Senior UX Researcher (Contract)

For People is a team of skilled technologists improving government digital services for disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. We embed directly in government agencies to modernize software, systems, and platforms so that they better serve people. Your Impact Rural America is in the middle of its largest health-system reinvestment in a generation. $50 billion over five years, flowing through all 50 states under the federal Rural Health Transformation Program. For People is assisting the State of Pennsylvania in navigating this transformation as it relates to healthcare data interoperability. You will help Pennsylvania decide what to do with the data infrastructure that connects rural hospitals, clinics, paramedics, and the state Medicaid agency. Your research will show the Commonwealth where the friction actually is, who is being failed by the current setup, and what a workable target state looks like from the perspective of various Medicaid-focused personas. The strategy that comes out of this work, including how PA directs federal Rural Health Transformation funding, will rest in significant part on what you research. Our Culture For People is a team of humans. We place a significant amount of emphasis on positive work-life balance, setting healthy expectations, and making sure our loved ones are taken care of first. That means picking a child up from school during the day or going for a mid-day walk is okay! This position is 100% remote. Our entire team is remote across the United States, from the West Coast to the East Coast. There will never be a return-to-office, as we have none! Paid travel to Pennsylvania (up to 10%) may be required for stakeholder workshops, interviews, and site visits over the course of the engagement. This is a six-month independent contractor engagement tied to the discovery sprint, with a target start in mid-to-late July 2026 averaging 30-40 hours per week. Our rate range is $90-$110 per hour. Your Opportunities Run primary research with the people who live inside Pennsylvania's rural health data system Build persona profiles for each priority rural provider archetype Map how clinical and claims data actually move across Health Information Organizations (HIOs), the providers they serve, the Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), and Commonwealth offices. Identify the breakpoints that matter most for patient care, public health, and Medicaid operations. Synthesize field findings into the As-Is picture and partner with the team to ground the target-state design in real user need rather than reference architecture. Co-author the discovery's research and strategy deliverables, including findings briefs, the target-state vision, and the sequenced recommendations that PA will use to direct federal Rural Health Transformation funding Is This You? A humble and caring attitude aligning with For People's values: passion, fun, curiosity, sustainability, humility, and respect 6+ years of user research experience, ideally in healthcare, government, or other complex regulated environments Strong qualitative methods such as stakeholder interviews, contextual inquiry, persona development, and journey mapping Comfort working with reluctant or time-constrained stakeholders and translating their reality into deliverables that hold up to scrutiny Experience synthesizing across many voices into a small number of clear findings Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to present to executives and frontline staff alike Familiarity with research and synthesis tools such as Dovetail, Mural, Miro, or FigJam It Would Be Great If You Also Had Experience researching Medicaid, HIE, HIO, or other healthcare interoperability environments Familiarity with rural health delivery, critical access hospitals, FQHCs, or county-based health programs Experience contributing research findings into service blueprints and roadmaps Additional Details You will be working on a United States government platform, and they have a few basic requirements for contractors like ourselves. You must perform all work physically within the United States at all times. In addition, you must be a United States citizen and be able to pass a government-performed public trust background check. For People is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, and/or veteran status.