New

Senior Director, User Experience Design

Equinix
paid time off, paid holidays, retirement plan
United States, California, Redwood City
1 Lagoon Drive (Show on map)
Feb 12, 2026
Who are we? Equinix is the world's digital infrastructure company, shortening the path to connectivity to enable the innovations that enrich our work, life and planet. A place where bold ideas are welcomed, human connection is valued, and everyone has the opportunity to shape their future. A career at Equinix means being at the center of shaping what comes next and amplifying customer value through innovation and impact.You'll work across teams, influence key decisions, and help shape the path forward. You'll find belonging, purpose, and a team that welcomes you-because when you feel valued, you're empowered to do your best work. About the oppportunity We're seeking a visionary user experience design leader to define and elevate the experience across our entire ecosystem. from digital products to physical spaces, customer touchpoints and employee workflows. As Senior Director and Head of UX Design, you'll set the strategic direction for how people interact with our organization, translating business objectives into coherent, measurable, and delightful experiences. This is a high-impact leadership role where you'll partner with executives across Product, Engineering, Sales, Marketing, Operations and People to ensure design isn't just integrated into our development process-it drives it. As Head of UX Design, you'll champion the user's perspective at the highest levels, derisk major investments through strategic research, and build the design organization that will scale with our ambitions. What You''ll Do Shape the Future of Experience Design Develop and execute a comprehensive UX strategy that aligns customer, partner, and employee experiences with business objectives Establish a clear, inspiring vision for experience design across all products and services-digital and physical Define the principles that guide design decisions throughout the organization, ensuring consistency and alignment with measurable business outcomes Codify critical user journeys at the executive level, making them actionable, measurable, and accountable Drive Strategic Design Initiatives Across the Business Serve as a strategic partner to senior business leaders (S/VPs in Product, CRO, Operations) to align on desired user experiences and business outcomes Champion and fund cross-functional design initiatives that span multiple teams, enabling more intuitive and scalable products Partner deeply with Product and Engineering to integrate UX into all development processes from inception through launch Collaborate with Marketing to ensure brand consistency across every digital and physical touchpoint Work with Operations to optimize field service experiences and physical space design, including facility wayfinding Influence technology architecture decisions to ensure both scalability and exceptional usability Establish Design Coherence at Scale Create and govern design systems that ensure consistency across our entire experience ecosystem Oversee the development of cohesive patterns, shared language, and consistent nomenclature that teams actually adopt Drive adoption of design systems and content standards-making them the path of least resistance, not optional Establish and enforce accessibility standards that meet or exceed WCAG guidelines Oversee experience architecture and information architecture to ensure logical navigation and efficient user flows Ground Design Decisions in Deep Customer Insight Ensure design work solves the right problems by embedding validation with real users throughout the process Build research practice that combines generative discovery (identifying unmet needs in the colocation market) with evaluative testing Translate research insights into actionable design opportunities and compelling business recommendations Establish feedback loops that continuously inform design decisions with both qualitative and quantitative data De-risk major product investments through strategic research, journey audits, and rigorous hypothesis testing Build and Develop a World-Class User Design Organization Recruit, mentor, and scale a high-performing UX team including researchers, designers, and design technologists Create clear career ladders and growth paths for UX Research, Service Design, and Design Operations roles Foster a culture of craft, collaboration, and continuous learning that attracts and retains top talent Develop your team's strategic thinking and business acumen so they can be effective partners across the organization What You Need to Bring Strategic Leadership 12+ years of experience in UX/product design with at least 5 years leading design organizations at scale Proven track record of developing and executing design strategies that deliver measurable business impact Experience partnering with C-suite and senior executives to drive alignment on experience vision and investments Demonstrated ability to champion user needs while balancing business constraints and technical feasibility Essential Domain Experience Strong experience in B2B SaaS, infrastructure, or colocation/data center industries Experience with both customer-facing and internal/employee experience design Familiarity with accessibility standards and inclusive design practices Understanding of design operations and how to scale design practice efficiently Design Excellence Deep expertise across the full spectrum of UX disciplines: research, service design, interaction design, information architecture, and design systems Portfolio demonstrating work that spans digital products and physical experiences Strong point of view on design quality with the ability to elevate craft across an organization Experience establishing and scaling design systems that teams genuinely adopt Cross-Functional Partnership Exceptional ability to influence without authority and build coalitions across Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Operations Track record of chartering and funding successful cross-organizational design initiatives Experience collaborating with technology leaders to influence architecture decisions for better user outcomes Skilled at translating between design language and business/technical language Research & Data-Informed Decision Making Strong background in both generative and evaluative user research methodologies Experience using research to de-risk major product investments and inform strategic decisions Ability to synthesize insights from multiple sources (qualitative, quantitative, market) into clear recommendations Comfort with ambiguity and creating structure where none exists Team Building & Talent Development Proven ability to attract, develop, and retain exceptional design talent Experience building career frameworks and progression paths that support growth and retention Track record of developing leaders, not just individual contributors Commitment to fostering inclusive, collaborative team culture Why This Role Matters You'll have the rare opportunity to shape experience design for a global organization at the heart of the AI super-cycle at a critical inflection point. Your work will directly influence how thousands of customers, partners, and employees interact with our organization every day. You'll build the design practice from a position of strength, with executive support to make bold bets and the autonomy to define what great looks like. This isn't a role where design is an afterthought-it's a strategic imperative. We're looking for someone who can see around corners, champion the user perspective at the highest levels, and build an organization that makes great design inevitable. This posting is a new position within our organization. The Canada targeted pay range for this position in the following location is: Canada - Toronto Office TRO : 202,000 - 302,000 CAD / Annual The United States targeted pay range for this position in the following location is / locations are: San Francisco, CA / Bay Area: $223,000 to $335,000 per year California (Non-SF/Bay Area), Connecticut, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Washington state: $219,000 to $329,000 per year Colorado, Nevada, Rhode Island: $202,000 to $304,000 per year Our pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum target for new hire pay for the full-time position determined by role, level, and location. Individual pay is based on additional factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education and/or training. This position may be offered in other locations. Your recruiter can share more about the specific pay range for your preferred location during the hiring process. The targeted pay range listed reflects the base pay only and does not include bonus, equity, or benefits. Employees are eligible for bonus, and equity may be offered depending on the position. As an employee, you become important to Equinix's success. Details about our company benefits can be found at the following link: USA Benefits eBook Equinix Benefits* As an employee, you become important to Equinix's success. We ensure all your benefits are in line with our core values: competitive, inclusive, sustainable, connected and efficient. We keep them competitive within the current marketplace to ensure we're providing you with the best package possible. So, wherever you are in your career and life, you'll be able to enhance your experience and bring your whole self to work. Employee Assistance Program: An Employee Assistance program is available to all employees. US Benefits: - 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. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific plan or program terms. Canada Core Benefits: - 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. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits. Benefits are subject to specific plan or program terms, and to change at Equinix discretion. Equinix is committed to ensuring that our employment process is open to all individuals, including those with a disability. If you are a qualified candidate and need assistance or an accommodation, please let us know by completing this form. Equinix is an Equal Employment Opportunity and, in the U.S., an Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to unlawful consideration of race, color, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, place of birth, citizenship, sex, pregnancy / childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or domestic partnership status, age, veteran or military status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, political / organizational affiliation, status as a victim or family member of a victim of crime or abuse, or any other status protected by applicable law. We use artificial intelligence in our hiring process. Learn more here.