Jobs › Milwaukee Tool

Sr Design Engineer, Motors

Milwaukee Tool · Brookfield, WI · Full time

Posted Mar 20, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

Apply at Milwaukee Tool

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a motor or electromechanical project you led. What was the hardest technical call?

What they are checking: Senior ownership and how they make hard technical decisions.

Tell me about a time you had to explain a motor tradeoff to a product manager.

What they are checking: Communicating technical limits in terms of user value and cost.

How do you keep up with motor technology like new magnet materials or topologies?

What they are checking: Ongoing learning to support leadership in motor capability.

What would you do

How would you work with electrical engineers on motor control without the two sides blaming each other when performance falls short?

What they are checking: Collaborating across mechanical and electrical disciplines, which the posting describes as the team's mix.

A motor passes lab life testing but fails early in field tools. How do you investigate?

What they are checking: Connecting field conditions like dust, impact and duty cycle to lab gaps.

About the work

Walk me through how you would design a brushless motor for a high-torque cordless tool.

What they are checking: Real motor design skill across magnetics, windings, thermal limits and packaging.

How do you balance power density against heat in a small motor that sits inside a tool housing?

What they are checking: Thermal management thinking in tight spaces with limited airflow.

What mechanical failure modes worry you most in a power tool motor, and how do you design against them?

What they are checking: Awareness of bearing, rotor retention, magnet and fan failures in harsh use.

What analysis tools do you use for motor design, and how do you know when to trust the simulation?

What they are checking: Using electromagnetic and thermal simulation with correlation to test data.

How do you design a motor so it can be built consistently at high volume?

What they are checking: Design for manufacturing in winding, magnet insertion and balancing.

How would you test a motor's durability under the dust and debris a jobsite produces?

What they are checking: Designing tests for contamination that kills motors in real use.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Milwaukee Tool from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Milwaukee Tool.

Job Description: Senior Design Engineer, Motors INNOVATE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES! At Milwaukee Tool we firmly believe that our People and our Culture are the secrets to our success – so we give you unlimited access to everything you need to create disruptive new technologies and solutions on our engineering teams. Our Engineering Team is responsible for giving life to the batteries, motors, and electronics that power solutions changing the lives of our users. Every developmental phase of these critical components happens in-house under the watch of this team. We continue to invest in a mix of mechanical and electrical engineering expertise to design and develop leadership in motor capabilities. We create Best-in-Class products by leveraging advanced analysis tools, extensive hands-on testing regimes, state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, and cross-functional agility. Behind our doors you’ll be empowered every day to own it, drive it, and do what it takes to design and develop the biggest breakthroughs in the industry. Meanwhile, you’ll have the support and resources of the fastest-growing brand in the construction industry to make it happen. Year after year, our team continues to make significant breakthroughs in the industry. We’re just getting started. To learn more about our story click HERE. The Senior Motor Engineer will lead the collaboration with local cross-functional, Global Motor Engineering, and Operations teams to create and execute test plans to verify motor performance and thermal limits per project requirements. You will identify engineering trends and drive strategies to guide the organization’s technical direction and ensure consistent and efficient mass-produced Milwaukee motors and products around the world. You’ll also be DISRUPTIVE through these duties and responsibilities: • · Executing a lead role to design, prototype, test and troubleshoot motors for high complexity projects. • · Establish and drive test regimens for components and assemblies within scope of the project and organization to aid in design verification and failure modes. • · Conduct hands-on experiments of power tools, perform simulations, and draw concise, logical conclusions by analyzing data. • · Perform root cause failure analysis of motor test failures. • · Drive supplier relationships to develop part/product specifications that meet performance requirements while falling within process capabilities. • · Acquire knowledge and maintain an understanding of Milwaukee Tool’s development and manufacturing processes to effectively and efficiently mass produce power tools. • · Perform electromagnetic design changes to laminations to improve existing designs. • · Provide candid and effective communications up, down and across the organization on progress, barrier removal and escalation of business risks/opportunities. • · Make clean-sheet motor designs of brushless DC motors to optimize performance tailored to product requirements. • · Demonstrate Milwaukee Tools Culture of high performance and agility by independently creating Work Breakdown Structure for your work and driving to critical milestones. • · Schedule, develop agendas for, facilitate, and document technical meetings and formal presentations. • · Drive urgency in project schedules and accountability for establishing and achieving key project metrics that meet the organization’s needs. • · Serve as a role model of Milwaukee Tool’s culture while providing technical and engineering leadership, mentoring, guiding, and coaching junior Engineers. • · Use laboratory equipment such as oscilloscopes, power supplies, e-loads, and data acquisition systems. • · Independently track projects to ensure adherence to schedule and the Milwaukee process. • · Design and qualify new solution to applicable regulatory standards such as UL, CEC, CE, and ANSI. What TOOLS you’ll bring with you: • · Bachelor or Master of Science Degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering or related field. • · 5+ years of experience in related design field (with Bachelors) • · 2+ years of experience in related design field (with Masters) • · Experience using CAD (Siemens NX preferred). • Competent use of FEA • · Understand theory of Brushless DC Motors. • · Familiarity with Brushed PMDC, Universal, Induction and Switched Reluctance motors and theory. • · Understanding of motor controls, battery technology, vibration, and sound analysis. • · Understanding of motor assembly and motor component design/manufacturing and what drives cost and durability. • · Ability to travel 10% of the time (domestic and international). We provide these great perks and benefits: • · Robust health, dental and vision insurance plans. • · Generous 401 (K) savings plan. • · Education assistance. • · On-site wellness, fitness center, food, and coffee service. • · And many more, check out our benefits site HERE. Milwaukee Tool is an equal opportunity employer.

Apply at Milwaukee Tool