AI UX Researcher (Contractor)

We are looking for a contract AI UX researcher to work directly with our project lead. You will help us expand our research capacity by evaluating AI systems, building synthetic test data, and producing client-ready deliverables. 

Why this role matters

AI is changing how people experience products, and our clients need clear evidence that their AI works for the people using it. You will work alongside our team to assess how enterprise AI products behave in practice. Your work will range from heuristic evaluations to collecting test data and managing the context that AI tools rely on. The result: clients understand what their AI can and cannot do.

What you’ll do

• Execute heuristic evaluations on enterprise AI platforms including Claude Cowork, Slack AI, and Microsoft Copilot. 

• Architect test fixtures and grade agent performance on capability, fidelity, and identity. 

• Manage repositories and orchestrate background tools to assemble deliverables. 

• Experience map critical user journeys (CUJs) and translate model behavior into executive-ready usability scorecards. 

• Co-present technical findings to non-technical stakeholders on the fly. 

What you’ll bring

• AI tinkering: Demonstrate active experimentation with LLMs, CLI tools (like Claude Code), and agent orchestration. 

• Analytical rigor: Contextualize AI outputs against answer keys, spot hallucinations, and grasp the limits of probabilistic models. 

• Systems-level adaptability: Debug work environments spanning MCP connectors, VM sandboxing, and API permissions. 

• Token & context economics: Structure prompts, local repositories, and agent memory to manage context windows efficiently. 

• Synthetic data engineering: Skill in using LLMs to script realistic testing environments, such as generating JSON chat histories with seeded, checkable facts. 

• Artifact assembly: The ability to orchestrate agents to output structured HTML presentation canvases, native Office files, and polished research reports. 

Requirements

• Experience: 6+ years in UX research or related field, with a demonstrated recent focus on AI research. Background in UX and AI system evaluation, and a record of turning technical observations into clear recommendations.

• Location: Chicagoland-based preferred, but open to remote contractors for the right candidate. 

• Work authorization: Authorized to work in the United States now and in the future, without visa sponsorship.