Director, UX Research

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Director, UX Research

Company: ServiceNow

Location: Hyderabad, Telangana, India

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience Research & Insights

Date Posted: 2026-09-03

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: Flexible or Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the Security and Risk Workflows UX Research team, driving strategic product decisions through user-centered insights.

• Act as the senior Research leader in India, shaping research culture, mentoring talent, and fostering psychological safety.

• Collaborate with global cross-regional teams to align research priorities and contribute to company-wide UX initiatives.

• Own and execute the research roadmap, ensuring focus on high-impact initiatives that advance product and business objectives.

• Leverage advanced AI capabilities to enhance research methodologies, efficiency, and quality of deliverables.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a senior leadership opportunity within UX Research, with a significant emphasis on strategic influence, team building, and the application of AI in research. The "Director" title, combined with the responsibility for a specific product area (Security and Risk Workflows) and the leadership role in India, indicates a high level of autonomy and impact. The mention of AI capabilities suggests a forward-thinking approach to research methodologies.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and own the research roadmap for Security and Risk Workflows, making strategic tradeoffs to prioritize the highest-impact initiatives.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with Product Management, Design, Research, and Engineering teams to translate research findings into actionable product strategies and decisions.

• Develop strong, evidence-based perspectives on future product states, grounded in user needs and data triangulation (analytics and behavioral signals), to influence leadership-level roadmap and investment decisions.

• Establish and enforce high research quality standards and methodologies across the team to ensure reliability and consistency in user need discovery and user experience measurement.

• Develop and execute a local customer engagement strategy in India to accelerate insight generation and strengthen the panel for the Product Lab Research Program, in partnership with Research Operations.

• Integrate advanced AI capabilities into the team's workflows to improve efficiency and quality of research outcomes.

• Build and develop a high-performing, versatile UX Research team by hiring world-class talent and cultivating an environment where researchers can do their best work.

• Foster a culture of disciplined execution balanced with psychological safety, empowering the team to experiment and innovate.

• Serve as the site lead for the India-based Research team, advocating for visibility, growth, and organizational influence, and acting as a mentor and connective tissue for researchers reporting to other managers.

• Maintain an external perspective on industry trends and emerging AI technologies to continuously evolve the team's capabilities and approaches.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly outline a dual focus: direct leadership of a specific product research area and broader organizational leadership as the senior representative in India. This includes strategic planning, cross-functional collaboration, quality assurance, team development, and representing the India research function globally. The emphasis on AI integration is a key differentiator.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Advanced degree in HCI, Cognitive Psychology, Human Factors, Statistics, Data Science, Computer Science, or a related field is preferred.

• Postgraduate degree is a minimum requirement, implying a strong theoretical and methodological foundation. Experience:

• 12+ years of experience in UX or product research, data analytics, data science, customer experience, or related fields.

• 6+ years of experience leading and building technical and/or strategic teams, with a demonstrated ability to develop and mentor talent in UX research, data science, analytics, and engineering.

• Experience leading distributed, global teams across regions and time zones.

• Background in large enterprise software or SaaS companies is preferred. Required Skills:

• Proven ability to influence product and business leaders through compelling, evidence-based narratives that create alignment and drive business decisions.

• Exceptional hands-on leadership and stakeholder management skills to deliver innovative insights and solutions that improve product experience.

• Ability to identify strategic priorities and measurement opportunities proactively, recognizing patterns across product spaces and translating insights into strategic initiatives.

• Ability to develop problem-solving strategies and drive quality execution in fast-paced work environments.

• Demonstrated ability in delivering excellent results and moving seamlessly between strategy conversations with executives and technical deep dives with stakeholders and Researchers.

• Proficient in the use of AI tools and capabilities to lead more effectively and develop team members to deliver meaningful research outcomes (e.g., Claude Skills, Claude Code, MCP, agentic workflows, non-deterministic research methods).

• Extensive organizational experience managing multiple teams, combined with a passion for developing products that deliver customer value.

• Deep expertise in UX Research and measuring user experience, particularly focused on using AI to solve problems.

• Proven track record leading and building high-functioning teams to deliver impactful insights and data that drive product innovation.

