Human-Centered Design (HCD) Research Lead – Federal Health at Cogent People Inc – Columbia, Maryland

Employment Type: Full-time, W2 position with Cogent People Inc.
This is a direct hire position with full benefits.

Location: Hybrid (Columbia, MD – 2 days onsite per week) OR Remote (as applicable to role)

Work Authorization Requirements:
To comply with?government contracting requirements, candidates must meet?all of the following:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident, or valid EAD holder
• Must have lived in the United States for at least 3 of the past 5 years
• Must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship

Sponsorship (H-1B) is not available for this position (now or in the future). Candidates who do not meet these requirements will not be considered.

Clearance Requirement:
Public Trust Clearance required or ability to obtain one, depending on assignment.

About Cogent People Inc.

Cogent People Inc. is a government consulting and technology services firm supporting mission-critical federal and commercial programs. We specialize in delivering secure, scalable, and high-impact solutions across modern IT environments.

We are committed to hiring qualified professionals who meet both technical and compliance requirements for regulated environments.

Job Overview:

Cogent People Inc. is seeking an experienced, strategic Human-Centered Design (HCD) Research Lead to guide and execute design research and user experience strategy in support of complex federal health systems. This role is responsible for ensuring that systems supporting Medicare and Medicaid program, particularly those used by state agencies, are intuitive, accessible, and aligned with real user needs. The HCD Research Lead translates user insights, policy constraints, and technical requirements into actionable design strategies, research plans, and user-centered solutions.

This role requires deep expertise in UX/UI design, strong leadership capabilities, and experience working within federal healthcare environments. Success in this role requires the ability to influence cross-functional teams, mentor designers and researchers, and embed human-centered design practices into large-scale system delivery.

The position is contingent upon award of the project.

Responsibilities:

• HCD Strategy & Leadership
• Lead the development and execution of human-centered design strategies for federal health IT programs
• Define and institutionalize HCD methodologies, standards, and best practices
• Guide the integration of UX research and UI design into agile delivery lifecycles
• Serve as the primary advocate for user needs across business, technical, and policy stakeholders
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and user-focused design culture
• Assign work, manage priorities, and ensure high-quality deliverables across the HCD function
• User Research & Insights
• Design and oversee qualitative and quantitative research efforts including interviews, usability testing, journey mapping, and surveys
• Synthesize complex user, stakeholder, and policy inputs into actionable insights and design recommendations
• Ensure research reflects the needs of diverse user groups, including state Medicaid agencies and CMS stakeholders
• Translate findings into personas, service blueprints, workflows, and experience maps
• UI/UX Design Leadership
• Provide hands-on leadership in UI design, interaction design, and information architecture
• Establish and maintain design systems, UI standards, and accessibility compliance (e.g., Section 508)
• Oversee the creation of wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity designs aligned with user needs and technical constraints
• Ensure consistency and usability across complex, multi-user systems
• Stakeholder Collaboration & Delivery Support
• Partner with product owners, engineers, data teams, and program leadership to align design with system capabilities and constraints
• Facilitate design workshops, stakeholder interviews, and co-creation sessions
• Communicate design rationale and research findings to technical and non-technical audiences, including federal clients
• Support proposal and capture efforts by contributing to solution design, win themes, and UX differentiators

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Human-Centered Design, Human-Centered Design Engineering (HCDE), Human-Computer Interaction, User Experience (UX) Design, Informatics, Design, Psychology, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
• 7+ years of experience in UX research, UI/UX design, or human-centered design within federal or healthcare environments
• Demonstrated experience leading HCD or UX teams on complex, enterprise-scale systems
• Strong expertise in both UX research methodologies and UI design principles
• Experience supporting federal healthcare agencies (e.g., CMS, HHS, or state Medicaid programs)
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders and present to leadership
• Proficiency with design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) and collaboration platforms
• Strong understanding of accessibility standards (Section 508, WCAG)
• Ability to translate complex policy and technical requirements into intuitive user experiences
• Proven ability to operate independently while collaborating across multidisciplinary teams
• Strong attention to detail with a commitment to delivering high-quality and accurate work.
• Proven ability to manage time and prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills with a proactive and solution-oriented mindset.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience designing systems used by state agencies administering Medicare or Medicaid programs
• Familiarity with CMS design standards, USDS digital services playbook, or USWDS
• Experience integrating HCD practices into Agile and DevSecOps environments
• Background in service design, systems thinking, or journey orchestration
• Interest in leveraging AI/LLMs to enhance user research, synthesis, and design workflows
• Interest in responsibly leveraging AI/LLMs to enhance capture research, analysis, and knowledge management
• Ability to collaborate effectively with software engineering, data, integration, and delivery teams to align technical solutions with customer mission needs

Why Cogent People Inc.?

At Cogent People, we combine technical excellence with a mission-driven culture. Our teams work on meaningful, high-impact projects that support government and enterprise transformation initiatives.

We offer:

• Competitive compensation
• Career growth and professional development opportunities
• Exposure to complex, mission-critical systems
• A collaborative and supportive team environment
• Long-term client engagements with stability and continuity

We are a Certified Great Place to Work, committed to building an inclusive and high-performance culture.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance (comprehensive coverage)
• 401(k) with company match
• Company-paid life insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage
• Paid Time Off: 3 weeks annually + 10 paid holidays
• Employee assistance and wellness resources (if applicable)

Compliance Notice

Cogent People Inc. conducts employment verification for all candidates. Misrepresentation of work authorization, residency history, or professional experience will result in disqualification.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO) and evaluate all applicants based on qualifications, experience, and role requirements.

We do not engage third-party recruiters for this role unless explicitly stated.