# Principal, Design Researcher

**Company:** [Twilio](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/twilio)
**Location:** Remote
**Role:** UX Research
**Salary:** $171k – $252k/yr
**Experience:** 7+ years
**Skills:** design research, User Research, ethnography, contextual inquiry, co-creation workshops, concept validation, qualitative research, quantitative research, AI/ML, hci, Storytelling, Prototyping
**Posted:** 2026-07-20

> Lead Horizon 3 design research for Twilio's Emerging Technology and Innovation team. Imagine, validate, and de-risk breakthrough product concepts in AI/ML, quantum computing, and beyond through qualitative/quantitative studies, strategy framing, experimentation, and executive storytelling. Requires 7+ years in design research with zero-to-one innovation experience.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities
- Define & Lead Research: Lead end-to-end qualitative and quantitative design research across early-stage, exploratory projects; rigorously uncover customer needs, pain points, and emerging trends.
- Strategy & Opportunity Framing: Provide thought leadership and frameworks that connect research findings to business and product strategy; help teams prioritize opportunities and guide decision-making.
- Synthesize Insights and communicate effectively: Distill complex data into clear, actionable narratives and frameworks for senior executives, product managers, and engineers.
- Drive Experimentation: Collaborate with Product and Design to rapidly test new hypotheses via concepts, prototypes, and MVPs.
- Mentorship: Mentor and elevate best practices for design research across the Horizon 3 team and broader Twilio UX community.
- Customer Advocacy: Represent the voice of the customer in every conversation. Inspire teams to build solutions that surprise and delight customers.

## Qualifications
**Required:**
- 7+ years of experience in design research, user research, or a related field—preferably with time spent in innovation or new product development environments.
- Proven track record of leading ambiguous, zero-to-one research programs in fast-paced, high-growth tech companies.
- Mastery of a wide array of research methods, from ethnography and contextual inquiry to co-creation workshops and rapid concept validation.
- Experience with qualitative and quantitative data, and ability to easily switch between big-picture thinking and tactical execution.
- Exceptional communication, storytelling, and influence skills—executive presence a must.
- Passion for working on highly cross-functional teams and an entrepreneurial, “builder” mentality.
- Bachelor’s or advanced degree in HCI, Design, Psychology, Anthropology, or a related discipline.

**Desired:**
- Experience working with AI/ML technology and customer engagement platforms.
- Experience working in trust, security, or fraud prevention.
- Experience guiding innovation in a multi-sided platform environment.
- Portfolio or case studies illustrating your impact on breakthrough product or business opportunities.

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