• Demonstrated commitment to building inclusive teams across geographies, with a history of developing a collaborative culture that values diverse perspectives and backgrounds. Preferred Skills:

• Proven track record in developing and shipping measurement or analytics products.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize a blend of deep UX research expertise, strategic leadership, and strong interpersonal skills. The requirement for AI proficiency is a critical component, suggesting a need for candidates who can innovate in research methodologies. The experience level and preferred background in enterprise software/SaaS indicate the expectation of handling complex product environments.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase of strategic research roadmapping and prioritization processes, demonstrating how high-impact initiatives were identified and executed.

• Examples of influencing product and business leaders through evidence-based narratives, highlighting how insights translated into concrete product or business decisions.

• Case studies demonstrating the ability to triangulate data from various sources (analytics, behavioral signals) to form strategic perspectives.

• Demonstrations of establishing and maintaining research quality standards and methodologies, ensuring reliability and consistency.

• Evidence of developing and executing customer engagement strategies, particularly in building research panels or accelerating insight generation.

• Examples of leveraging AI tools and capabilities to enhance research efficiency, quality, or generate novel insights.

• Documentation of experience in building and leading high-performing, diverse research teams, including hiring, mentoring, and fostering psychological safety.

• Examples of successful stakeholder management, moving seamlessly between executive strategy discussions and technical deep dives. Process Documentation:

• Workflow designs for managing and executing research projects from conception to impact measurement.

• Methodologies for ensuring research quality, reliability, and consistency across diverse research initiatives.

• Strategies for integrating AI into research workflows, including process automation, advanced analysis techniques, and novel research methods.

• Frameworks for cross-functional collaboration and communication, ensuring seamless integration of research insights into product development cycles.

• Processes for building and nurturing a positive team culture, emphasizing psychological safety, innovation, and continuous learning.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the senior leadership nature of this role, a portfolio should not only showcase past research projects but also demonstrate strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and process innovation. The emphasis on AI and influencing business decisions will be crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Based on industry benchmarks for a Director-level UX Research role in Hyderabad, India, with 12+ years of experience and significant leadership responsibilities, the estimated annual salary range is likely between ₹40,00,000 and ₹70,00,000 (approximately $48,000 - $84,000 USD, subject to exchange rate fluctuations). This range can vary significantly based on specific qualifications, negotiation, and ServiceNow's internal compensation structure. Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance coverage (medical, dental, vision).

• Retirement savings plans (e.g., Provident Fund contributions).

• Paid time off, including vacation days, sick leave, and public holidays.

• Professional development opportunities, including training, conferences, and certifications.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for personal and professional well-being.

• Potential for stock options or performance-based bonuses.

• Flexible work arrangements, including remote and hybrid options.

• Access to company-sponsored wellness programs and initiatives. Working Hours:

• Standard full-time work week, typically 40 hours per week.

• Flexibility is offered, with the possibility of remote or hybrid work arrangements, allowing for better work-life integration.

• Collaboration with global teams may require occasional adjustments to working hours to accommodate different time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is estimated based on the role's seniority, location (Hyderabad, India), and experience requirements, referencing typical compensation bands for Director-level tech roles in the region. Benefits are inferred from standard offerings for large, global tech companies like ServiceNow.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Enterprise Software / Cloud Computing / AI-driven Workflow Automation. ServiceNow operates in the digital workflow and IT service management space, leveraging AI to transform business processes for large enterprises.

Company Size: ServiceNow is a large, global technology company, with a significant employee base exceeding 10,000 employees worldwide. This implies a structured, professional environment with established processes and a global reach.

Founded: ServiceNow was founded in 2004 by Fred Luddy. The company's origin story, stemming from automating tedious tasks to free people for meaningful work, highlights a core value of efficiency and impact.

Team Structure:

• The UX Research & Insights (UXRI) organization is substantial, comprising over 130 professionals globally.

• The Security and Risk Workflows research team is a specialized unit within this larger organization.

• The Director will lead a team of researchers, likely with varying levels of experience, and will also act as a senior leader for the broader research community in India.

• Reporting structure is likely to be to a VP or Senior Director of UX Research, with dotted-line reporting or strong collaboration with Product and Engineering leadership within the Security and Risk domain. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is a cornerstone, with an emphasis on triangulating insights from user research, analytics, and behavioral signals.

