Sr. Director, Customer Insights & UX Research

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Sr. Director, Customer Insights & UX Research

Company: Alteryx

Location: United States (Remote)

Job Type: Other

Category: Customer Insights & User Experience Operations

Date Posted: August 15, 2025

Experience Level: 10+ Years

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and unify a critical customer insights function encompassing UX Research, Voice of Customer (VoC) programs, and Product Telemetry.

• Drive strategic decision-making by translating complex customer data into actionable insights that influence product vision, roadmap prioritization, and go-to-market strategies.

• Champion the democratization of customer data and insights across the organization by developing self-service tools, dashboards, and comprehensive training programs.

• Represent the voice of the customer in executive-level discussions, advocating for customer needs with clarity, context, and conviction.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned at a senior leadership level, focusing on building and scaling an integrated insights function. The emphasis on unifying disparate teams (UX Research, VoC, Telemetry) and democratizing data suggests a strong operational and strategic component, akin to a Head of Operations or Director of Operations role within the Product organization, but with a specialized focus on customer understanding and product development lifecycle integration.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Unify and scale the Customer Insights function, integrating UX Research (qualitative and quantitative), Voice of Customer (VoC) programs (including Preview Programs), and Product Telemetry and Analytics Enablement.

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of senior managers and specialists across these three distinct, yet interconnected, domains.

• Shape and deliver strategic insights that directly inform product vision, influence roadmap prioritization decisions, and enhance go-to-market strategies.

• Drive insight accessibility by developing and maintaining interactive dashboards, creating robust training programs, and enabling self-service data utilization for various business units.

• Act as the primary advocate for the customer in executive-level conversations, presenting findings and recommendations with clarity, context, and persuasive conviction.

• Establish and operationalize consistent best practices, methodologies, and necessary infrastructure to effectively scale research operations and telemetry data analysis.

• Foster strong cross-functional collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, UX Design, Product Operations, Marketing, and Customer Support teams to ensure a holistic customer understanding.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic leadership, team management, and operational execution. The emphasis on "unifying and scaling" points to the need for a candidate with experience in organizational design and process standardization within an insights function. Operationalizing self-service analytics and building training programs are key operational deliverables for this role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in a related field such as Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Sociology, Statistics, Computer Science, Business Analytics, or a related discipline is highly advantageous for understanding research methodologies and data analysis.

Experience:

• A minimum of 12 years of progressive experience in customer insights, user experience (UX) research, data analytics, product analytics, or closely related fields.

• A minimum of 5 years of direct experience in leadership roles, managing and developing senior managers and multi-disciplinary teams.

• A demonstrable track record of successfully unifying, building, and scaling customer insight functions, preferably within a product-led, B2B SaaS environment.

• Proven ability to influence senior executive stakeholders and drive tangible business outcomes through insightful data interpretation and strategic recommendations.

• Deep functional expertise in at least two of the following three domains: UX Research (qualitative and quantitative methodologies), Voice of Customer (VoC) programs and customer feedback management, or Product Telemetry and data analytics.

• Hands-on experience operationalizing self-service analytics platforms, developing comprehensive training programs, and coaching teams on data utilization and interpretation.

• Exceptional storytelling and communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex data sets and research findings into clear, concise, and compelling narratives for diverse audiences.

Required Skills:

• UX Research Methodologies: Proficiency in designing, conducting, and analyzing both qualitative (e.g., interviews, usability testing, ethnographic studies) and quantitative (e.g., surveys, A/B testing, analytics) research.

• Customer Voice Programs: Expertise in establishing and managing VoC initiatives, including feedback collection, analysis, and reporting, as well as managing customer preview/beta programs.

• Product Telemetry & Analytics: Strong understanding of product usage data, telemetry collection, data analysis, and the ability to enable others to leverage this data effectively.

• Leadership & Team Management: Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams, including senior-level individual contributors and managers.

• Strategic Thinking & Influence: Capacity to develop and articulate a strategic vision for customer insights and influence executive decision-making.

• Communication & Storytelling: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with a talent for presenting complex information in an accessible and impactful manner.

• Data Storytelling: Ability to translate data into compelling narratives that drive understanding and action.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Skill in building and maintaining strong working relationships with diverse internal teams (Product, Engineering, Marketing, Sales, Support).

• SaaS Product Development: Familiarity with the B2B SaaS product development lifecycle and the role of insights within it.

• Training & Enablement: Experience in developing and delivering training programs to enhance data literacy and research skills across an organization.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with specific analytics tools and platforms common in B2B SaaS environments (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Pendo, Google Analytics).

