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Principal Design Engineer Jobs in Milwaukee, WI (NOW HIRING)

AllSTEM Connections

Principal AI Engineer

Milwaukee, WI · On-site

$197K - $208K/yr

Principal AI Systems Architect (Contract Engagement) Role Overview We are seeking a Principal AI ... You will embed directly within our engineering team to design, validate, and document the ...

Milwaukee Tool

Principal Process Owner

Brookfield, WI · On-site

Principal Process Owner Ideal candidates are outstanding communicators that thrive in a fast-paced ... Ability to translate complex engineering, CAD, PLM, and product data requirements into clear ...

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Showing results 21-40

All JobsPrincipal Design Engineer JobsPrincipal Design Engineer Jobs in Milwaukee, WI

Principal Design Engineer information

See Milwaukee, WI salary details

$72.9K

$145K

$209.4K

How much do principal design engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 21, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal design engineer in Milwaukee, WI is $145,047.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $116,800.00 and $170,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a principal design engineer?

To thrive as a Principal Design Engineer, you need deep expertise in engineering principles, advanced design methodologies, and a relevant degree such as a BS or MS in engineering. Proficiency with CAD software, simulation tools, and familiarity with industry standards or certifications like PE (Professional Engineer) are typically required. Leadership, effective communication, and problem-solving abilities are crucial soft skills for guiding teams and collaborating across departments. These skills and qualifications are vital for delivering innovative, high-quality designs and driving project success in complex engineering environments.

How does a principal design engineer typically collaborate with cross-functional teams during a project lifecycle?

A Principal Design Engineer plays a pivotal role in bridging communication between engineering, product management, manufacturing, and quality assurance teams. Throughout a project, they lead technical discussions, facilitate design reviews, and ensure design intent aligns with overall project goals. Their expertise is often called upon to resolve complex technical challenges and mentor junior engineers, ensuring that cross-functional efforts remain cohesive and efficient. This collaborative approach helps streamline project timelines and results in robust, manufacturable designs.

What is the difference between Principal Design Engineer vs Senior Design Engineer?

AspectPrincipal Design EngineerSenior Design Engineer
QualificationsBachelor's or Master's in Engineering, extensive experienceBachelor's or Master's in Engineering, several years of experience
Work EnvironmentLeads design projects, mentors teams, collaborates with stakeholdersDevelops designs, supports project execution, collaborates with teams
Industry UsageUsed across engineering sectors for senior technical leadershipCommonly used for experienced engineers executing design tasks

The Principal Design Engineer typically holds a higher level of responsibility, providing technical leadership and strategic input, while the Senior Design Engineer focuses on executing design tasks and supporting project development. Both roles require strong engineering credentials, but the Principal role emphasizes leadership and innovation.

What does a principal design engineer do?

A principal design engineer leads the development and design of complex products or systems, providing technical expertise and strategic direction. They often oversee engineering teams, ensure design quality, and collaborate with cross-functional departments using tools like CAD software. This role typically requires extensive experience, strong problem-solving skills, and a deep understanding of engineering principles.

What are popular job titles related to Principal Design Engineer jobs in Milwaukee, WI?

For Principal Design Engineer jobs in Milwaukee, WI, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Principal Design Engineer jobs in Milwaukee, WI look for?

The top searched job categories for Principal Design Engineer jobs in Milwaukee, WI are:

Principal Design Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Principal Design Engineer job openings in Milwaukee, WI as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 86% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $145,047 per year, or $69.7 per hour.

Principal Advanced Quality Engineer - Textiles

Milwaukee Tool

Milwaukee, WI • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 7 days ago

Job description

Job Description:
Come be DISRUPTIVE with us! At Milwaukee Tool, our most valued resource is our dedicated team of employees - employees who work with a passion to be the best and an unparalleled pride in their work and in the Milwaukee brand. We know that the only way to sustain growth and success is to value the growth and success of each person within the organization, that's why we invest in an individual's growth and development from day one.
All our teams touch on every step of the process, that is why our Operations teams are some of the key contributors to our continuous innovations. The fast-paced, agile environment continuously delivers disruptive technologies by providing every team with the resources needed to excel and working directly with End Users to understand how to deliver heavy duty products with high performance. We create Best in Class products by leveraging advanced analysis tools, extensive testing regimes, state-of-the-art manufacturing processes and cross-functional agility.
The Principal AQE - Textiles primary duties are to utilize advanced engineering expertise in the Textiles field to contribute to the development and qualification of innovative products and to mentor other engineers cross-functionally to improve the department's technical skills. The Principal AQE is a critical member of the New Product Development (NPD) team reporting to Quality Engineering leadership. Throughout a product's development cycle, this position requires strong cross-functional communication skills and analytical experience to help launch new and exciting solutions that meet our user's needs. You will work in a fast-paced environment to innovate new products and textile material solutions as a member of a cross-functional team. The Principal AQE may be asked to act as mentor to junior level AQEs on NPD projects in addition to their normal workload.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Product and Material Development
  • Act as a Textiles Subject Matter Expert (SME) helping NPD teams determine optimal materials and designs to improve product performance and meet user expectations
  • Interface with Front End Innovation (FEI) team to adapt highly innovative textile materials to production
  • Participate in user need research to identify "critical to quality" (CtQ) requirements on materials selection, design features, and construction methods for knit and sewn products
  • Collaborate with Engineering and Marketing to define the products' specifications leading in all aspects of performance, quality, reliability, and testing
  • Lead Risk Assessments (Design and Manufacturing) for NPD projects during the product development cycle

Supplier & Manufacturing
  • Lead supplier process and QMS audits focused on textile-specific risks
  • Establish process capability expectations for textile production at finished goods factories and material facilities as required
  • Ensure timely failure reporting and lead root cause analysis and effective corrective/preventative actions (FRACA)

Testing/Analysis
  • Lead development of capability at multiple test laboratories implementing new and innovative test methods to better quantify product performance
  • Own interpretation of global textile performance standards and drive correlation between testing at internal labs and regulatory labs
  • Develop test plans and prove out test methods based on new or established product designs to ensure products meet customer requirements
  • Perform DOE to support Engineering in their understanding of quality concerns and improvements to design
  • Analyze, draw conclusions, report and present product information utilizing statistical techniques such as Weibull analysis, reliability distributions and matrices
  • Communicate concise, logical, written conclusions from experiments based on data analysis

Mentoring/Leadership
  • Mentor junior level AQEs in developing CtQ requirements, test methodologies and design, setting production specifications and creation of design of experiments
  • This position is recognized as a topic expert within the AQE teams, it will be asked to provide, as need, training, mentoring and guidance to REs related to that topic

Job Requirements:
  • Position requires 70% of its time supporting product development work with 30% of its time dedicated to systemic and AQE organizational improvement/development
  • Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering or educational equivalent field
  • 10+ years of experience directly supporting textiles or soft goods product quality
  • Experience with new product commercialization processes emphasizing design, manufacturing, quality, test or reliability activities
  • Experience including training in quality engineering fundamentals and proven experience leading a primary function within a project team
  • Previous relevant experience with Design of Experiments, life data analysis, and other related statistical tools and software (i.e. Minitab, Reliasoft)
  • Demonstrate skills in mentoring other employees in statistical techniques
  • Written and verbal communication skills and creative problem-solving capabilities
  • Ability to travel 20% of the time is required (travel includes Domestic and International)
  • Preferred: ASQ Reliability Engineering Certification (ASQ-CRE) or the ability and desire to achieve certification
  • Preferred: Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) or Six Sigma experience

Milwaukee Tool is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.
Milwaukee Tool is an equal opportunity employer.

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