• Emphasis on AI-powered solutions and workflows, indicating a commitment to innovation and leveraging cutting-edge technology.

• Focus on enterprise-level solutions, requiring an understanding of complex business needs and user workflows.

• Collaborative approach, with strong cross-functional partnerships between UX, Product Management, Engineering, and other business units.

• Commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence, as evidenced by the emphasis on process optimization and efficiency.

Company Website: https://www.servicenow.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context emphasizes ServiceNow's position as a leader in AI-driven enterprise software. The scale of the UXRI organization and the company's global presence suggest a robust, professional, and process-oriented environment. The founding story reinforces a focus on meaningful work and efficiency.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at the Director level, representing senior leadership within the UX Research function. It involves strategic oversight, team management, and significant influence on product direction. The responsibilities extend beyond individual research execution to shaping research strategy, fostering talent, and representing the organization.

Reporting Structure: The Director will report to a higher-level UX Research leader (e.g., VP or Senior Director) and will manage a team of UX Researchers. They will also work closely with Product Management and Engineering leaders within the Security and Risk Workflows domain. As the senior leader in India, they will have a broader influence and mentorship role for other researchers in the region.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on the success of ServiceNow's Security and Risk Workflows products by ensuring they are user-centered, effective, and meet critical business needs. The Director's insights and strategic direction will influence product roadmaps, investment decisions, and ultimately, customer satisfaction and adoption. Their leadership in India will also impact the global UX research capabilities and talent development at ServiceNow.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to move into VP-level roles within UX Research or expand leadership to encompass broader product areas or global UX strategy.

• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the future of AI in UX research and contribute to ServiceNow's broader AI strategy.

• Talent Development: Building and scaling a high-performing research team, developing future research leaders.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Opportunities to lead strategic initiatives that span multiple departments and product lines.

• Industry Recognition: Representing ServiceNow at industry conferences and contributing to the advancement of UX research practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The career analysis highlights the significant leadership scope of this role, positioning it as a key stepping stone for further advancement within a major tech organization. The emphasis on strategic influence and talent development is a key draw for senior operations professionals.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: ServiceNow offers a "Flexible" work persona, indicating a hybrid model where employees can choose to work from the office, remotely, or a combination of both, depending on their role and team needs. The Hyderabad office is located in Salarpuria Sattva Knowledge City, a modern business hub.

Office Location(s): The primary specified location is Hyderabad, Telangana, India, within the Salarpuria Sattva Knowledge City. ServiceNow also has a global presence, with offices in numerous locations worldwide, facilitating collaboration with distributed teams.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The flexible work model encourages collaboration through various means, including in-person meetings, virtual collaboration tools, and structured team syncs. The Hyderabad office is likely designed to support both focused work and team interaction.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to a robust suite of collaboration and productivity tools, including ServiceNow's own platform, enterprise-grade communication software, and specialized UX research tools. The role specifically mentions proficiency with AI tools for research.

• Operations Team Interaction: Frequent interaction with UX Researchers, Product Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Research Operations specialists. The role also involves engagement with leadership across different regions.

Work Schedule:

• Standard 40-hour work week, with flexibility to manage work hours to accommodate personal needs and global team collaboration.

• The "Flexible" work persona allows for a balance between structured work and personal time, supporting focus on deep work and efficient task completion.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Flexible" work persona is a key aspect, indicating a modern, trust-based work environment that supports work-life integration. The focus on collaboration and access to advanced tools is typical for a leading tech company.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your resume and application to assess alignment with the core requirements.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion focused on your leadership experience, strategic thinking, research philosophy, and team management approach. Expect questions about your experience with AI in research and influencing product strategy.

• Team/Peer Interviews: Interviews with other UX researchers, design leads, product managers, and engineers. These will assess your collaborative skills, technical depth, and ability to integrate into the existing team dynamic.

• Leadership Panel / Case Study: You may be asked to present a portfolio review or a specific case study demonstrating your strategic impact, leadership, and problem-solving skills. This could involve a hypothetical scenario or a deep dive into a past project.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior executive (e.g., VP of UX) to discuss overall strategic vision, cultural fit, and long-term career aspirations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Strategic Impact: Focus on case studies that demonstrate your ability to influence product strategy and business decisions. Quantify impact whenever possible (e.g., "increased user adoption by X%", "reduced support tickets by Y%").

