Senior Design Researcher (Indefinite US Work Authorization Required)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Design Researcher (Indefinite US Work Authorization Required)

Company: Crown Equipment Corporation

Location: New Bremen, Ohio, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Design Research / UX Research

Date Posted: 2025-06-13T00:00:00

Experience Level: Senior (5+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🎨 Role Summary

• Lead and execute comprehensive design research initiatives to uncover strategic opportunities in the material handling industry.
• Utilize a blend of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to develop deep insights into user needs and behaviors for both physical products and technological solutions.
• Translate complex research findings into compelling narratives and actionable recommendations for executive stakeholders and cross-functional product teams.
• Conduct extensive field research, including domestic and international travel, to observe users in their natural environments and gather firsthand empathetic understanding.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

• Plan, scope, and manage large-scale design research projects from inception to completion, defining objectives, methodologies, and deliverables.
• Design and implement qualitative research methods such as ethnography, contextual inquiry, in-depth interviews, and usability testing to gather rich user data.
• Develop sophisticated research tools and techniques, including discussion guides, participatory design activities, and projective exercises, to uncover nuanced insights.
• Analyze and synthesize large volumes of qualitative and quantitative data to identify patterns, themes, and meaningful insights that inform design and business strategy.
• Present research findings and strategic recommendations to executive leadership and product teams through compelling storytelling and data visualization.
• Collaborate closely with product managers, designers, engineers, and other stakeholders to ensure research insights are integrated into the product development lifecycle.
• Travel frequently to customer sites globally to conduct immersive field research and gain a firsthand understanding of user workflows and challenges.
• Stay abreast of emerging design research methodologies, tools, and industry trends to continuously improve research practices.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Design Research, Human Factors, Anthropology, Psychology, Behavioral Science, Human Computer Interaction, or a related field. A Master's degree in Design, Business Administration, Psychology, Anthropology, or a related field is strongly preferred.

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in Design Research, Service Design, or Strategy, gained either in-house or with a consulting firm. Demonstrated experience leading observational and contextual inquiry research sessions is essential. A strong portfolio showcasing diverse research projects and methodologies is expected.

Required Skills:

• Expertise in qualitative research planning, including research brief development, methodology selection, and ethical considerations.
• Proven ability to develop and execute a broad range of qualitative research tools and techniques effectively.
• Strong analytical and synthesis skills to derive meaningful insights from complex data sets.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate research findings clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.
• Proficiency in conducting observational and contextual inquiry research in real-world environments.
• Ability to quickly understand complex problem spaces and industry specifics.
• Strong organizational and project management skills to plan and execute large research initiatives.
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation for local travel.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience facilitating co-creation workshops, innovation sessions, and design thinking exercises with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience visually representing research findings, insights, and concepts through presentations, reports, or other artifacts.
• A strong commercial mindset with an interest in understanding the business viability and market potential of product and service opportunities.
• Experience exploring market dynamics, competitive landscapes, and defining customer value propositions.
• Familiarity with business strategy frameworks and their application in translating user needs into business opportunities.
• Experience working on international projects or a global mindset.
• Proficiency with qualitative analysis software.
• Knowledge of quantitative research methods and statistical analysis.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Your portfolio should showcase your end-to-end design research process for several significant projects, including complex, large-scale initiatives.
• Clearly articulate the research objectives, methodologies employed, and the rationale behind method selection for each project.
• Present compelling case studies that demonstrate your ability to synthesize qualitative and quantitative data into actionable insights.
• Include examples of how your research influenced product strategy, design decisions, or business outcomes.

Process Documentation:

• Detail your approach to the research planning phase, including stakeholder alignment, research question formulation, and ethical considerations.
• Showcase your skills in developing research instruments such as interview guides, observation protocols, and participatory design activities.
• Illustrate your process for data analysis and synthesis, including methods for identifying themes, patterns, and key insights.
• Demonstrate how you translate raw data into compelling narratives and visualizations for diverse audiences.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry data for Senior Design Researcher roles in the New Bremen, Ohio area, considering the cost of living and the material handling industry, the estimated annual salary range is typically between $90,000 and $130,000. This range can vary based on experience, specific skill sets, and the negotiation process. (Source: Based on publicly available salary data for similar roles and locations, adjusted for the seniority level and industry.)

