Co-op Associate Engineer - Chicago - Summer/Fall 2026

About Design Science

Are you interested in working for a fast-growing organization that has carved out a niche in Human Factors? Are you passionate about impacting the lives of patients and their families around the globe? We are hiring co-ops for Summer/Fall semester (6 months) and Fall/Winter semester (6 months) to join a great team of professionals in Chicago. This is an outstanding opportunity to explore the field of human factors in the medical device space with a dynamic team in Chicago.  

For over 30 years, our organization has been committed to improving the quality and safety of medical devices worldwide. Design Science is headquartered in the heart of Center CIty Philadelphia, PA, with offices in Evanston, IL, and Munich, Germany. Our team consists of diverse, talented, and caring individuals who value socially impactful work in a collaborative culture.

About the Job

The Design Science Co-op position requires a 6-month commitment due to extensive training for this role. The 6-months do not need to be consecutive but you must be a registered student for the duration of the co-op.This is a full-time, 40-hour per week job. You MUST be enrolled in a BA/BS,MA/MS or PhD degree program to participate in the co-op program at Design Science.

The Human Factors Engineering Co-op will assist with the design control, risk management, and human factors engineering support of patient-centric, safe, reliable, and innovative devices with guidance in Human Factors/Risk Management from team members and reference documents. Additionally, the position will support human factors engineering activities from formative usability assessments to final summative design validation studies, working with a project team on key activities throughout development phases of device and combination products and contribute to deliverables to support regulatory filing, product launch, and post-market surveillance.

Job Responsibilities
1. Contribute to the preparation phases of usability studies by assisting with tasks such as protocol writing, screener creation for recruiting participants, survey creation in preparation for data collection, study room and video equipment setup, supply tracking and inventory, and dry run execution (to practice running a study with the project team, as well as sometimes as a practice participant for other projects as needed).

2. Assist during the conduct of usability studies, which may include note-taking/data collection during study sessions, video recording and observation, training participants on how to use the device as part of a study, and data organization during and/or immediately following study sessions. The co-op will have many opportunities to observe various studies and learn how they are conducted prior to taking on a specific role on a project team.

3. Contribute to and perform data analysis to support the reporting phase of the usability studies, which, depending on experience with prior studies, may include performing root cause analyses, summarizing data/findings, creating graphics, as well as reviewing video footage to complete the data analysis.

4. Participate in regular meetings and check-ins, including hearing/learning from, and potentially presenting to, the rest of the research team at weekly department meetings. The co-op will meet regularly with project teams, supervisors, and mentors to maintain consistent communication/engage in discussion with teammates/supervisors/mentors. The co-op will collaborate with many different teams and individuals at Design Science.

5. Work on various internal projects for the benefit of both Design Science and the co-op own personal development. Some examples include but are not limited to social media strategy and content creation, improving facilities, preparing external presentations, or conducting internal research studies.

Education and Experience Required

• You MUST be currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s , Master's or PhD degree program in human factors engineering, biomedical engineering, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, or related field
• Experience with Microsoft Office 365 applications including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required

• Ability to work full-time onsite at Design Science’s offices in Evanston, IL
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Good problem solving skills.
• Good organization skills and the ability to manage multiple projects at once.
• Positive attitude and willingness to learn on cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to travel domestically 30% of the time is possible.
• The finalist will be required to pass a background check.
• Ability to work 40 hours and commit to a 6-month co-op either consecutively or within a 12-month period (NOT 2 summers).

Physical Effort
Frequent use of a computer. Frequent sitting, standing, keyboarding. Must be able to push, pull, lift up to 30lbs.

Additional Information

We offer a collaborative work culture with a great team of colleagues to support this outstanding learning experience.  Design Science offers a broad range of work experiences for our co-ops and the opportunity to learn from awesome teammates.

*Resume / cover letter required.*

We would love to hear why you are passionate about human factors in the medical device field.

No relocation package available. 

Visit our website / blog at for more information on the company, or check us out on social media @designscience . 

EOE 
Minorities, females, individuals with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Design Science offers a diverse and inclusive work environment. We welcome individuals from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds and celebrate the sharing and exchange of ideas.