• Leadership & Mentorship: Showcase examples of how you've built, mentored, and developed research teams. Highlight your approach to fostering psychological safety and creating an inclusive research environment.

• AI Integration: Include examples of how you've leveraged AI or advanced technologies in your research processes or to generate insights.

• Data Triangulation: Demonstrate your ability to synthesize findings from multiple sources (qualitative, quantitative, analytics, behavioral) to form robust, evidence-based perspectives.

• Global & Cross-functional Collaboration: Highlight experience working with diverse, distributed teams and effectively collaborating with Product, Design, and Engineering stakeholders.

• Conciseness & Clarity: Present your work clearly and concisely, focusing on the problem, your approach, the insights, and the impact. Tailor your presentation to the specific requirements of this Director role.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared to discuss your approach to defining and owning a research roadmap, including how you make tradeoffs.

• Practice articulating your vision for a research team and how you foster a culture of innovation and psychological safety.

• Familiarize yourself with ServiceNow's Security and Risk products and the broader enterprise software landscape.

• Think about how you would approach building a customer engagement strategy in India.

• Prepare to discuss your experience with AI tools and their application in UX research.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview and portfolio review process for a Director-level role will heavily scrutinize strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and demonstrated impact. Candidates should be prepared to present comprehensive case studies that highlight these aspects, with a particular focus on AI and team development.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Research Platforms: Tools for survey creation, participant recruitment, usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback, Qualtrics).

• Data Analysis & Visualization: Software for qualitative and quantitative data analysis (e.g., Dovetail, NVivo, R, Python for statistical analysis) and dashboard creation (e.g., Tableau, Power BI).

• Collaboration Suites: Enterprise-grade tools for communication and project management (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Slack, Jira, Confluence).

• AI Tools: Proficiency with AI capabilities for research is explicitly mentioned. This could include AI-powered analysis tools, generative AI for ideation or synthesis, or specific platforms like Claude Skills, Claude Code, or MCP.

• ServiceNow Platform: Familiarity with ServiceNow's own platform for understanding its capabilities and user context is beneficial.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics).

• Product analytics platforms (e.g., Pendo, Mixpanel).

• Business intelligence tools for reporting and dashboarding. CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how CRM data (e.g., Salesforce) can inform user research and how research insights impact customer engagement is valuable.

• Workflow automation tools, potentially including ServiceNow's own automation capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on AI tools is a critical differentiator for this role. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with specific AI applications in research and how they leverage them for efficiency and deeper insights. Proficiency with enterprise-grade collaboration and analytics tools is expected.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Meaningful Work: Aligned with ServiceNow's founding principle, the team values work that frees people from busywork and allows them to focus on impactful, meaningful tasks.

• AI-Native Culture: A commitment to integrating AI across all aspects of work to drive innovation, efficiency, and better outcomes.

• Customer Focus: Deep understanding of user needs and a dedication to delivering exceptional customer value through product excellence.

• Collaboration & Inclusion: Fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are valued, psychological safety is paramount, and cross-functional teamwork thrives.

• Continuous Improvement: A drive for operational excellence, process optimization, and staying at the forefront of industry trends and technologies.

• Discipline & Innovation: Balancing rigorous, evidence-based execution with a willingness to experiment, innovate, and push boundaries.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Strong emphasis on close partnerships with Product Management, Design, Engineering, and Research Operations to ensure research insights are deeply embedded in the product development lifecycle.

• Evidence-Based Communication: Utilizing data and research findings to drive discussions and decision-making, fostering a culture of informed debate.

• Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing: A culture of continuous learning and development, where senior members mentor junior researchers, and knowledge is shared openly across the team and the broader organization.

• Global Team Synergy: Effective collaboration across different geographies and time zones, leveraging diverse perspectives to enrich research outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture values innovation, especially through AI, and emphasizes collaboration and employee well-being, aligning with ServiceNow's overall mission. Psychological safety and inclusion are highlighted as key components of team dynamics.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling Research Globally: Ensuring consistent quality and impact across diverse global teams and markets while managing a distributed workforce.

