Principal Design Researcher

MaintainX is a leading mobile-first work execution platform for industrial and frontline teams, used by more than 15,000 customers to cut unplanned downtime and run better operations. In August 2026 MaintainX became part of Autodesk, joining Autodesk Operations Solutions. The company is growing fast and hiring Research talent. The Design Researcher will help deeply understand users and bring their needs, behaviors, and motivations into every stage of the design process, partnering with Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers to turn complex real-world problems into clear insights that move the AI-first product forward.

Responsibilities

Own research from end to end, including scoping, planning, recruiting participants, running sessions, synthesizing, and presenting findings; Translate complex findings into clear narratives and actionable recommendations that product teams can use to make decisions; Get close to users through site visits, interviews, and hands-on observation with maintenance technicians, facility managers, and operations teams; Champion customer empathy across the organization through storytelling, shared insight repositories, and regular research read-outs; Leverage AI tools to accelerate research workflows, from data tagging to pattern synthesis, while maintaining rigor and critical thinking; Independently scope, prioritize, and manage research projects aligned with team goals; Help shape how research works at MaintainX by establishing the tools, templates, and rhythms that make user insights a consistent part of how the product is built; Partner directly with Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers to turn complex real-world problems into clear insights that move the AI-first product forward

Requirements

6+ years of experience in UX research; Strong foundation in research methodologies across both qualitative and quantitative methods; Demonstrated ability to translate ambiguous problems into well-scoped research plans and turn findings into recommendations that influence product decisions; Experience synthesizing research into compelling presentations that influence product direction across PMs, designers, engineers, and leadership; Comfortable working independently in cross-functional teams in fast-paced environments; Demonstrated ability of adopting AI tooling to accelerate research workflow; Experience with analytics tools (Amplitude, etc.) to complement primary research with behavioral data; Expert level of English, both spoken and written, is required

Nice to have

Background in industrial, operations, or field-based user populations where context of use matters as much as the interface; Background in psychology, HCI, anthropology, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience); Exposure to service design, journey mapping, or VOC programs; Experience working at a B2B SaaS company or on products serving non-desk workers

Benefits

Benefits plan covering health coverage, retirement and leave (details provided by recruiter for Canada); Compensation may include commission, an annual bonus and equity, depending on the role