• Proficiency in data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) for creating insightful dashboards.

• Experience with survey platforms (e.g., Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey) and VoC management tools.

• Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and their role in customer data management.

• Understanding of statistical analysis and modeling techniques.

• Experience in a global, matrixed organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize a blend of deep domain expertise in insights and research, coupled with strong leadership and strategic capabilities. The emphasis on "unifying and scaling" suggests a need for operational process development and team building experience. The preference for B2B SaaS and product-led growth environments is critical context.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a portfolio showcasing successful initiatives in unifying disparate data sources and research functions into a cohesive insights strategy.

• Provide examples of how customer insights have directly influenced product strategy, roadmap prioritization, and business outcomes, supported by measurable results (e.g., increased user adoption, improved conversion rates, higher customer satisfaction).

• Include case studies of implementing and scaling research operations, highlighting process improvements, efficiency gains, and team development.

• Showcase experience in building and operationalizing self-service analytics dashboards and training programs, demonstrating how these initiatives enabled broader organizational data fluency.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of designing and implementing standardized research methodologies and workflows to ensure consistency and quality across different research projects and teams.

• Documentation illustrating the development and execution of scalable Voice of Customer programs, including feedback loop mechanisms and actionability frameworks.

• Examples of establishing and managing product telemetry data collection, analysis, and reporting processes, ensuring data integrity and accessibility.

• Demonstrate experience in creating process documentation for training new team members or enabling non-researchers to leverage customer insights effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role at this level, a portfolio is crucial for demonstrating strategic impact and operational capability. It should clearly articulate the candidate's ability to build, scale, and integrate insights functions, with a strong emphasis on measurable business outcomes and cross-functional enablement.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $225,000 - $265,000 annually.

Benefits:

• Bonus/Commission: Eligibility for performance-based bonuses or commissions, reflecting the role's impact on business objectives.

• Medical: Comprehensive health insurance coverage, likely including medical, dental, and vision plans.

• Retirement: A retirement savings plan, such as a 401(k) with potential company match, to support long-term financial planning.

• Financial: Access to financial planning resources or benefits, potentially including stock options or other equity programs.

• Wellness: Programs and resources focused on employee well-being, which may include gym memberships, mental health support, or wellness stipends.

• Time Off: Generous paid time off (PTO) policies, including vacation days, sick leave, and holidays, to promote work-life balance.

• Employee Discounts: Opportunities for discounts on Alteryx products, services, or partner offerings.

• Other Benefits: A wide range of additional benefits may be available, as indicated by the company's commitment to a comprehensive employee package.

Working Hours: While not explicitly stated, a standard full-time workweek of approximately 40 hours is typical for a Sr. Director role. However, given the remote nature and leadership responsibilities, flexibility is often expected, with the ability to adapt working hours to accommodate global team collaboration and critical project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is competitive for a Senior Director level role in a tech company, especially for a remote position in the US. The comprehensive benefits package indicates Alteryx's commitment to employee well-being and long-term engagement.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software, specifically focused on data analytics, business intelligence, and automation solutions. Alteryx provides a platform that empowers users to prepare, blend, and analyze data from various sources without complex coding.

Company Size: Alteryx is a well-established, publicly traded company. While the exact number of employees isn't provided in the snippet, it's a significant organization with a global presence, likely employing several thousand individuals. This size suggests a structured environment with established processes, but also opportunities for individual impact.

Founded: Alteryx was founded in 1997. This long history indicates stability, market experience, and a mature understanding of the data analytics landscape.

Team Structure:

• The Sr. Director will be part of the Product & UX leadership team, reporting into a senior executive (likely CPO or similar).

• The role involves leading three distinct teams: UX Research, Customer Voice Programs, and Product Telemetry, each likely managed by a senior leader or manager.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Alteryx's core offering is data analytics, so a data-driven approach is fundamental to its culture and operations.

• Customer-Centricity: The role explicitly emphasizes understanding and serving real customer needs, indicating a strong focus on customer feedback and user experience.

• Innovation & Problem-Solving: As a software company in a rapidly evolving tech landscape, Alteryx likely fosters a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and creative problem-solving.

• Collaboration: The need for cross-functional work implies a collaborative environment where teams work together to achieve common goals.

