Job Description

Human Factors Consultant - Defence (Contract)

Location: UK (Hybrid/Remote options available)

Contract Length: Initial 6-12 Months

Rate: £75 to £85 per hour

Security Clearance: Current SC clearance desirable, or eligibility to obtain clearance

We are seeking an experienced Human Factors Consultant to support a range of complex Defence programmes. Working alongside Systems Engineering, Safety, Design and Operational teams, you will deliver Human Factors and Human Systems Integration (HSI) activities that ensure military systems, platforms and equipment are safe, effective and optimised for end-user performance in demanding operational environments.

This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to high-profile Defence projects across land, maritime, air and joint-domain systems.

Key Responsibilities

Deliver Human Factors Engineering (HFE) and Human Systems Integration (HSI) activities throughout the systems engineering lifecycle.

Conduct Human Factors assessments to support requirements definition, system design, verification and validation.

Perform Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA), Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA), workload assessment and operational user analysis.

Develop Human Factors artefacts including:

Human Factors Integration Plans (HFIP)

Human Factors Case Reports

Human Error Identification and Reduction Analysis (HEIRA)

Human Reliability Analysis (HRA)

User Requirements Documentation

Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Assessments

Support system safety and safety case development through identification and mitigation of human performance risks.

Evaluate operator workload, situational awareness, decision-making and crew performance within mission-critical environments.

Conduct usability evaluations, trials, simulations and verification activities for Defence systems and equipment.

Work closely with Systems Engineers, Safety Engineers, Designers and Operational Subject Matter Experts to integrate human-centred design principles into system development.

Contribute to design reviews and provide Human Factors recommendations to influence engineering decisions.

Essential Experience

Proven experience delivering Human Factors Engineering activities within Defence, Aerospace, Maritime, Nuclear, Rail or other safety-critical industries.

Strong understanding of Human Factors methodologies, analyses and assessment techniques.

Experience supporting Systems Engineering and Safety Engineering activities throughout the project lifecycle.

Knowledge of Human-Machine Interface (HMI) design principles and operator-centred system design.

Experience conducting task analysis, workload assessment and human error analysis.

Ability to produce technical reports and present findings to engineering and programme stakeholders.

Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.

Desirable Experience

Experience working on MOD, Defence Prime or Government programmes.

Knowledge of Human Systems Integration (HSI) frameworks.

Familiarity with Defence Standards and relevant guidance, including:

Def Stan 00-251

JSP 912 Human Factors Integration

Defence Human Factors Integration Guidance

ISO 6385

ISO 9241

Experience supporting Safety Cases and Hazard Analysis activities.

Previous involvement in military platform, mission system, command and control, training system or complex equipment programmes.

Current SC or DV Security Clearance.

Key Words

Human Factors, Human Factors Engineering, HFE, Human Systems Integration, HSI, Human Reliability Analysis, HRA, Human Error Analysis, Systems Engineering, Safety Engineering, Defence, MOD, Aerospace, Maritime, Mission Systems, Operator Performance, Cognitive Task Analysis, HTA, HMI, Safety Case, SC Clearance