be able to obtain and maintain a Tier 4 High Risk Public Trust security clearance.
  • Located in Washington DC metro area with the ability to travel to the client location in downtown DC occasionally.

Nice to Have Skills and Experience:
  • Experience working on developer experience, internal tooling, or platform-as-product initiatives.
  • Familiarity with the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS), the 21st Century IDEA, USDS Playbook, and other federal design standards.
  • Experience working within FedRAMP, FISMA, or other federal compliance environments.
  • Familiarity with DORA metrics, DevSecOps concepts, or agile platform engineering practices.
  • Prior experience with the Department of Education or Federal Student Aid.

How We Support Our Team:
  • Flex hours
  • 401K with matching incentive
  • Parental Leave
  • Medical/dental/vision benefits
  • Flex Spending Account
  • Company provided short-term disability and life insurance
  • Commuter benefits
  • Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • 11 Paid holidays

Our company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all individuals and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs.
Department Client Delivery Role Human Experience (HX) Locations Remote within DC, Maryland, or Virginia Remote status Fully Remote

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