Milwaukee Tool · 17 hours ago
Design Researcher II
Brookfield, WI
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
3+ years expMilwaukee Tool is a company focused on user-centered design and technology development in product innovation. The Design Researcher II will lead research efforts to inform product development by engaging with diverse teams and conducting qualitative research within the construction industry.
Consumer GoodsElectronicsIndustrialManufacturingSoftware
No H1B
Responsibilities
Design and execute multi-faceted research plans to learn about all aspects of the construction trade. These plans typically include qualitative discovery research on jobsites, primary and secondary research exercises to understand the competitive product set, and evaluation of mock-ups and preliminary concept prototypes in field
Build, grow, and maintain a network of users to understand their evolving needs and work context. Establishing strong relationships with our end users is critical to conducting appropriate discovery research, co-creating solutions, and eliciting honest feedback
Analyze and synthesize research findings into key insights that inform opportunities for new feature sets, functionalities, and business approaches
Plan and facilitate hands-on tool evaluations, team workshops, and analysis sessions. These participatory co-creation sessions result in a common ground of familiarity with a tool and its use, while inspiring creativity and collaboration within your team
Present research findings in an engaging and concise manner to key stakeholders across the business. You will need to communicate through well-crafted presentations and events that educate and inspire your team through photos, video, diagrams, storytelling and demonstrations
Experiment with new approaches and methodologies to achieve ingenious results. As a research group we encourage new ways of thinking, and we want you to help us build new tools and methodologies appropriate to the work we do
Qualification
Required
You must be permanently eligible to work in the U.S. without sponsorship for this position
You thrive when approaching potential research participants (e.g., on a construction site) to introduce yourself and engage in observation and open-ended lines of questioning
You are curious, not just about your research topic but also the company, your co-workers, and your process
You are ready to jump in with both feet to try new methods and learn from your mistakes
You are comfortable working in the ambiguous 'fuzzy front end'
You are a strategic thinker who looks not only at the stated problem but at the space around it
You are proactive and open to changing research plans on the fly based on new information
You have strong communication skills and can get your ideas across to engineers, industrial designers, and marketers alike
You link everything back to our core end user's activities and needs to provide insight for developing breakthrough products
You are a team player, focused on bringing the team along on the journey
You have passion for the importance of user insights in the product development process and are ready to champion those insights
You are comfortable facilitating both conversations with multi-disciplinary teams and co-creation sessions with users
You make non-obvious connections and revel in talking about ideas
You are proficient in Microsoft Office, online collaboration tools such as Mural or Miro, and have some experience with editing video and 2D software
Master's degree in Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Business, or Engineering plus 3 years' experience, or Bachelor's degree in the same fields plus 5 years of experience (including internships)
Minimum 3 years' experience in product development with an understanding of innovation and design thinking
Minimum 3 years' experience using qualitative research methods including observation, interviewing, co-creation, participatory design, and design sprints
25-40% overnight domestic travel
Must have a valid driver's license
Upon an interview, must be prepared to present on a project and its methodology
Company
Milwaukee Tool
Milwaukee Tool manufactures electric power tools and accessories.
5001-10000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Rolando Lopez
Senior Engineering Manager
Recent News
2026-01-18
GlobeNewswire
2026-01-05
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