Equinix · 12 hours ago
Director, Primary Customer Research
Redwood City, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
$240K/yr - $360K/yr
10+ years expEquinix is the world’s digital infrastructure company®, and they are seeking a seasoned Director of Primary Customer Research to lead their customer insight initiatives. This leader will design and execute research programs that directly influence product, marketing, and customer experience strategies.
Telecom & CommunicationsCloud ComputingSoftwareInformation TechnologyCloud Data ServicesData CenterInfrastructureInternet
Responsibilities
Lead the design and execution of primary research programs, including quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, ethnographies, and concept testing
Translate complex customer insights into clear, actionable recommendations that guide strategic decisions across product, marketing, and CX teams
Oversee the research roadmap and manage partnerships with external research vendors and agencies
Champion customer-centricity across the organization by embedding research insights into planning and go-to-market processes
Manage and mentor a team of researchers, ensuring best practices in methodology, analysis, and stakeholder communication
Work cross-functionally with analytics, data science, and UX research to integrate multiple data sources for a holistic view of the customer
Present executive-level insights that inform C-suite priorities, market positioning, and innovation strategy
Partner with Go-To-Market and engineering teams as a peer
Work side-by-side with Go-To-Market, Engineering, AI and data science leadership to evaluate technical options, identify technical tradeoffs, estimate effort, and make architecture recommendations where applicable
Critique and challenge inflated estimates and oversimplified proposals; know when a 'simple' request is actually complex
Guide engineering toward pragmatic solutions when requirements are ambiguous or shifting
Drive business impact through stakeholder partnership
Build trust-based relationships with senior business stakeholders by understanding their strategy, pain points, and how data and AI solutions can help
Run monthly/quarterly portfolio reviews to ensure delivery stays on track and aligned to business needs
Set clear expectations, push back on low-value requests, and educate stakeholders on what's possible and what's not
Frame ambiguous problems, generate hypotheses, and drive to recommendations when there's no clear precedent
Manage through transition and complexity
Lead data product continuity during a major technology stack migration; ensure critical reporting capabilities remain intact as systems transition over multiple quarters
Partner with engineering to design interim solutions that bridge old and new data models during migration
Balance strategic roadmap work with operational needs; protect time for building while keeping the lights on for products in ‘maintenance’ mode
Bring outside-in perspective
Stay current on analytics, AI/ML, and data product trends; bring relevant innovations (e.g., Product 360 approaches, AI-augmented BI, knowledge graphs) to inform roadmap decisions
Serve as a trusted advisor to business partners on what's emerging and what's hype
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Behavioral Science, or related field; advanced degree preferred
10+ years of experience in customer insights, market research, or related fields, with at least 5 years in a leadership capacity
Proven success in designing and implementing large-scale primary research studies
Expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methods and in synthesizing research into business impact
Strong data storytelling and communication skills, including executive presentation experience
Experience with tools such as Qualtrics, Medallia, SPSS, or similar research platforms
Excellent leadership, collaboration, and vendor management abilities
Preferred
Experience managing AI/ML product development end-to-end, from problem framing through deployment and iteration
Experience building customer-facing data products, not just internal tools / dashboards
Experience with building LLM ready semantic layer – ensure semantic layer is governed, well-modeled, and reliable
Cloud data platform expertise (e.g., BigQuery, Snowflake, Databricks, Redshift)
Familiarity with MLOps concepts: feature stores, model serving, monitoring, retraining
Industry background in cloud infrastructure, B2B SaaS, data centers, telecommunications, or multi-cloud networking
Benefits
Employee Assistance Program
Insurance: You may enroll in health, life, disability and voluntary plans that are designed for you and your eligible family members.
Retirement: You and Equinix may contribute to a retirement plan to help you plan for your financial future.
Paid Time Off (PTO) and Paid Holidays: You will receive an accrued amount of PTO each pay period along with various paid holidays for you to rest and recharge.
Insurance: You may enroll in healthcare coverage that is designed to complement the provincial healthcare system, along with life, disability and optional benefit plans that are designed for you and your eligible family members.
Retirement: You may also enroll in Equinix-sponsored retirement or savings plans: Defined Contribution Pension Plan (DCPP), Group Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) and Tax-Free Savings Plan (TSFA).
Vacation and Paid Holidays: Equinix offers both vacation and personal time, along with various paid holidays for you to rest and recharge.
Company
Equinix
Equinix is an internet company that provides data center services for companies, businesses, and organizations.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Equinix has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (113)
2024 (157)
2023 (117)
2022 (121)
2021 (179)
2020 (122)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$4.27BKey Investors
Elliott Management Corp.Crosslink Capital
2025-11-19Post Ipo Debt· $498.42M
2025-07-22Post Ipo Equity
2025-03-17Post Ipo Debt· $375.86M
Leadership Team
Adaire Fox-Martin
Chief Executive Officer & President
Keith Taylor
Chief Financial Officer
Recent News
Sherwood News
2026-02-13
Straits Times
2026-02-13
Company data provided by crunchbase