UX Research Scientist, Reality Labs

At Facebook Reality Labs (RL), we are inventing the future. We bring together a world-class team of researchers, developers, & engineers to build the future of connection within virtual and augmented reality.As a Research Scientist at RL, you are expected to have breadth and depth of scientific background in one or more areas such as human perception, cognition, motor control and movement. You will be leveraging this background in service of defining, assessing and enhancing the form, function and dynamics of our hardware and software. You must be a data expert, and able to creatively develop metrics for investigating novel challenges in a variety of areas, including sensors, displays, wearable device form factors, etc. You will demonstrate your ability to break down ambiguous problems and master research methods, including but, not limited to, design of experiments, expert review, psychophysics & threshold detection, biomechanics & ergonomics, and relevant safety & comfort research approaches.The right candidate will be an effective communicator, passionate about understanding people, and curious about the evolving complex relationship between humans’ sensorimotor and cognitive systems and the novel hardware and software technologies in development at RL. Although candidates should have hands-on experience conducting in-depth studies in an industry setting, we are looking for researchers that also have a passion for deeply understanding humans’ capabilities and limitations to directly influence product design. A successful candidate will prove highly effective at driving insights into actionable product engineering & development outcomes and metrics and collaborate closely with cross functional partners to help shape critical product and technology decisions across the product design and development life cycle. You will work across multi-disciplinary hardware and software teams to push the boundaries of RL products while enhancing the value users get from these products. Ultimately, your expertise and ingenuity in research must do more than just contribute to knowledge and assessment – you must also be skilled at driving measurable positive impact on the user experience of our products.

UX Research Scientist, Reality Labs Responsibilities:

• In RL, the focus areas of UX research scientists can vary from health & safety to biomechanics & ergonomics to input & interaction. Regardless of focus area, the primary responsibility is to develop frameworks that clearly define the tradespace between user variables and technology variables
• Collaborate and work with cross-functional product teams to identify user goals and envision needs, create research frameworks and develop new methodologies for investigating novel challenges
• Develop ergonomic, perceptual, or psychological research studies by utilizing appropriate methods, which may include experimental design, psychophysics and threshold detection, motion tracking and kinematics analysis, behavioral analytics, expert review and relevant safety & comfort research approaches
• Develop and track metrics for quality of performing fundamental AR/VR tasks such as spatial navigation, input & interaction, and beyond
• Investigate effects of human multisensory interactions, attention, and control dynamics on performance, safety, & comfort of doing such tasks
• Analyze rich and multidimensional data, develop descriptive and analytical models, and shape actionable insights from research findings
• Effectively communicate outcomes and insights from studies, support decision-making and help setting specifications for RL hardware and software products, drive measurable positive impact on the user experience
• Create close partnerships with a variety of leadership, research and product stakeholders to ensure a broad understanding of the product needs and priorities while driving UX goals

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• PhD in Cognitive/Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Science, Kinesiology, Biomedical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Human-Computer Interaction or a closely related scientific or engineering field
• Demonstrated scientific background in human multi-sensory perception, cognition, motor control and movement, the experience applying such knowledge in analyzing and interpreting relevant human behaviors associated with novel systems
• 5 years of experience in experimental design, psychophysics, behavioral analytics, and proficiency with inferential statistics
• Proven track record of rigorous scientific research, including development of metrics for psychophysical and empirical behavioral measurements
• Demonstrated communication skills as well as proven interpersonal skill
• 2 years of experience in conducting research for novel products headed to market

Preferred Qualifications:

• Training and experience in related techniques such as eye tracking, body motion tracking, postural stability measures, human motor control and kinematics analysis, EMG and other biometric sensing technology, and physiology measures
• Experience in research for emerging technologies, AR/VR/MR or wearable technology
• Experience in research across full product life-cycle

About Meta:

Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology. People who choose to build their careers by building with us at Meta help shape a future that will take us beyond what digital connection makes possible today—beyond the constraints of screens, the limits of distance, and even the rules of physics.