Senior UX Researcher & Designer Job at Apptronik in Austin

Overview Apptronik is building robots for the real world to improve human quality of life and address labor shortages. Our team has built advanced robots for years, including work dating back to the DARPA Robotics Challenge. We apply expertise across the robotics stack to tackle impactful problems and strive to change the world for the better. We value passion, creativity, and collaboration to overcome technological barriers and create innovative products.

You will join a team developing state-of-the-art general-purpose robots designed to operate in human spaces and with human tools. The system is designed to work alongside humans, move into human spaces, and manipulate the world around it.

Responsibilities Lead user research from planning and protocol development to synthesis and communication of insights to inform design strategy and system-wide thinking.

Design user flows and interactions across robotic interfaces, VR, and fleet management software.

Facilitate workshops and design activities with cross-functional teams to explore concepts, prioritize ideas, and build alignment.

Develop and maintain user personas, journey maps, and other artifacts representing the needs of internal, external, and end users.

Conduct usability testing of early concepts and prototypes to evaluate clarity, safety, and learnability.

Help establish foundational tools, templates, and processes for a growing UX practice in a startup environment.

Collaborate with product managers and engineers to translate research into real-world applications.

Adapt work to different time scales, supporting quick-turn testing as well as long-term vision building.

Qualifications 7+ years of experience in user experience design, user research, or a hybrid UX role.

Bachelor's degree in User Experience Design, Graphic Design, or equivalent field of study or experience.

Demonstrated ability to plan, conduct, and synthesize both generative and evaluative research.

Strong interaction design skills with a portfolio showing systems thinking and complex workflows.

Experience designing for hardware-software systems, industrial environments, or technical tools preferred.

Skilled at creating design artifacts that clarify and influence, from flows and prototypes to maps and concept boards.

Excellent facilitation and communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences.

Familiarity with design tools including Figma and Miro.

Comfortable working in ambiguity and shaping structure as the team grows.

Passionate about working at the forefront of human-robot collaboration.

Nice to Have Experience in robotics, automation, or mission-critical systems.

Exposure to VR interface design, spatial interaction, or 3D prototyping tools.

Background in service design, enterprise software, or systems thinking in complex environments.

Familiarity with safety standards or ethical frameworks for human-robot interaction.

Job Details Seniority level : Mid-Senior level

Employment type : Full-time

Job function : Design, Art / Creative, and Information Technology

Industries : Robot Manufacturing

EEO Statement : Apptronik provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

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