Senior/Staff User Researcher (U.S. Air Force)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior/Staff User Researcher (U.S. Air Force)

Company: Skylight

Location: United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: User Research / UX Research (Government Sector)

Date Posted: September 11, 2026

Experience Level: Senior/Staff Level (Equivalent to 5-10 years experience)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and execute comprehensive user research strategies to inform the modernization of U.S. Air Force legacy systems, ensuring user needs are central to development.

• Apply a diverse set of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to uncover deep user insights and translate them into actionable product and service design hypotheses.

• Proactively identify and recruit research participants within a large, complex government organization, creatively overcoming access challenges.

• Foster research maturity within government partners by mentoring and coaching them on user-centered design and research best practices.

• Collaborate closely with multidisciplinary, agile teams (product, design, engineering, ops) to integrate user feedback throughout the iterative development lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically focused on supporting the U.S. Air Force's digital transformation efforts, emphasizing the need for researchers adept at navigating government environments and driving impact in legacy system modernization. The "Senior/Staff" designation suggests a need for independent leadership and strategic contribution beyond execution.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and own detailed research plans, selecting appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods that align with project objectives and the strategic context of U.S. Air Force modernization initiatives.

• Proactively identify, recruit, and manage relationships with diverse user research participants from within the U.S. Air Force, employing creative strategies to ensure representative data collection.

• Conduct in-depth user interviews, contextual inquiries, surveys, and other qualitative research methods to understand user behaviors, needs, and pain points.

• Apply quantitative research techniques, including usability testing, analytics review, and data analysis, to validate design hypotheses and measure user experience effectiveness.

• Synthesize complex research data into clear, compelling findings, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations that directly influence product, service, content, and interaction design.

• Champion the user's voice throughout the product development lifecycle, advocating for user needs and ensuring that design decisions are data-driven and user-centered.

• Partner with government stakeholders and internal teams to effectively communicate research findings through presentations, reports, and workshops, fostering a shared understanding of user perspectives.

• Mentor and coach government partners and team members on user research principles, methodologies, and best practices, building internal research capacity and a user-centric culture.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of research processes and methodologies within Skylight and for government clients.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility of "finding your way to users inside a large organization where access varies" highlights a key challenge and expectation of creative problem-solving and stakeholder management within a government context. The emphasis on "turning findings into direction the product and design teams act on" and "helping your government partners build their own research muscle" underscores a dual focus on direct project impact and capacity building.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in research methodologies is expected. Candidates with degrees in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Design Research, or related fields will likely have a strong theoretical base.

Experience: Minimum of 5-10 years of progressive experience in user research, with a demonstrated ability to lead research initiatives and mentor others. Experience working within complex, agile, multidisciplinary teams is essential.

Required Skills:

• Proven ability to align user research activities with overarching organizational strategy and specific project objectives.

• Expertise in applying a wide range of user research methods (e.g., user interviews, contextual inquiry, usability testing, surveys) across different stages of the product development lifecycle.

• Demonstrated skill in recruiting and engaging diverse user populations, particularly within challenging environments like government organizations.

• Strong qualitative and quantitative data analysis skills, with the ability to synthesize research findings into clear, actionable insights and strategic recommendations.

• Experience in translating research findings into user-centered design hypotheses and product/service design direction.

• Proficiency in user-centered design practices and their application within agile, multidisciplinary team settings.

• Experience working collaboratively on cross-functional teams (product, design, engineering, operations) in iterative delivery environments.

• Ability to mentor, coach, and pair with colleagues and government partners to build research capabilities and foster a user-centric mindset.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex research findings to diverse stakeholders. Preferred Skills:

• Direct experience working with the U.S. Air Force or other U.S. federal government agencies.

• Experience delivering technology solutions in government, regulated industries, or other public-benefit settings.

• Demonstrated success in remote team collaboration and accountability.

• Familiarity with legacy system modernization challenges and strategies.

• Understanding of the broader social and technological context influencing government service delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Nice-to-haves" are particularly relevant for this role, indicating that prior government or military experience will be a significant advantage due to the specific client and project context. The emphasis on remote team experience also signals the importance of self-management and communication in a distributed work environment.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a strong understanding of research process management, from planning and recruitment to synthesis and reporting.

• Showcase case studies that highlight the impact of your research on product/service design decisions and business outcomes, ideally with quantifiable results.

• Present examples of how you've translated research findings into concrete design hypotheses and actionable recommendations for development teams.

• Include evidence of your ability to adapt research methodologies to challenging recruitment environments and evolving project needs.

• Highlight instances where you've mentored or coached others in research practices. Process Documentation:

• Case studies should clearly outline the research problem, the chosen methodology, the execution process, and the impact of the findings.

