I am skilled at developing people, clarifying direction, and building the conditions for great work. My practice sits at the intersection of product strategy, organizational design, and user experience, directing teams that ship products to millions of users.
With 10+ years leading large UX organizations at enterprise technology companies, I translate complex business challenges into scalable design solutions, aligning teams, stakeholders, and strategy to drive measurable outcomes.
Let's grab a coffee and chat. Drop me an email or a note on LinkedIn.
James is a tremendous UX leader with a deep understanding of user needs and product pain points. He brings strategic vision and genuine insight to every conversation, helping shape the direction of our work while creating space for the team to explore, experiment, and push ideas further.
Micaela Dodson Sr. UX Content Designer
Experience
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User Experience Director Indeed 2022–2026
Promoted twice to lead UX across Indeed's core business verticals on both sides of the marketplace. Took a $200M product to $550M in two years. Shipped two core AI B2B products. Led a 16-person UX org within a 120-person product team.
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User Experience Manager Indeed 2020–2022
Responsible for the UX of the highest-trafficked job seeker surfaces on Indeed.com (~200M MAU). Transformed and modernized the job seeker discovery experiences that accounted for millions of additional hires. Led a 9-person UX org within an 85-person product team.
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Creative Director Medici Technologies 2019-2019
Rebuilt and led the design team, and worked alongside executives on product and business strategy. I helped design patent-pending innovations in healthcare tech. Built a 3-person UX org within a 20-person product team.
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Creative Director Chiron Health 2016–2018
Player/coach responsible for UX/IA Design, and partnered with the CEO on a vision that resulted in the company's successful acquisition. Led UX as a team of one within a 6-person product team.
Work
Leading UX for an Agentic Sourcing Product
Directed UX strategy from a 5-person tiger team to GA launch across a 40-person product org.
View private case study →Aligning Two Flagship Launches Through Platform Influence
Used influence and coalition-building to re-sequence a peer team's roadmap, eliminating throwaway code and aligning two major launches.
View private case study →Moving a Chatbot Product Beyond Its Modality
Identified that Talent Scout's chatbot interface was holding back creativity and innovation, and directed an 8-month strategy shift that earned CTO endorsement.
View private case study →Guiding a Team to Survive Multiple Simultaneous Transitions
Navigated a reorg, four senior departures, and a mid-launch lead transition without losing delivery velocity.
View private case study →Private Case Study
Leading UX for an Agentic Sourcing Product
Directed UX strategy from a 5-person tiger team to GA launch across a 40-person product org.
The full case study is shared selectively. Get in touch for access.
Incorrect password
Private Case Study
Aligning Two Flagship Launches Through Platform Influence
Used Steering Committee authority and coalition-building to re-sequence a peer team's roadmap, eliminating throwaway code and aligning two major launches.
The full case study is shared selectively. Get in touch for access.
Incorrect password
Private Case Study
Moving a Chatbot Product Past Its Modality
Identified that Talent Scout's chatbot interface was the ceiling, not the floor, and directed an 8-month strategy shift that earned CTO endorsement.
The full case study is shared selectively. Get in touch for access.
Incorrect password
Private Case Study
Guiding a Team to Survive Multiple Simultaneous Transitions
Navigated a reorg, four senior departures, and a mid-launch lead transition without losing delivery velocity.
The full case study is shared selectively. Get in touch for access.
Incorrect password
James Hafner
[email protected] · Austin, TX
Strategic UX Executive with 10+ years leading high-performing design teams that drive measurable business outcomes. I've scaled organizations across B2B and B2C environments, transforming complex challenges into revenue-generating solutions. My leadership centers on developing talent, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and aligning design strategies with business objectives.
- Led UX strategy and scaled international design teams across 4 business units (Job Discovery, Matching, Sourcing, Employer Journey) serving 300+ million users annually.
- Shipped two zero-to-one AI-powered products to millions of employers: AI Sourcing (automated candidate sourcing) and Talent Scout (employer AI assistant), reducing time-to-hire by an average of 6 days.
- Delivered 9.8% lift to Sourcing revenue in FY24 through user-centered product improvements, new market expansion, and new product launches.
- Coordinated UX strategy and craft direction across a 16-person org spanning design, research, and content design on Indeed's AI employer products.
- Directed a product feature that led to a 20% lift in world-wide job seeker account growth.
- Directed the design and roll-out of the homepage Job Feed, improving relevant job delivery outcomes by 41% and providing a significant lift to sponsored job revenue.
- Doubled the size of my team and revamped the UX hiring process for the Job Seeker GM.
- Designed, co-wrote, and created collateral that the CEO used to raise $23M.
- Retooled processes and renegotiated software contracts, reducing UX costs by 98% while improving collaboration.
- Led the creation of the design system for the iOS, Android, and web applications.
- Designed and built a greenfield product prototype that the CEO used for Series A talks. Ultimately led to company's acquisition by Medici Technologies.
- Redesigned a key product experience improving appointment completion rates from 80% to 98%.
- Designed and built apps that were #1 in the app store for clients such as the United Nations, DreamWorks, WB, Ellen DeGeneres, and Katy Perry.
BA in Electronic Arts · Springfield, MO