Associate Director, Design Research

WHOOP; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

WHOOP in Boston, MA is seeking an Associate Director of Design Research to lead and scale the Design Research practice. This role shapes how user feedback informs product innovation from early insights to post-launch feedback and requires onsite work Monday–Friday.

You will oversee design researchers, partner with senior leaders, manage external vendors, and ensure research rigor across the product lifecycle, including hardware development and AI-assisted workflows.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as human factors, design research, user experience research, design anthropology, psychology, or related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience conducting user research for physical products, ideally within hardware, health, or consumer product environments.
• 5+ years of people management experience, including coaching, feedback, and performance development.
• Strong mixed-methods research background with qualitative and quantitative approaches to real-world products.
• Experience with hardware development lifecycles (not software-only) and managing external research vendors.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the design research team, aligning with stakeholders and priorities.
• Advocate the value of user insights in product and hardware development cycles to senior leadership.
• Scale research impact with cross-functional teams and set expectations for mixed-methods research.
• Guide prioritization and direction based on research needs and tradeoffs.
• Coach and develop a team of design researchers and maintain research rigor.
• Manage relationships with external research vendors, scoping projects and defining success criteria.
• Build cross-functional voice of the member for product decision-making with Consumer Insights, Analytics, and Membership Services.

Skills

Leadership

Mixed-methods

Stakeholder influence

Communication

Vendor management

Hardware lifecycle

Education

Bachelor's degree in human factors / design research / UX research

Job description

At WHOOP, we're on a mission to unlock human performance and healthspan. WHOOP empowers members to perform at a higher level through a deeper understanding of their bodies, behaviors, and daily lives.

WHOOP is hiring an Associate Director of Design Research to lead and scale the Design Research practice at WHOOP. This role will oversee Design Research, shaping how user feedback and experiences inform product innovation from early-stage insights to pre-launch validation studies to post-launch feedback. As a people-first leader, you will balance strategic direction, team development, and leadership evangelism - ensuring research rigor, creativity, and impact across the product lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the design research team, ensuring alignment with key stakeholders and organizational priorities.
• Evangelize the importance of user insights and the role of design research in the product and hardware development lifecycle to WHOOP senior leadership.
• Scale research impact, working closely with cross-functional leaders to identify opportunities for research and set expectations for mixed-methods research, ensuring research is positioned as a critical input to decision-making.
• Partner closely with senior team members to review research needs, assess tradeoffs, and guide prioritization and research direction.
• Manage, coach, and develop a team of design researchers, fostering strong research craft, clear communication, and professional growth.
• Own relationships with external research vendors, including scoping projects, defining success criteria, and ensuring high-quality execution.
• Build a strong, cross-functional "voice of the member" for product decision-making in partnership with Consumer Insights, Analytics, and Membership Services.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as human factors, design research, user experience research, design anthropology, psychology, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience conducting user research for physical products, ideally within hardware, health, or consumer product environments.
• 5+ years of people management experience, including coaching, feedback, and performance development.
• Strong mixed-methods research background, with demonstrated application of qualitative and quantitative approaches to real-world products.
• Experience working within or alongside hardware development lifecycles (not software-only).
• Experience managing or partnering with external research vendors, including project scoping and execution.
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams, navigate ambiguity, and influence without direct authority across cross-functional teams.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex insights to executive audiences.
• Strong commitment to embracing and leveraging AI tools in day-to-day tasks, ensuring AI-assisted work aligns with the same high-quality standards as personal contributions.
• This role is based out of our Boston, MA headquarters and requires work onsite Monday-Friday.

WHOOP is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-verify to determine employment eligibility. It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

The WHOOP compensation philosophy is designed to attract, motivate, and retain exceptional talent by offering competitive base salaries, meaningful equity, and consistent pay practices that reflect our mission and core values.

At WHOOP, we view total compensation as the combination of base salary, equity, and benefits, with equity serving as a key differentiator that aligns our employees with the long-term success of the company and allows every member of our corporate team to own part of WHOOP and share in the company’s long-term growth and success.

The U.S. base salary range for this full-time position is $140,000 - $180,000. Salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within each range, individual pay is based on factors such as job-related skills, experience, performance, and relevant education or training.

In addition to the base salary, the successful candidate will also receive benefits and a generous equity package.

These ranges may be modified in the future to reflect evolving market conditions and organizational needs. While most offers will typically fall toward the starting point of the range, total compensation will depend on the candidate’s specific qualifications, expertise, and alignment with the role’s requirements.