• Showcase examples of research plans, discussion guides, or survey instruments.

• Illustrate how you've collaborated with design, product, and engineering teams to integrate research insights into the development workflow.

• Demonstrate how you've measured the effectiveness of design solutions post-implementation, ideally through usability testing or other validation methods.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the government sector focus and the nature of legacy system modernization, a portfolio that emphasizes adaptability, problem-solving in complex environments, and clear communication of findings to diverse stakeholders will be highly valued. The ability to demonstrate mentorship of non-researchers is also a key differentiator.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the provided salary ranges for Senior User Researcher ($150,000–$185,000) and Staff User Researcher ($170,000–$203,000), the estimated salary for this role will fall within $150,000 - $203,000 USD per year. The exact placement within this range will be determined by the candidate's experience, skills, and performance during the interview process.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance.

• Robust Disability Insurance (Short-term and Long-term).

• Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance.

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) for Dependent Care and Healthcare.

• Health Savings Account (HSA) option.

• Generous 401(k) plan with a dollar-for-dollar match up to 10% of salary, with no vesting period.

• Flexible Paid-Time-Off (PTO) policy, typically around 25 days annually, plus 11 paid federal holidays.

• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for new birth, adoption, or foster parents.

• Performance-based rewards including annual salary increases, annual performance bonuses, spot bonuses, and stock options.

• Business development / sales bonuses.

• Referral bonuses.

• Annual $2,000 allowance for professional development.

• Annual $750 allowance for tech-related purchases.

• Annual $100 swag budget.

• Flexible, remote-friendly work environment.

Working Hours: This is a full-time, exempt position. While specific hours are not detailed, a standard 40-hour work week is implied, with flexibility inherent in a remote work environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary ranges are clearly defined by role seniority (Senior vs. Staff), which is helpful for candidates. The benefits package is extensive, with notable highlights including the 401(k) match with no vesting period and significant allowances for professional development and tech purchases, which are highly attractive to operations and research professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology Consulting / Digital Services for Government. Skylight operates at the intersection of technology, design, and public service, aiming to modernize government agencies through digital solutions.

Company Size: Skylight is a growing consultancy. While the exact number isn't provided, the mention of a "growing team" and multiple contract opportunities suggests a size that balances established processes with agility and a close-knit feel.

Founded: The company was founded with a mission to improve public services, indicating a strong purpose-driven culture. The specific founding date isn't stated, but their active presence and case studies suggest a well-established, though evolving, organization.

Team Structure:

• The User Research team likely operates within a project-based structure, embedded within multidisciplinary project teams that include product managers, designers, engineers, and potentially operations specialists.

• Reporting structures may vary by project, but typically involve reporting to a Project Lead or Design Lead within the project team, and potentially a functional manager within Skylight's research practice.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a core tenet, with researchers working intimately with other disciplines to ensure user insights are integrated into all aspects of service design and development. Methodology:

• Skylight emphasizes agile development methodologies, meaning research will be iterative and integrated into sprints.

• Data-driven decision-making is paramount, with a focus on using research findings to inform strategy and design hypotheses.

• Emphasis on "public interest technology" suggests a commitment to creating impactful, user-centric solutions that serve the public good.

• Continuous improvement and learning are likely encouraged, particularly given the focus on professional development and mentoring.

Company Website: https://skylight.digital/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission to "reinvent how all levels of government serve families, patients, and many others" and their focus on "public interest technologists" points to a culture that values impact and social good. This is a key differentiator for candidates looking for purpose-driven work.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a Senior/Staff level.

• Senior User Researcher: Expected to independently lead complex research initiatives, mentor junior researchers, and contribute to strategic planning. They are recognized experts in their domain.

• Staff User Researcher: Expected to tackle the most ambiguous and complex research challenges, influence product strategy at a higher level, and potentially lead research programs or practice areas. They are often seen as thought leaders within the organization and client base.

Reporting Structure: The researcher will likely report to a Design Lead or Project Manager on specific U.S. Air Force projects, with a dotted line or functional reporting to a Research Practice Lead within Skylight for career development and community support.

Operations Impact: User researchers at Skylight have a direct and significant impact on the success of government digital service modernization. By ensuring services are user-centered, they contribute to improved efficiency, citizen satisfaction, and the achievement of policy objectives for critical government functions like the U.S. Air Force.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Advancement: Opportunity to deepen expertise in government contracting, legacy system modernization, and complex stakeholder management. Potential to specialize in specific research methodologies or research operations.

• Leadership Development: Growth into Principal Researcher roles, leading larger research initiatives, managing research teams, or contributing to Skylight's research practice development. Mentoring opportunities are built into the role.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Gaining deep insights into government IT modernization, agile transformations, and service design within a federal agency.

