How do they match: Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists

  • Design objects, facilities, and environments to optimize human well-being and overall system performance, applying theory, principles, and data regarding the relationship between humans and respective technology. Investigate and analyze characteristics of human behavior and performance as it relates to the use of technology.

  • Operate testing equipment, such as heat stress meters, octave band analyzers, motion analysis equipment, inclinometers, light meters, thermoanemometers, sling psychrometers, or colorimetric detection tubes.
  • Analyze complex systems to determine potential for further development, production, interoperability, compatibility, or usefulness in a particular area, such as aviation.
  • Design cognitive aids, such as procedural storyboards or decision support systems.
  • Design or evaluate human work systems, using human factors engineering and ergonomic principles to optimize usability, cost, quality, safety, or performance.
  • Establish system operating or training requirements to ensure optimized human-machine interfaces.
  • Integrate human factors requirements into operational hardware.
  • Perform statistical analyses, such as social network pattern analysis, network modeling, discrete event simulation, agent-based modeling, statistical natural language processing, computational sociology, mathematical optimization, or systems dynamics.
  • Provide human factors technical expertise on topics, such as advanced user-interface technology development or the role of human users in automated or autonomous sub-systems in advanced vehicle systems.

  • Analyze operational data to evaluate operations, processes or products.
  • Confer with technical personnel to prepare designs or operational plans.
  • Determine operational criteria or specifications.
  • Document design or operational test results.
  • Test performance of electrical, electronic, mechanical, or integrated systems or equipment.
  • Train personnel on proper operational procedures.