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User Experience Research Intern

AT Grainger
Grainger

User Experience Research Intern

Chicago, IL

Work Location Type: Hybrid

As a leading industrial distributor with operations primarily in North America, Japan and the United Kingdom, We Keep The World Working® by serving more than 4.5 million customers worldwide with products delivered through innovative technology and deep customer relationships. With 2023 sales of $16.5 billion, we're dedicated to providing value for customers, fostering an engaging culture for team members and driving strong financial results.

Our welcoming workplace enables you to learn, grow and make a difference by keeping businesses running and their people safe. As a 2024 Glassdoor Best Place to Work and a Great Place to Work-Certified™ company, we're looking for passionate people to join our team as we continue leading the industry over our next 100 years.

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Compensation

The anticipated base pay compensation range for this position is [[$35.00/hour]] to [[$37.00/hour]].

The range provided is not a guarantee of compensation. The range reflects the potential base pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual base pay compensation will depend, in part, on factors such as geographic work location and relevant experience and skills. The anticipated compensation range described above is subject to change and the compensation ultimately paid may be higher or lower than the range described above.

Position Details:

This internship is a 10-week program based in our downtown Chicago office. You will work on the User Experience Research team, which is responsible for informing strategy, design, and development of Grainger's enterprise applications and customer-facing experiences through user experience research. The UX Research team is organized within the User Experience team which also includes UX and UI designers.

The intern will partner with UX Researchers, designers, and end users to support critical technology initiatives. In addition to exciting projects, there will be time throughout the summer for networking, professional development, and social events.

The internship is paid, and free housing is provided in downtown Chicago.

You Will:

As a User Experience Research Intern, you will work closely with a Lead UX Researcher on research studies and workshops to support Grainger.com and digital tools used by Grainger team members. You will also contribute to key UX Research team operational tasks and projects for experience with the range of support work the team provides its

stakeholders and to help the team improve its processes. You will grow in both your research and workshop skills (including planning, facilitation, recruiting, data collection, analysis, and reporting) and soft skills (such as stakeholder management, participant relations, and effective presentation) and gain knowledge about how UX Research teams operate and our key partnerships within a large-scale e-commerce and B2B services company.

Learning Opportunities:

• Learn how UX Researchers partner with stakeholders, product management, designers, and end users to deliver critical insights for digital experience initiatives and improve experiences for customers and team members

• Develop an understanding of UX Research operations and ongoing stakeholder support efforts

• Gain experience and skills executing all stages of qualitative and mixed-method user research studies using a variety of methods such as interviews, usability testing, concept testing, surveys, and voice of customer feedback analysis.

• Utilize design thinking frameworks, workshop techniques, and user experience tools such as journey maps, service blueprinting, and user archetypes

• Gain experience conducting research, synthesizing findings, and presenting actionable insights for digital product teams within a complex B2B organization.

• Understand the larger Grainger business and how UX Research engagements contribute to the success of the company, team members, and customers

Responsibilities:

• Participate in planning discussions with stakeholders to understand user research needs and objectives

• Work alongside a Lead UX Researcher to plan and conduct user research studies, usability testing, and stakeholder workshops. Contribute to analysis and creation of persuasive and impactful research reports and presentations

• Work with the Sr. Mgr. UX Research & Measurement and other research team members on operational and stakeholder support tasks such as participant recruiting and Voice of Customer feedback analysis

• Contribute to the UX Research team's internal projects to improve our operations and processes

• Network and build relationships with the broader UX team, product managers, design and data partners, and business stakeholders

You Have:

• Currently pursuing a Master's degree in Human-Centered Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design/Product Design, Information Studies, or related fields with a focus on user research

• Targeted graduation date between Winter 2025 - Fall 2026

• An understanding of user-centered design principles, usability, and human subject research best practices

• Some experience with common user research methods, such as interviews, surveys, and task-based testing.

• Demonstrated interest in both evaluative and generative research methods

• Some experience with common user centered design frameworks to structure problem solving, planning, and insights and analysis

• Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills

• Professional demeanor and interpersonal skills suitable for interactions with Grainger customers and internal stakeholders.

• Initiative to proactively plan and execute work

• The ability to make thoughtful decisions and explain your rationale to others

• The ability to work in the US without visa sponsorship

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible environment that includes both providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the application and hiring process as well as throughout the course of one's employment. With this in mind, should you need a reasonable accommodation during the application and selection process, please advise us so that we can provide appropriate assistance.

Client-provided location(s): Chicago, IL, USA
Job ID: Grainger-317940-en_US
Employment Type: Intern

Perks and Benefits

  • Health and Wellness

    • Health Insurance
    • Dental Insurance
    • Vision Insurance
    • Life Insurance
    • Short-Term Disability
    • Long-Term Disability
    • FSA
    • HSA
    • HSA With Employer Contribution
    • On-Site Gym
    • Pet Insurance
    • Mental Health Benefits
  • Parental Benefits

    • Birth Parent or Maternity Leave
    • Non-Birth Parent or Paternity Leave
    • Fertility Benefits
    • Adoption Assistance Program
    • Family Support Resources
    • Adoption Leave
  • Work Flexibility

    • Flexible Work Hours
    • Remote Work Opportunities
    • Hybrid Work Opportunities
  • Office Life and Perks

    • Commuter Benefits Program
    • Casual Dress
    • On-Site Cafeteria
  • Vacation and Time Off

    • Paid Vacation
    • Paid Holidays
    • Personal/Sick Days
    • Leave of Absence
    • Volunteer Time Off
  • Financial and Retirement

    • 401(K) With Company Matching
    • Stock Purchase Program
    • Performance Bonus
    • Relocation Assistance
    • Financial Counseling
  • Professional Development

    • Tuition Reimbursement
    • Mentor Program
    • Shadowing Opportunities
    • Access to Online Courses
    • Internship Program
    • Leadership Training Program
    • Associate or Rotational Training Program
    • Promote From Within
    • Professional Coaching
  • Diversity and Inclusion

    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program
    • Employee Resource Groups (ERG)
    • Woman founded/led
    • Black founded/led
    • Asian founded/led
    • Veteran founded/led
    • Unconscious Bias Training