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance plans, including a Prescription Drug Plan, providing robust healthcare coverage for employees and their families.
• Flexible Benefits Plan allowing customization of benefits to meet individual needs.
• 401K Retirement Savings Plan with company contributions to support long-term financial planning.
• Life and Disability Benefits providing financial security in unforeseen circumstances.
• Paid Parental Leave supporting new parents during a significant life event.
• Paid Holidays and Paid Vacation promoting work-life balance and providing time for rest and personal pursuits.
• Tuition Reimbursement program encouraging continuous learning and professional development.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, typically 40 hours per week. Flexibility may be required based on travel schedules and project needs, particularly during field research. The role is primarily on-site in New Bremen, OH.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Material Handling. Crown Equipment Corporation is a major player in this global industry, providing forklifts, automation, and fleet management solutions. The design work here is critical to improving the efficiency, safety, and user experience of complex industrial equipment and associated technologies.

Company Size: Over 19,000 employees globally, with a significant presence across manufacturing facilities and retail locations. As a large, established company, Crown likely has structured design teams and processes, offering opportunities for specialization and collaboration on large-scale projects.

Founded: 1945. Crown has a long history in the material handling industry, suggesting a mature company with established processes and a focus on continuous improvement and innovation within its domain.

Team Structure:

• The Design Research team likely operates within a broader Design or Product organization, collaborating closely with UI/UX designers, industrial designers, engineers, and product managers.
• Reporting structure likely involves reporting to a Design Research Manager or Director, with opportunities to mentor more junior researchers.
• Cross-functional collaboration is essential, working with teams across engineering, manufacturing, sales, and service to integrate research insights into product development and strategy.

Methodology:

• Emphasis on field research, including ethnography and contextual inquiry, to understand user needs in real-world industrial environments.
• Integration of qualitative and quantitative methods to provide a holistic view of user behavior and market opportunities.
• Likely utilizes design thinking principles to frame problems, iterate on solutions, and incorporate user feedback throughout the process.

Company Website: https://www.crown.com

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: Senior Design Researcher. This role is positioned for an experienced professional capable of leading significant research initiatives, mentoring others, and influencing strategic decisions within the organization. It represents a key step in a design research career path.

Reporting Structure: Likely reports to a Design Research Manager or Director. This structure suggests opportunities for both individual contribution and potential leadership within the research function.

Design Impact: Design research at Crown plays a crucial role in informing the development of physical products, software, and service offerings. Insights from this role will directly influence the user experience, safety, and efficiency of material handling equipment used globally by major corporations.

Growth Opportunities:

• Potential for advancement to a Lead Design Researcher or Design Research Manager role, taking on greater leadership and team management responsibilities.
• Opportunities to specialize in specific areas of research, such as automation, ergonomics, or advanced analytics, deepening expertise within the material handling domain.
• Participation in industry conferences and workshops, leveraging the tuition reimbursement benefit to enhance skills and knowledge.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: Primarily an on-site office environment in New Bremen, Ohio. The role requires significant travel for field research, so while the base is on-site, the work will involve time spent at customer locations and manufacturing facilities.

Office Location(s): The primary location is New Bremen, OH. There may be opportunities for collaboration with teams at other Crown facilities domestically and internationally during research projects, but the day-to-day work is based in New Bremen.

Design Workspace Context:

• The on-site environment in New Bremen likely facilitates close collaboration with engineering, manufacturing, and product teams involved in developing physical products.
• Access to testing facilities and potentially physical product mockups or prototypes may be available for research purposes.
• Collaboration spaces and meeting rooms are likely available for team discussions, synthesis sessions, and stakeholder presentations.

Work Schedule: Standard business hours, with flexibility required to accommodate travel schedules for field research. The on-site nature emphasizes in-person collaboration within the New Bremen office.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

• Initial screening call with HR to discuss basic qualifications and salary expectations.
• Interview(s) with members of the Design Research team and potentially the hiring manager to discuss your experience, methodologies, and fit for the role. Be prepared to discuss your research process in detail.
• Portfolio review session where you will walk through selected case studies, highlighting your approach, insights, and impact. Focus on showcasing your strategic thinking and ability to influence outcomes.
• Potentially a design research challenge or a presentation on a past project to assess your analytical and communication skills.
• Interviews with cross-functional stakeholders (e.g., Product Management, Engineering) to assess collaboration skills and ability to translate research findings for different audiences.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate case studies that demonstrate your experience with complex, large-scale research projects and your ability to work across physical and digital product contexts.
• For each case study, clearly articulate the business problem, research questions, methodologies used, key findings, and the impact of your research on product or business strategy.
• Highlight your process for synthesizing data, developing insights, and communicating findings to executive stakeholders.
• Consider including examples of how you adapted research methods for industrial or B2B environments.

