Principal, Design Researcher

Who we are 

At Twilio, we’re shaping the future of communications, all from the comfort of our homes. We deliver innovative solutions to hundreds of thousands of businesses and empower millions of developers worldwide to craft personalized customer experiences.

Our dedication to remote-first work, and strong culture of connection and global inclusion means that no matter your location, you’re part of a vibrant team with diverse experiences making a global impact each day. As we continue to revolutionize how the world interacts, we’re acquiring new skills and experiences that make work feel truly rewarding. Your career at Twilio is in your hands.

We use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help make our hiring process efficient. That said, every hiring decision is made by real Twilions!

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See yourself at Twilio

Join us as a Principal Design Researcher on our Emerging Technology and Innovation (ETI) team.

About the job

We are seeking a visionary and entrepreneurial Design Researcher passionate about building the future, not just improving the present. In this role, you will lead Horizon 3 innovation—imagining, shaping, and validating breakthrough product concepts that could fundamentally transform the enterprise landscape over the next 3-5+ years. 

As part of our team, your mandate is to look beyond current product lines and incremental enhancements. Your goal is to help imagine the future that will exist based on technological advances across AI/ ML, AGI, quantum computing, blockchain and more. Working side-by-side with world-class researchers, engineers, and product managers, you will take bold, unproven ideas from whiteboard to working prototype—navigating ambiguity, systematically de-risking concepts, and driving structured experimentation.

You will help us reimagine future experiences for our customers. Your success will be measured by your ability to identify and validate opportunities that can shape the next era of growth for Twilio—and the broader technology ecosystem.

Responsibilities

In this role, you’ll:

• 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 

Not all applicants will have skills that match a job description exactly. Twilio values diverse experiences in other industries, and we encourage everyone who meets the required qualifications to apply. While having “desired” qualifications make for a strong candidate, we encourage applicants with alternative experiences to also apply. If your career is just starting or hasn't followed a traditional path, don't let that stop you from considering Twilio. We are always looking for people who will bring something new to the table!

*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

Location

This role will be remote, but is not eligible to be hired in San Francisco, CA, Oakland, CA, San Jose, CA, or the surrounding areas.

Travel 

We prioritize connection and opportunities to build relationships with our customers and each other. For this role, you may be required to travel occasionally to participate in project or team in-person meetings.

What We Offer

Working at Twilio offers many benefits, including competitive pay, generous time off, ample parental and wellness leave, healthcare, a retirement savings program, and much more. Offerings vary by location.

Compensation

*Please note this role is open to candidates outside of Colorado, California, New York, and Washington. The information below is provided for candidates hired in those locations only.

The estimated pay ranges for this role are as follows:

• Based in Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Vermont or Washington D.C. :  $171,120.00-$213,900.00.
• Based in Washington D.C., Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts or California (outside of the San Francisco Bay Area): $181,200.00-$226,500.00.
• Based in the San Francisco Bay area, California: $201,280.00-$251,600.00.
• This role may be eligible to participate in Twilio’s equity plan and corporate bonus plan. All roles are generally eligible for the following benefits: health care insurance, 401(k) retirement account, paid sick time, paid personal time off, paid parental leave.

The successful candidate’s starting salary will be determined based on permissible, non-discriminatory factors such as skills, experience, and geographic location within the state.

Twilio thinks big. Do you?

We like to solve problems, take initiative, pitch in when needed, and are always up for trying new things. That's why we seek out colleagues who embody our values — something we call Twilio Magic. Additionally, we empower employees to build positive change in their communities by supporting their volunteering and donation efforts.

So, if you're ready to unleash your full potential, do your best work, and be the best version of yourself, apply now! If this role isn't what you're looking for, please consider other open positions.

Twilio is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Additionally, Twilio participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law.