Company Website: alteryx.com/careers

📝 Enhancement Note: Alteryx operates in the data analytics space, suggesting a culture that values data-driven insights, technological innovation, and problem-solving. A large company size implies a need for strong process orientation and the ability to navigate a complex organizational structure.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership position, equivalent to a Vice President or Senior Director level within a specialized function. It requires a blend of deep functional expertise, strategic vision, and proven leadership capabilities. The role is pivotal in shaping Alteryx's product development strategy through customer insights.

Reporting Structure: The Sr. Director will report to a senior executive within the Product organization (e.g., Chief Product Officer or SVP of Product). They will lead a team of managers and individual contributors across three distinct insight functions. This structure provides significant influence and direct reports.

Operations Impact: The insights generated and disseminated by this function will have a profound impact on Alteryx's product strategy, roadmap prioritization, feature development, and overall customer experience. By ensuring product decisions are grounded in deep customer understanding, this role directly influences product-market fit, customer satisfaction, adoption, and ultimately, revenue growth.

Growth Opportunities:

• Functional Leadership Expansion: Potential to expand the scope of the Customer Insights function, taking on additional responsibilities related to market research, competitive intelligence, or customer success analytics.

• Executive Leadership Progression: A successful tenure in this role could lead to advancement into higher executive positions within the Product organization or even broader strategic leadership roles across the company.

• Strategic Influence: Opportunities to shape company-wide product strategy, influence executive decision-making, and drive significant business outcomes through customer-centric initiatives.

• Team Development: The chance to build and mentor a world-class insights team, fostering a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous learning.

• Industry Recognition: Contributing to thought leadership in customer insights, UX research, and data analytics within the B2B SaaS industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth potential, moving from leading specialized teams to influencing broader product strategy and potentially executive leadership. The emphasis on building and scaling functions provides excellent experience for future leadership roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The position is listed as "US - Remote," indicating a fully remote work arrangement within the United States. This means there is no central office requirement for daily attendance.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, Alteryx likely has physical office locations in various parts of the United States and potentially globally, serving as hubs for collaboration or specific operational functions, though this specific role does not require presence in any of them.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration: The work environment is predominantly remote, requiring strong digital communication and collaboration tools and practices. Expect heavy reliance on video conferencing, instant messaging, and project management software.

• Tools & Technology: Access to Alteryx's suite of analytics products, as well as standard productivity and collaboration software (e.g., Microsoft Office 365, Slack, Zoom, Jira, Confluence).

• Team Interaction: While remote, opportunities for team interaction will occur through scheduled video calls, virtual team-building activities, and collaborative online sessions. The role requires proactive engagement to foster team cohesion and knowledge sharing.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time work schedule (approximately 40 hours per week) is expected. However, the remote nature often allows for some flexibility in managing personal time and work hours, provided that core responsibilities are met and collaboration with teams in different time zones is managed effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature of the role is a key aspect of the work environment. Candidates should be comfortable with asynchronous communication, self-discipline, and effective use of digital collaboration tools.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely conduct an initial phone screen to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper dive into your experience, leadership style, strategic thinking, and specific accomplishments related to unifying insights functions and driving impact.

• Cross-Functional Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with key partners from Product Management, Engineering, UX, and potentially Marketing or Sales to evaluate collaboration skills, communication style, and ability to influence diverse teams.

• Team Interviews: Interviews with direct reports or senior team members to assess leadership approach, mentorship capabilities, and ability to foster a positive team culture.

• Executive Presentation/Case Study: A common step for senior roles, this may involve presenting a strategic plan for the insights function, a case study of a past success, or a proposal for tackling a specific business challenge related to customer insights. This is where your portfolio will be critical.

• Final Round/Executive Interview: A conversation with a very senior executive (e.g., CPO, CTO, or CEO) to discuss strategic vision, leadership philosophy, and alignment with company goals.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio logically, perhaps by functional area (UX Research, VoC, Telemetry) or by business impact (e.g., influencing product strategy, improving customer retention).

• Quantify Impact: For each project or initiative, clearly articulate the problem, your approach, the specific actions you took, and the measurable outcomes achieved. Use metrics and data to demonstrate ROI and business value.

• Showcase Leadership: Include examples of team building, process improvement, and cross-functional collaboration. Highlight how you've mentored and developed talent.

• Demonstrate Unification: Provide specific examples of how you've integrated different insight functions, broken down silos, and created a unified understanding of the customer.

• Tailor to Alteryx: Research Alteryx's products, target audience, and current challenges. Frame your portfolio examples to resonate with their business context and strategic priorities.

