Associate Director, Design Research

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

Job summary

WHOOP, headquartered in Boston, is seeking a Design Research Leader to drive the research strategy for our hardware products. You will lead a team, champion user insights, and partner with stakeholders across Consumer Insights, Analytics, and Membership Services to embed the voice of the member in product decisions.

The role requires 5+ years in user research for hardware/health devices and 5+ years in people management, with strong executive communication skills. On-site in Boston, MA.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a field such as human factors, design research, or psychology.
• 5+ years of user research for physical products, ideally hardware/health/consumer.
• 5+ years of people management experience with coaching and development.
• Strong mixed-methods background applying qualitative and quantitative approaches.
• Experience with hardware development lifecycles (not software-only).
• Experience managing external research vendors and scoping projects.
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams, navigate ambiguity, and influence cross-functional teams.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills for executive audiences.
• Commitment to leveraging AI tools to augment high-quality work.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the design research team aligned with stakeholders.
• Advocate for user insights in product and hardware development lifecycle to WHOOP senior leadership.
• Scale research impact, set expectations for mixed-methods research as input to decisions.
• Guide prioritization and research direction with senior team members.
• Manage, coach, and develop design researchers and growth.
• Own relationships with external vendors, scoping projects and defining success criteria.
• Build cross-functional 'voice of the member' for product decisions with insights and analytics.

Skills

Leadership

Mixed-methods research

Communication

AI tools usage

Stakeholder influence

People management

Hardware lifecycle experience

Vendor management

Executive presentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Job description

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.