Human Factors R&D Lead

About Abbott

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 114,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Abbott Galway

Abbott in Galway serves as the international hub for Abbott's Rapid Diagnostics business, which delivers annually more than 2 billion tests. As the global leader in point-of-care diagnostics, Abbott offers the broadest portfolio of best-in-class rapid tests, services, and handheld devices across all healthcare settings : the lab, the clinic, remote healthcare outposts, retail outlets, the patient's bedside and at home. Our industry-leading near patient tests and services are unmatched across key health and therapeutic areas, including : infectious disease, cardiometabolic & informatics, toxicology and consumer diagnostics.

One of the key functions in Galway is Global Business Services, which provides number of shared services activities across finance, purchasing, quality, technical and customer services for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Various global and EMEA commercial and operational management teams across our infectious disease and cardiometabolic businesses are also based in Galway, overseeing the supply of millions of rapid tests from HIV to diabetes to COVID-19, to patients in many regions across the world.

Job Scope :

This qualified and motivated Human Factors R&D Lead will join a dynamic R&D team developing new and novel approaches to usability and enhancements in the area of self-testing / home use of lateral flow devices. It will focus on intuitive ways for the user to prepare sample collection, sample processing and test interpretation. This role will be required to initiate a human factors charter for the Infectious Disease business unit and develop a strategy to bring this concept to reality. This role designs and execute studies that address both user behavior and attitudes, using the right methodology for the self-test market.

This individual will conceive, plan, design, and conduct advanced studies in voice of customer analysis, translating user insights in to product requirements, planning and executing early user studies to inform design activity and preparing formative and summative studies as part of the overall usability file. The successful candidate must have strong analytical and quantitative skills, excellent oral and written communication skills, and a track record of successful independent and collaborative research.

Job Responsibilities :

Act as a thought leader in domain of research, while advocating for people who use our products.

Design and execute studies that address both user behavior and attitudes, using the right methodology for the right questions to achieve the requisite Human Factor deliverables (user profile / capabilities, tasks analysis and known use problems, among others).

Generate insights that shape how product teams think about medium and long-term product strategy

Work cross-functionally with design, product management, data science, content strategy, engineering, and marketing

Provide human factors support to R&D teams for product development

Responsible for directing and coordinating all activities necessary to complete human factors engineering projects. Activities include, but are not limited to :

Conducting ethnographic user research to identify user needs

Translating user needs to requirements and product design concepts

Developing prototypes to explore and validate product design concepts

Prepare documentation to support development activities including protocols, task analysis, risk assessment, reports, and regulatory submissions.

Oversight of and conduct Formative Usability testing

Oversight of and conduct Summative Validation testing

Participate on development program teams to ensure sound human factors principles are considered and implemented.

Participate in teams to design solutions to usability issues

Create and communicate project plans, tasks and deliverables and manage time to meet project deadlines.

Support and provide HFE expertise in preparation for clinical studies and regulatory submissions in accordance with HF standard methodologies.

Communicate regularly with internal and external key partners.

Apply detailed risk-based process including identifying potential use-related hazards, mitigating those risks, and validating the risk mitigations are effective.

Job Requirements :

10+ years of experience in applied product research.

Strong experience in human factors, usability assessment and voice of customer research is preferred (ideally in the area of self test medical device and single use devices)

Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods

Experience synthesizing large-scale data in multi-method studies

Experience with survey design and response effects

Knowledge of regulatory standards and guidelines particularly on Human Factors in the diagnostics industry is desirable.

Willing to take on new and challenging assignments and implement new or alternative solutions.

Capable of adjusting to dynamic working environment and changing priorities, and of ensuring timely completion of assigned tasks.

Leadership Characteristics : Making Complex Decisions

Excellent problem solving methodology, using industry accepted concepts and tools to solve complex technical problems in creative and effective ways

Complex problem solving and decision-making based upon the available data.

Leverages personal experience and has an open and collaborative style

Communicating Effectively

Writes and presents effectively; adjusts to fit the audience and the message; strongly gets a message across

Proficiency in technical writing for data summary and technical reports.

Managing Diverse Relationships

Effective at building strong cross functional relationships with the key stakeholders

Ability to develop relationship and collaborate with external suppliers and Key Opinion Leaders within related industries.

Acting with Integrity

Is a person of high character; is consistent and acts in line with a clear and visible set of values and beliefs; is direct and transparent but at the same time can keep confidences

Education :

Minimum Education : Ph.D. plus 5 years of research or B.S. / M.S. with 10 year industrial experience

B.A / B.S. in a human behavior related field, such as human-computer interaction, psychology, sociology, communication, information science, media studies, computer science, or economics