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Human factors scientist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Lisa Cuchara Ph.D.,

Dennis Doverspike Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical human factors scientist skills. We ranked the top skills for human factors scientists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 16.4% of human factors scientist resumes contained human subjects as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a human factors scientist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 human factors scientist skills for your resume and career

1. Human Subjects

Human subjects are human beings used in research studies, which may be medical or non-medical and involve a researcher intervening or only observing. The test may be conducted to determine the effectiveness of a particular drug, a person's reaction to a medical device, or an observation of a person's reaction to waiting in a room for a long period of time.

Here's how human factors scientists use human subjects:

Coordinated and administered data collection from human subjects for four research efforts.
Provide support for Office of Research Protections in monitoring compliance with human subjects' protection regulations through assessment of project records.

2. Consumer Products

Here's how human factors scientists use consumer products:

Analyze adult and child behavior and decision making with consumer products.

3. Data Collection

Data collection means to analyze and collect all the necessary information. It helps in carrying out research and in storing important and necessary information. The most important goal of data collection is to gather the information that is rich and accurate for statistical analysis.

Here's how human factors scientists use data collection:

Managed data collection for a joint research project on vigilance between Exxon and NASA-Langley for the Abnormal Situation Management consortium.
Conducted data collection, analysis and interpretation- recorded, calculated and presented data to supervisor and program teams.

4. Statistical Analysis

Here's how human factors scientists use statistical analysis:

Characterized commercial blood DNA extraction protocols, assay component performance and manufacturing process variation using DOE methodology and statistical analysis.
Manipulated large volume of data by merging, updating, documenting and generating statistical analysis and reporting.

5. User Experience

Here's how human factors scientists use user experience:

Developed quality standards for user experience documentation.
Established user experience expertise and best practices for customer facing web systems and applications.

6. Data Analysis

Here's how human factors scientists use data analysis:

Conducted research, data analysis, database implementation, and management of historical records for numerous projects directly improving corporate efficiency.
Standardized and streamlined data analysis reducing turnaround time to typically less than 1 week enabling quicker prioritization of lead series.

7. IRB

An institutional review board (IRB), is a form of committee that applies research ethics by vetting research procedures to ensure they are ethical. In order to decide whether or not research can be undertaken, they often perform a kind of risk-benefit analysis. The IRB's function is to ensure that adequate safeguards are in place to protect the interests and health of humans who are participants of a research sample.

Here's how human factors scientists use irb:

Review annual and final technical reports to verify the Statement of Work and IRB approved protocol is being followed.
Assist the Institutional Review Board (IRB) Administrator with the administration of the human subject's protection function.

8. Subject Matter Experts

Here's how human factors scientists use subject matter experts:

Coordinated operational and CHI design with the customer, subject matter experts, and software developers.

9. Technical Reports

Technical reports are a type of document that is used to indicate either the progress, result, or process of scientific research or the state of problems occurring within such research. A technical report may also showcase the report's overall conclusion and may also include recommendations. This kind of report does not require a peer review and isn't published officially but distributed within the organizations where it was formed.

Here's how human factors scientists use technical reports:

Provided timely technical reports, response letters and other documentations to address questions from the regulatory agencies and support regulatory submissions.
Prepare technical reports that accurately describe project/work goals, experimental design and experimental results.

10. FDA

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services that regulates the production and sale of food, pharmaceutical products, medical equipment, and other consumer goods, as well as veterinary medicine. The FDA is now in charge of overseeing the manufacture of products like vaccines, allergy treatments, and beauty products.

Here's how human factors scientists use fda:

Provide toxicology support for regulatory submissions to FDA on tobacco products.
Conducted assay verification and validation studies and drafted FDA submission reports.

11. Human Factors Engineering

Here's how human factors scientists use human factors engineering:

Provided Human Factors Engineering services to a major web developer.

12. User Interface

The user interface (UI) is the area or point where a person communicates with or transfers information to an electric computer or application. The user interface enables applications to offer precise product details to their intended customer without causing any misunderstanding. Customers want modern technology to behave in a certain manner for their convenience, so it is advised to create a user interface that is simple to use, precise, and predictable so that customers are fully pleased with its services. It can make a significant difference in converting visitors into customers.

Here's how human factors scientists use user interface:

Specified user interface and prioritization and processing requirements for two runway incursion prevention systems.
Designed and documented user interfaces for Navy Command, Control and Communications Intelligence systems.

13. Usability Tests

Here's how human factors scientists use usability tests:

Conducted usability tests, user performance analysis, and cognitive/heuristic evaluations of user-interfaces and provided recommendations for design and system improvements.
Assessed user needs and determined ease-of-use in a re-designed graphical device trends screen via usability testing.

14. DOD

Definition of Done (DoD) is a set of deliverables that are needed to devise software. These deliverables are valuable to the system and can be exemplified by writing code, coding comments, unit testing, integration testing, design documents, release notes, and so on.

Here's how human factors scientists use dod:

Trained new employees on internal processes, applicable DoD regulations, and conducting international site visits.

15. Federal Regulations

Federal regulations refer to the set of rules, both general and permanent that are published in the Federal Register by the agencies of the federal government and the executive departments. Federal regulations are the large body of rules that govern federal practice. Examples of these laws include taxes and financial regulation, discrimination law, wages law, and so on.

Here's how human factors scientists use federal regulations:

Train and supervise staff on application of federal regulations.

What skills help Human Factors Scientists find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What human factors scientist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Lisa Cuchara Ph.D.

Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Quinnipiac University

The first and foremost would be Critical Thinking. We live in a world where facts can be easily acquired, sometimes even by asking Siri/Alexa/ChatGPT/Google/etc. But critical thinking is timeless and priceless. I can ask anyone on the street what xyz is and they can look it up, but can they provide advice or interpret.

Also being a good steward towards science and being willing and able to communicate not just with peers as we are trained, but also with the public, the politicians, the board members. John Holdren*, stated that Scientists should be tithing at least 10 percent of their time to public service ... including activism. In the ever growing science denialism that is happening in our country being able to communicate science with the public is important. As Peter Hotaz states, "Anti-science propaganda is "killing Americans in unprecedented numbers,""

*Holdren is an American scientist who served as the senior advisor to President Barack Obama on science and technology issues through his roles as assistant to the president for science and technology, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and a Research Professor in Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government

What type of skills will young human factors scientists need?

Dennis Doverspike Ph.D.

Chief People Scientist, Doverspike Consulting/HR LItehouse

Seemingly a paradox, there will continue to be a need for very general, but highly fungible, skills and demand for too specialized skills, requiring advanced education. Coding, statistics, and data analysis related skills will remain a hot growth area. The aging of the baby boomers will create demand for medical and healthcare-related regions, especially nursing, nursing aides, and emergency services. Despite the automation of many people facing jobs, there will continue to be a demand for interpersonal and people skills, including various types of sales. The switch to remote work, due to COVID, will create a substantial future market to fill the leadership and managerial skills gap. In many areas of Technology and engineering, it is already challenging to find a combination of technical knowledge and people skills, and this demand will intensify.

Do you want to know more?

List of human factors scientist skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a human factors scientist resume and required skills for a human factors scientist to have include:

Human Subjects
Consumer Products
Data Collection
Statistical Analysis
User Experience
Data Analysis
IRB
Subject Matter Experts

Technical Reports
FDA
Human Factors Engineering
User Interface
Usability Tests
DOD
Federal Regulations
Medical Devices

Medical Research
Research Projects
Develop User
Design Recommendations
Design Process
Regulatory Compliance
FAA
Quality Checks

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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