• Integrating AI Effectively: Navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of AI in research, identifying the most impactful applications, and training the team to leverage these tools responsibly and effectively.

• Influencing Senior Leadership: Consistently translating complex research findings into compelling narratives that drive strategic decisions at the executive level.

• Balancing Strategic Vision with Execution: Effectively managing the research roadmap, making difficult tradeoffs, and ensuring the team delivers high-quality, timely insights amidst competing priorities.

• Fostering Psychological Safety: Creating and maintaining an environment where researchers feel empowered to take risks, share dissenting opinions, and learn from failures.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI in Research Specialization: Deepening expertise in AI-driven research methodologies, tools, and their application to enterprise software.

• Strategic Leadership Development: Opportunities to hone skills in influencing executive stakeholders, shaping organizational strategy, and managing large, distributed teams.

• Cross-Functional Impact: Gaining broader exposure to product strategy, business operations, and market dynamics within the enterprise software sector.

• Industry Engagement: Representing ServiceNow at leading UX research and AI conferences, contributing to the broader industry discourse.

• Mentorship Programs: Participating in or leading mentorship initiatives, developing future leaders within the UX Research field.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section highlights the complexities of leading research in a large, global tech company, particularly with the integration of AI. The growth opportunities are geared towards advancing leadership and strategic capabilities.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you developed and executed a research roadmap for a complex product area. How did you prioritize initiatives, and what was the ultimate impact?" (Focus on strategic tradeoffs, alignment with business goals, and measurable outcomes.)

• "How have you leveraged AI capabilities to enhance UX research processes or generate novel insights? Provide a specific example." (Prepare to discuss specific AI tools, methodologies, and the resulting impact.)

• "Walk us through how you have influenced product strategy at a senior leadership level. What was your approach to building a compelling, evidence-based narrative?" (Highlight stakeholder management, data triangulation, and communication skills.)

• "What is your philosophy on building and leading high-performing, inclusive UX research teams? How do you foster psychological safety and continuous learning?" (Prepare to discuss team-building strategies, mentorship, and culture development.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do you see AI transforming the future of enterprise software UX research, and how would you position ServiceNow's research function to lead in this area?" (Demonstrate understanding of industry trends and strategic vision.)

• "Describe your experience working with global, distributed teams. What are the key challenges and how do you ensure effective collaboration and inclusion?" (Highlight cross-cultural competence and remote leadership skills.)

• "How would you establish and maintain research quality standards across a diverse team, ensuring reliability and consistency?" (Focus on methodology, process, and quality assurance.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Strategic Narrative: Structure your portfolio presentation around strategic impact. For each case study, clearly articulate the business problem, your research approach (including any AI applications), the key insights, and the tangible business/product outcomes.

• Leadership & Team Impact: Include examples that showcase your leadership in mentoring, team building, and fostering a positive research culture.

• AI Proficiency: Dedicate a section or weave in examples of how you've utilized AI tools or methodologies in your research.

• Data Synthesis: Clearly demonstrate your ability to triangulate data from multiple sources to support your conclusions and recommendations.

• Conciseness & Relevance: Tailor your presentation to highlight experiences most relevant to a Director role in enterprise software UX research, focusing on leadership, strategy, and AI. Be prepared to answer in-depth questions about your decision-making process.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic leadership, AI proficiency, and a deep understanding of enterprise UX research. Portfolio presentations should be outcome-oriented and highlight leadership capabilities.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Director, UX Research position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link on SmartRecruiters.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature case studies demonstrating strategic leadership, AI integration in research, team building, and measurable impact on product strategy within an enterprise software context.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your 12+ years of UX research experience and 6+ years of leadership experience, using keywords such as "UX Research," "Product Strategy," "AI," "Stakeholder Management," "Team Leadership," and "Enterprise Software." Quantify achievements whenever possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your strategic vision for research, your approach to team leadership, and specific examples of how you've driven product decisions through user insights, particularly leveraging AI. Rehearse your portfolio presentation.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research ServiceNow's mission, products (especially Security and Risk Workflows), and company culture. Understand their approach to AI and digital transformation to demonstrate alignment during interviews.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.