As the name suggests USER experience, your role is focused on the user. While designing skills are useful, they are not essential. What would be useful is to know how to perform various methods of research and analysis to understand the user and find user pain points and using problem solving skills to fix these problems. Not all the time is the solution a design based solution. For example a simple change of copy could make a big difference.
some methods of research
-usability testing. via observation. watching how the user uses your products
-user interviews
-quantitative analytics. using tools like google analytics or crazy egg
when it comes to designing. even rough sketching is sufficient for a ux person.
Your role is to find that balance between making the product meet the users goals and meeting various stakeholders expectations.
There are UX designers as well UX specialists and professionals. I know several ux specialists that don't come from a design background and don't know any designing software.