• Prepare to Present: Be ready to walk through key portfolio items in detail, explaining your thought process, challenges, and the impact of your work. Practice your narrative.

Challenge Preparation:

• Strategic Plan: Be prepared to outline your vision for the Customer Insights function at Alteryx, including how you would unify the three key areas, set priorities, and measure success.

• Problem-Solving: Anticipate questions about how you would approach specific challenges, such as low research participation, data silos, or difficulty in translating insights into action.

• Leadership Scenarios: Prepare for behavioral questions about managing teams, resolving conflicts, influencing stakeholders, and driving change.

• Data Interpretation: Be ready to discuss how you would analyze product telemetry data, synthesize qualitative and quantitative findings, and communicate insights effectively to different audiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will likely be rigorous, testing strategic thinking, leadership, and operational acumen. A well-prepared portfolio is essential for demonstrating impact and suitability for this senior leadership role.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Research Tools: Proficiency with a range of qualitative and quantitative research tools such as:

  • User Interview Platforms: UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, Userzoom, Hotjar (for session recordings/heatmaps).

  • Survey Platforms: Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Google Forms.

  • Collaboration/Synthesis Tools: Miro, Mural, Dovetail, Condens.

• Customer Voice (VoC) Platforms: Experience with tools that manage customer feedback, surveys, and community forums such as:

  • Feedback Management: Medallia, Clarabridge, Gainsight, Sprinklr.

  • Preview Program Management: Tools for managing beta testers and feedback collection within those programs.

• Product Telemetry & Analytics Tools: Deep understanding and experience with tools used for tracking product usage, user behavior, and performance metrics:

  • Product Analytics: Amplitude, Mixpanel, Pendo, Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics.

  • Data Warehousing/ETL: Familiarity with how telemetry data is stored and accessed (e.g., Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift).

• Data Visualization & Business Intelligence Tools: Ability to create dashboards and reports for insights dissemination:

  • BI Platforms: Tableau, Power BI, Looker.

• CRM Systems: Understanding of how customer data is managed and leveraged within CRM systems:

  • CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot.

• Project Management & Collaboration Tools: Essential for managing research projects and team workflows:

  • PM Tools: Jira, Asana, Trello.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Expertise in analyzing complex datasets to identify trends, patterns, and actionable insights related to customer behavior and product usage.

• Skill in designing and building interactive dashboards that provide clear visibility into key customer insights metrics for various stakeholders.

CRM & Automation:

• Understanding of how CRM data integrates with product usage and feedback data to provide a holistic customer view.

• Familiarity with automation tools that can streamline research operations, feedback collection, or reporting processes.

• Experience with integration platforms to ensure seamless data flow between different systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong command of a wide array of analytics, research, and collaboration tools is essential. The candidate must be adept at leveraging these tools to build and manage the integrated insights function and enable data democratization.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Obsession: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for customer needs, ensuring that customer feedback and behavior are central to product development and business decisions.

• Data-Driven Excellence: A commitment to rigorous data analysis, objective insights, and evidence-based decision-making.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Fostering an open, collaborative environment where information is shared freely, and cross-functional partnerships are prioritized to achieve shared goals.

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Embracing new methodologies, tools, and approaches to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the insights function.

• Impact & Accountability: A focus on driving measurable business impact through insights, taking ownership of outcomes, and delivering on commitments.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive Partnership: Actively engaging with Product, Engineering, UX, Marketing, and Support teams to integrate customer insights into their workflows and decision-making processes.

• Insight Facilitation: Acting as a bridge between raw data and actionable strategy, translating complex findings into clear, compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.

• Knowledge Sharing: Establishing mechanisms and fostering a culture for sharing insights, best practices, and learnings across teams to build collective customer understanding.

• Feedback Integration: Creating efficient loops for incorporating feedback from various sources (research, VoC, telemetry) into product development cycles and strategic planning.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture values a proactive, data-driven approach to understanding customers and driving product success through collaboration and continuous improvement.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Unifying Disparate Functions: Integrating three distinct teams (UX Research, VoC, Telemetry) with potentially different methodologies, cultures, and priorities into a cohesive, high-performing unit requires strong change management and strategic alignment skills.

• Scaling Operations: Building and scaling the infrastructure, processes, and team capabilities to meet the growing demands of a dynamic B2B SaaS company.

• Data Democratization: Effectively enabling self-service access and utilization of customer insights across a large organization, which requires not only providing tools but also effective training and ongoing support.

• Influencing Executive Decisions: Consistently translating complex customer data into compelling narratives that influence strategic product decisions and gain buy-in from senior leadership.

