Industrial Designer Jobs in Wisconsin
Industrial Designer jobs in Wisconsin concentrate in manufacturing, consumer products, and medical device development, with demand at every level from junior designers to senior leads. Milwaukee, Madison, and Green Bay are the primary hiring metros, where established employers like Kohler Co., Johnson Controls, and Harley-Davidson maintain design and product development teams. Packaging design, ergonomics, and sustainable product development are among the most active specialties in the state right now. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Job Description
Job Description:
Come help define the future of our products with our Front-End Innovation team!
The Senior Industrial Designer-Front End Innovation invests in the future of Milwaukee using a user-centered approach to solve the toughest challenges. This role works collaboratively with teams and strategic leaders throughout the company as they dig into problems and research, ideate, bring definition, prototype concepts and new solutions.
The Senior Industrial Designer-Front End Innovation is passionate about storytelling and championing others to apply design thinking. Has experience across all modes of user-centered design and taking an idea from inception to market and is ready to join this exciting Team and drive the future of Milwaukee Tool.
Are you a…
- DRIVER who thrives in ambiguous scenarios in which the correct direction is not yet obvious. Great at gleaning meaning from whatever data is available and acting with limited information or direction? Ready to apply a BTU mindset to evaluate opportunities for their, viability, feasibility and desirability?
- PASSIONATE INNOVATOR with an irresistible drive to invent new solutions to old problems?
- STRATEGIC DESIGN THINKER who is familiar with different methods, processes, tools, & execution?
- CURIOUS OBSERVER practiced in recognizing patterns and opportunities in research and data always looking for the big why?
- MECHANICALLY MINDED DESIGNER familiar with manufacturing understanding to ground ideas but also have a finger on the pulse of industry, material, and process trends?
- FLEXIBLE DESIGN NINJA willing and able to change course on designs as new information is presented?
- TRUE TEAM PLAYER who can work alongside Engineering, Product Management & Design Research. Do you understand the strengths, value, and know how to correctly utilize each member of the team most effectively?
Duties/Responsibilities
- Lead Design efforts on front-end projects: You will be a key member on a collaborative, cross-disciplinary team looking at everything from discovery of new white space for exploration of new ideas to solving specific problems.
- Teach and coach others on human-centered design methods
- Discover the, "Why" behind problems through field research using ethnographic methods and find pertinent insights to identify opportunity areas for designing new solutions
- Translate research and design insights into visual models and frameworks
- Lead and / or design concept workshops utilize various brainstorming methodologies to pull creative product solutions out of the team
- Envision new ideas across a wide range of experience types: digital and physical tools, and business strategies.
- Help to develop presentations to communicate project progress, and design intent.
- Create concept communication tools such as storyboards, user experience journeys, and system maps for use in research, synthesis, workshops and prototype testing
- Create prototype stimulus to gather feedback on design concepts from a wide range of audiences
- Collaborate in a team-based environment with leads from multi-disciplinary units such as machine learning, advanced development, technology, and marketing
- Identify the dependencies and impacts of projects to the greater organization
Experience/Requirements
- Experience: 5+ years of consultancy or corporate experience working in Design or Innovation teams. Experience with Design Thinking methods, processes, tools, & execution a plus.
- BS or BFA in Industrial Design, Visual, Experience or Service designs required.
Advanced level experience in User Centered Design and Innovation mindsets, tools and techniques such as:
- Behavioral research practices
- Strategic thinking, problem solving and connecting disparate dots
- Using 2D and 3D Design Tools to create concepts
- Communication practices and crafting compelling stories
- Translate user research into design principles and product criteria
- Communicate effectively with all stakeholders from recent grads to Senior Leaders.
- Bring ideas to life through model making / rapid prototyping
- Familiar with generative Ai visualization software
- Use Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft Office Suite Education
- Business consulting / Strategy
- Ethnographic User Research
- Advance Functional Prototyping
Milwaukee Tool is an equal opportunity employer.
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About Us
Milwaukee Tool is a Brookfield, Wisconsin-based subsidiary of Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. (TTI) (HKEx stock code: 669, ADR symbol: TTNDY). For more information on the full line of Milwaukee® products, please call 1-800-SAWDUST or visit Milwaukee Tool.
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Where Wisconsin roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Industrial Designer Job Market in Wisconsin
A snapshot from current Wisconsin openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
What Wisconsin Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in industrial designer jobs across Wisconsin.
- Bachelor's degree in industrial design, product design, or a closely related field
- Proficiency in CAD software such as SolidWorks, Rhino, or CATIA
- Portfolio demonstrating end-to-end product development from concept through production
- Experience collaborating with engineering and manufacturing teams on design for manufacturability
- Knowledge of materials, fabrication processes, and prototyping methods relevant to Wisconsin manufacturing
- Familiarity with human-centered design principles and usability testing methodologies
Industrial Designer Jobs in Wisconsin: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a industrial designer in Wisconsin?
Industrial design is not a state-licensed profession in Wisconsin, so there is no required state board exam or registration. Most employers hire candidates with a bachelor's degree in industrial design or product design from an accredited program, such as those offered at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design or University of Wisconsin-Stout. A strong portfolio showing concept development, CAD work, and finished products is the primary credential that moves candidates forward in Wisconsin hiring processes.
How much do industrial designers make in Wisconsin?
Industrial designers in Wisconsin earn a median of about $80,590 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $62,850 for the lowest 10% to over $118,070 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire industrial designers in Wisconsin?
Companies currently hiring industrial designers in Wisconsin include Milwaukee Tool, Team TTI, and Spectrum Brands, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Wisconsin's concentration of durable goods manufacturers, medical device companies, and consumer product brands creates consistent demand for design talent across the state.
Which Wisconsin cities have the most industrial designer jobs?
Milwaukee, Brookfield, and Madison have the most industrial designer openings in Wisconsin. Milwaukee anchors the market with its dense base of manufacturing headquarters and consumer product companies, while Madison draws openings through its medical device and technology sectors, and Green Bay generates demand through its packaging and manufacturing industries.
Are there remote industrial designer jobs in Wisconsin?
Yes, but they're rare. Industrial design frequently requires hands-on prototyping, shop access, and collaboration with engineering and production teams, which limits full remote arrangements. About 100% of industrial designer openings tied to Wisconsin are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, with hybrid schedules more common than fully remote. The portions of the work most likely to go remote are concept development, digital rendering, and client presentation stages.
How can I get hired as a industrial designer in Wisconsin with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is applying for junior designer or design associate roles at Wisconsin manufacturers that run structured new-grad programs, such as Kohler Co. and Johnson Controls, both of which hire entry-level designers with internship or co-op experience. University of Wisconsin-Stout and the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design maintain employer relationships that lead directly to interviews. Adjacent roles like model maker, CAD technician, or product development coordinator are common lateral entry points. A polished portfolio with student and personal projects carries more weight than years of experience at the entry level.
Where can I find and apply to industrial designer jobs in Wisconsin?
You can find and apply to industrial designer jobs in Wisconsin on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings across the state. Search for roles that match your experience level and specialty, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 10 Industrial Designer Jobs in Wisconsin
Find roles in Wisconsin that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Industrial Designer Jobs