Challenge Preparation:

• If a research challenge is assigned, approach it with a clear structure: problem definition, proposed research approach (including methodology and rationale), expected outcomes, and potential limitations.
• Be prepared to articulate your design research thinking process and justify your methodological choices.
• If presenting on a past project, focus on storytelling: the challenge, your approach, the key insights, and the tangible results or impact.

ATS Keywords: Design Research, UX Research, Human Factors, Ergonomics, Anthropology, Psychology, Behavioral Science, Human Computer Interaction, Qualitative Research, Ethnography, Contextual Inquiry, Interviews, Observational Research, Data Analysis, Synthesis, Insights, Stakeholder Management, Facilitation, Storytelling, Material Handling, Industrial Design, Product Research, Service Design, Strategy, Usability Testing, Field Research, Remote Research, Survey Design, Quantitative Research, Statistical Analysis, Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, Qualitative Analysis Software, Design Thinking, Systems Thinking, Visualization, Collaboration, Communication, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Empathy.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) is essential for documentation, data analysis, and presentations.
• Familiarity with Adobe Creative Cloud (e.g., InDesign, Illustrator) is preferred for creating visually compelling reports and presentations of research findings.
• Experience with qualitative analysis software (specific tools not mentioned, but common options include NVivo, ATLAS.ti, or Dedoose) is beneficial for managing and analyzing large qualitative datasets.

Collaboration & Handoff:

• Standard collaboration tools used within Crown (e.g., potentially Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, or other internal platforms) for team communication and document sharing.
• Tools for documenting research findings and creating design specifications for handoff to design and engineering teams (specific tools may vary).

Research & Testing:

• Tools for conducting remote interviews or observations if applicable (though the role emphasizes on-site field research).
• Potential use of survey platforms for quantitative data collection.
• Analytics tools may be used to complement qualitative insights with quantitative data, requiring familiarity with data interpretation.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

• A strong emphasis on understanding the user in their real-world, often demanding, industrial environment is likely a core value, driving the need for extensive field research.
• Focus on developing safe, efficient, and user-centered solutions that improve productivity and the operator experience in material handling operations.
• Value placed on rigorous research methodologies and the ability to translate complex findings into clear, actionable insights that inform product development and business strategy.
• Likely encourages collaboration across disciplines to ensure research insights are integrated throughout the product lifecycle.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional collaboration is key, working closely with engineering, manufacturing, product management, and sales teams.
• Emphasis on presenting research findings and collaborating on translating insights into design and business opportunities.
• Likely involves a culture of sharing insights and contributing to a collective understanding of the user and market needs.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

• Navigating the complexities of researching users in diverse industrial environments with varying workflows, safety protocols, and environmental conditions.
• Translating research insights from complex industrial settings into tangible design requirements and business opportunities.
• Communicating the value and impact of design research to stakeholders who may have less familiarity with user-centered design methodologies.
• Balancing user needs with engineering constraints, manufacturing capabilities, and business objectives in the development of industrial equipment.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen expertise in research methodologies tailored for industrial and B2B contexts.
• Gain extensive experience conducting international field research in diverse cultural and operational environments.
• Develop skills in facilitating workshops and co-creation sessions with cross-functional teams and executive stakeholders.
• Enhance strategic thinking by connecting user insights to broader market trends and business goals within the material handling industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

• Be prepared to discuss your approach to planning and executing a large-scale design research project from start to finish, including how you define research questions, select methodologies, and manage timelines.
• Describe a time when your research findings significantly influenced a product or business decision. Be specific about the insights and the resulting impact.
• Explain your process for synthesizing qualitative data and translating it into actionable insights for design and product teams.

Company Culture Questions:

• Research Crown Equipment Corporation's history, values, and recent product launches. Be prepared to discuss how your research skills can contribute to their mission in the material handling industry.
• Discuss your experience collaborating with cross-functional teams, particularly engineering, manufacturing, or sales, and how you ensure research insights are understood and utilized.
• Ask thoughtful questions about the design research team structure, their integration within the company, and how research is valued and utilized at Crown.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on 2-3 key case studies that best demonstrate your senior-level research skills, strategic thinking, and ability to impact product outcomes.
• For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your research approach, key findings, and the resulting impact or recommendations.
• Highlight your process for synthesizing complex data and communicating insights effectively to different audiences, including executive stakeholders.
• Be prepared to discuss the challenges you faced during each project and how you overcame them.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

• Submit your application through this link
• Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience in design research, particularly any work in B2B, industrial, or complex product environments.
• Prepare your portfolio to showcase case studies that demonstrate your ability to lead large research projects, apply diverse methodologies, and translate insights into strategic recommendations.
• Research Crown Equipment Corporation and the material handling industry to understand their business, products, and target users.