• Career Pathways: Skylight provides a "Career Pathways framework" which outlines clear progression, skills, and expectations for various roles, offering transparency into advancement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The mention of a "Career Pathways framework" is a significant indicator of structured growth opportunities. For a Senior/Staff role, growth often involves increasing scope, strategic influence, and mentorship responsibilities, which are well-aligned with the description.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position, meaning no dedicated physical office space is required for day-to-day work.

Office Location(s): While the role is fully remote, occasional travel to U.S. Air Force bases across the U.S. is expected, at most quarterly. This indicates a need for flexibility and willingness to travel to client sites for specific project needs.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration: The environment is designed for effective remote collaboration, requiring strong digital communication and self-management skills. Tools and platforms will be leveraged to facilitate teamwork.

• Technology Integration: Access to necessary technology and tools for remote work and research is implied, with an annual tech allowance provided to support this.

• Team Interaction: While remote, opportunities for interaction will exist through virtual team meetings, stand-ups, research syncs, and potential in-person gatherings for team cohesion or client engagement.

Work Schedule: This is a full-time, exempt position. Standard working hours are expected, but the remote nature allows for some flexibility in structuring the workday, provided deliverables and collaboration needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "occasional travel to Air Force bases" is a crucial detail for candidates to consider, balancing the benefits of remote work with the practicalities of client-site engagements in a government setting.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: The process typically involves 3-4 conversations over 2-3 weeks:

• Preliminary Screen: A brief introductory call with a recruiter to assess basic fit, interest, and alignment with the role and company.

• Skills Interview: A deep dive into your user research methodologies, experience, and technical skills. This may involve discussing specific research projects and how you approached them.

• Behavioral Interview: Focuses on your past experiences and how you've handled specific situations, assessing your fit with Skylight's values and your ability to work in a team and government environment.

• Reverse Interview: An opportunity to meet your potential team members and ask questions about the day-to-day work, team dynamics, and project specifics.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Impact-Oriented: Structure your case studies to clearly articulate the problem, your approach, the insights generated, and the tangible impact on the product, service, or user experience. Quantify results where possible.

• Process Clarity: Detail your research process, including how you planned studies, recruited participants (especially in challenging environments), executed methods, and synthesized findings.

• Government Context: If possible, include examples relevant to government or complex organizational structures, showcasing your ability to navigate these environments.

• Mentorship Focus: Highlight any instances where you've mentored or coached others, as this is a key requirement for this role.

• Conciseness: Be prepared to walk through your portfolio efficiently, focusing on the most relevant and impactful projects.

Challenge Preparation:

• Strategic Thinking: Be ready to discuss how you would approach research for a U.S. Air Force legacy system modernization project. Consider the unique challenges of government clients and large organizations.

• Methodology Justification: Be prepared to explain why you would choose specific research methods for different project phases or objectives.

• Problem-Solving: Anticipate questions about how you handle recruitment challenges, unexpected findings, or resistance to user feedback within a client organization.

• Values Alignment: Understand Skylight's core values and be prepared to discuss how your work and approach align with them.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "access varies" and "getting creative about how you reach them" suggests that interviewers will probe for creative problem-solving skills in participant recruitment within the U.S. Air Force. The mention of "mentoring government partners" indicates that interviewers will look for evidence of coaching and knowledge transfer abilities.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• User Research Platforms: Tools for survey creation, participant recruitment, and remote usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey).

• Collaboration Tools: Platforms for remote teamwork and communication (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams).

• Project Management Tools: Tools for managing research projects and workflows (e.g., Asana, Jira, Trello).

• Design & Prototyping Tools: Familiarity with tools used by design teams to understand prototypes and design artifacts (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Software: Tools for quantitative data analysis (e.g., SPSS, R, Python libraries for data science) and qualitative data analysis (e.g., Dovetail, NVivo, Atlas.ti).

• Reporting & Presentation Tools: Software for creating clear and compelling reports and presentations (e.g., Google Slides, PowerPoint, Keynote, potentially data visualization tools like Tableau or Looker if involved in broader analytics).

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM/automation role, understanding how user research insights feed into product roadmaps and development pipelines is crucial. Familiarity with how CRM data might inform user segmentation or how automation impacts user experience is beneficial.

• Integration Tool: Understanding how research findings are integrated into development workflows and tools like Jira for tracking action items.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, the role implies proficiency in a standard suite of user research, collaboration, and data analysis tools. The "annual $750 allowance for tech-related purchases" suggests that candidates may have flexibility in acquiring specific tools or hardware that enhance their productivity.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values: Skylight's core values are central to their culture and expected from employees. While not explicitly listed in the job description, their website indicates values often revolve around:

• Public Service: A deep commitment to improving government services and making a positive impact on citizens' lives.