• Balancing Qual & Quant: Ensuring a balanced approach to both qualitative (understanding the 'why') and quantitative (understanding the 'what' and 'how much') research to provide comprehensive customer understanding.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership Development: Opportunities to hone strategic planning, organizational design, and executive communication skills.

• Industry Best Practices: Staying at the forefront of advancements in UX research, data analytics, and customer insights methodologies through conferences, training, and peer networking.

• Mentorship: Potential to mentor and develop emerging talent within the insights field, shaping the next generation of customer understanding professionals.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Deepening understanding of product management, engineering, marketing, and sales functions through close collaboration.

• Advanced Analytics Techniques: Exploring and implementing advanced analytics, AI, and machine learning techniques for deeper customer insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents significant challenges in organizational integration and operational scaling, but offers substantial growth opportunities in strategic leadership and functional expertise.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Vision for Customer Insights: "Describe your vision for a unified customer insights function in a company like Alteryx. How would you integrate UX Research, VoC, and Product Telemetry, and what would be your key priorities in the first 90-180 days?"

  • Preparation: Focus on your strategic framework for integration, key success metrics, and how you'd approach building trust and collaboration between the teams. Outline specific initiatives for data democratization.

• Influencing Product Strategy: "Tell me about a time you used customer insights to significantly influence a product roadmap or strategy. What was the situation, what insights did you uncover, how did you communicate them, and what was the ultimate business impact?"

  • Preparation: Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Be ready to discuss the data you used, the challenges in communicating your findings, and how you measured success.

• Scaling Research Operations: "How would you approach scaling UX research and customer insights operations to support a growing B2B SaaS product portfolio? What systems, processes, and team structures would you consider?"

  • Preparation: Discuss frameworks for prioritization, resource allocation, methodology standardization, and the role of technology in scaling. Emphasize building repeatable processes.

• Managing Senior Leaders: "Describe your experience leading and managing senior managers. How do you empower them, foster their development, and ensure alignment with your strategic vision?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• Alteryx's Customer Focus: "Based on what you know about Alteryx, where do you see the biggest opportunities to deepen customer understanding and integrate those insights into product development?"

  • Preparation: Research Alteryx's products, customer base, and recent news. Connect your experience to their specific business context.

• Collaboration in a Remote Environment: "How do you foster strong collaboration and a unified team culture when working remotely with multiple specialized teams?"

  • Preparation: Discuss your approach to communication, virtual team building, knowledge sharing, and conflict resolution in a distributed setting.

• Data-Driven Culture: "How would you champion a data-driven culture and promote the use of customer insights across non-product teams like Marketing, Sales, and Support?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Executive Summary: Begin with a high-level overview of your leadership philosophy and approach to customer insights.

• Key Case Studies: Select 3-4 of your most impactful projects that demonstrate your ability to unify functions, drive strategy, and achieve measurable results. For each:

  • Clearly state the business problem.
  • Detail your role and the methodologies used.
  • Highlight the specific insights uncovered.
  • Explain how these insights influenced decisions.
  • Quantify the business impact (e.g., revenue growth, cost savings, improved user engagement).

• Process & Systems: Briefly touch upon the operational frameworks, tools, and processes you've implemented to scale insights functions.

• Team Development: Include an example of how you've mentored or developed a team member or built a high-performing team.

• Conciseness: Be prepared to present within a set timeframe, focusing on the most critical aspects of your work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic leadership, operational execution, and the ability to translate complex data into actionable business recommendations, supported by concrete examples from your portfolio.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Sr. Director, Customer Insights & UX Research position:

• Submit your application through the Alteryx Careers portal via the provided URL.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and, if applicable, a portfolio (or links to relevant work samples) to highlight experience in unifying insights functions (UX Research, VoC, Telemetry), leading senior teams, influencing product strategy, and scaling operations within B2B SaaS environments. Showcase quantifiable achievements.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your 12+ years of experience and 5+ years of leadership, using keywords from the job description such as "Customer Insights," "UX Research," "Product Telemetry," "Voice of Customer," "Data Analytics," "Leadership," "Strategic Insights," and "SaaS."

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Alteryx's products, market position, recent news, and stated company values. Understand their approach to data analytics and customer experience.

• Interview Preparation: Prepare to discuss your strategic vision for the role, provide detailed examples of past successes using the STAR method, and be ready for a potential case study or executive presentation demonstrating your ability to drive impact through customer insights.

⚠️ 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.