• User-Centricity: Placing the user at the heart of all design and development decisions.

• Collaboration: Working effectively in multidisciplinary teams and with clients.

• Excellence: Striving for high quality in all aspects of work, from research to delivery.

• Integrity: Operating with honesty, transparency, and ethical conduct, especially within government contexts.

• Adaptability: Embracing change and finding creative solutions in complex environments.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Teams: Researchers are embedded within project teams, fostering close, day-to-day collaboration with designers, product managers, and engineers.

• Cross-Functional Input: Encouraging input and feedback from all disciplines on research plans and findings to ensure holistic understanding and buy-in.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture of sharing insights, best practices, and lessons learned across projects and within the research community at Skylight.

• Mentorship: A strong emphasis on peer-to-peer learning and formal mentoring to support professional growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "public interest technologists" framing and emphasis on "reinventing how government serves" strongly suggests that a core value is mission-driven work and making a tangible difference. Candidates should be prepared to speak to how their work aligns with this mission.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Access to Users: Navigating the complexities of user recruitment within a large, hierarchical organization like the U.S. Air Force, where direct access may be limited or require significant stakeholder buy-in.

• Legacy System Modernization: Understanding and researching users of outdated systems, often with entrenched workflows, and translating needs into modern, user-friendly solutions.

• Government Bureaucracy & Transformation: Working within government procurement processes, security clearances (CAC), and organizational change initiatives that can impact project timelines and methodologies.

• Remote Collaboration: Maintaining strong team cohesion, communication, and impact while working fully remotely with occasional travel.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Government Sector Expertise: Gaining invaluable experience in federal contracting, defense sector IT modernization, and understanding the unique challenges and opportunities of serving public sector clients.

• Advanced Research Skills: Opportunity to hone skills in research planning, execution, and synthesis within complex, high-stakes environments.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Developing leadership skills through mentoring government partners and junior team members, and potentially leading research initiatives.

• Industry Exposure: Access to annual professional development budgets for conferences, training, and certifications relevant to user research and government technology.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge for this role will be navigating the specific environment of the U.S. Air Force, requiring adaptability, patience, and strong stakeholder management skills. The growth opportunities are significant for those interested in public sector impact and advanced research leadership.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach planning user research for a U.S. Air Force legacy system modernization project, considering potential challenges in user access and organizational change?" (Focus on your process, adaptability, and stakeholder engagement).

• "Describe a time you had to gain access to users in a difficult-to-reach population or organization. What strategies did you employ, and what were the outcomes?" (Demonstrate creative recruitment and problem-solving).

• "How do you translate research findings into actionable design hypotheses and influence product teams to adopt them, especially in an agile, iterative environment?" (Showcase your ability to connect research to action and impact).

• "How would you mentor or coach government partners to build their own user research capabilities?" (Highlight your coaching, communication, and knowledge transfer skills). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working on public interest technology and supporting government agencies like the U.S. Air Force?" (Connect your motivations to Skylight's mission).

• "How do you align your work with core values like user-centricity, collaboration, and integrity, particularly in a government contracting context?" (Prepare examples that demonstrate your alignment).

• "How do you approach collaboration within a remote, multidisciplinary team?" (Discuss your communication style, tools, and strategies for effective remote teamwork). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Impact First: Begin with the most impactful projects that demonstrate your ability to drive change and deliver value.

• Process & Rationale: Clearly explain your research process for each case study, justifying your methodological choices based on project goals and constraints.

• User Advocacy: Emphasize how you advocated for users and ensured their needs were central to the design and development process.

• Challenges & Solutions: Be prepared to discuss any challenges encountered during your projects (e.g., recruitment, stakeholder buy-in) and how you overcame them.

• Mentorship Examples: If possible, weave in examples of how you've supported or guided others in research practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the specific client (U.S. Air Force) and the role's emphasis on mentorship, interviewers will likely probe deeply into your experience with government environments, your ability to navigate complex organizations, and your coaching aptitude.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior/Staff User Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Greenhouse.

• Tailor your resume: Highlight experience with user research methodologies, agile environments, cross-functional collaboration, and any government or complex organizational experience. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare your portfolio: Curate 2-3 strong case studies that showcase your research process, impact, and ability to drive design decisions. Be ready to discuss your role, methodology, findings, and the outcomes. Focus on examples demonstrating adaptability and mentorship.

• Research Skylight: Familiarize yourself with Skylight's mission, values, case studies, and career pathways to articulate your interest and cultural fit. Understand their approach to public interest technology.

• Practice your interview responses: Prepare for behavioral questions, strategy questions related to government research, and be ready to articulate your experience with remote collaboration and mentorship.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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