Open to opportunities

Jesse Livingston

@jesselivingston

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Mixed-methods UX researcher who turns end-to-end research into AI-ready product decisions.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I’m looking to own end-to-end UX research programs, translate findings into leader-level decisions, and help small teams move fast—especially in AI-native products where trust, comprehension, and value must be validated early.

I’m a mixed-methods UX researcher with 11 years running full-cycle research on 0-to-1 products, from concept through launch, across teams at LinkedIn, Microsoft, Netflix, and ServiceNow, plus freelance usability work. I’m comfortable owning a research program end to end—planning, recruiting, moderation, analysis, and reporting into decisions Product, Design, Analytics, Art, and Production can act on. I also like building momentum in fast-moving environments, including an AI-native UX research platform I’m currently developing.

Currently, I’m a ServiceNow Staff UX Research and Operations Lead, coaching researchers through workshops and 1:1s to sharpen clarity, synthesis, and cross-functional influence. I produce executive one-pagers with AI leaders, scale research communications across a 140-person org by standardizing best practices and measurement, and improved quarterly research blog view rates by 2x through sharper promotion and title copy.

Previously, I shaped feature decisions for Microsoft’s Copilot in PowerPoint by diagnosing adoption gaps across trust, comprehension, and value, and I led follow-up design concept research to resolve early usability issues. At LinkedIn, I led foundational Talent Insights research from concept through launch of a new $50M+ data analytics product, headed a 20-person international research effort, established LinkedIn’s first usability lab, mentored researchers on synthesis and storytelling, and mapped mental models for LinkedIn Referrals to inform product direction.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Staff UX Research and Operations Lead

Current

ServiceNow

Aug 2024 - Present (1 year 11 months)

Coached researchers via workshops and 1:1s, sharpening clarity, synthesis, and cross-functional influence. Produced executive one-pagers with AI leaders, scaled research communications across a 140-person org, and raised view rates for the quarterly research blog by 2x.

UX Research Research Operations Workshops Synthesis Executive Communication AI Strategy Research Communication Measurement

Senior User Researcher

Microsoft

Mar 2024 - Aug 2024 (5 months)

Ran foundational research for Copilot in PowerPoint, shaping feature decisions and use cases on a live AI product. Diagnosed adoption gaps across trust, comprehension, and value, delivered insights from 2 studies in 4 weeks, and led a follow-up design concept study to resolve early usability issues.

AI Evaluation Adoption Studies Usability Research Trust Comprehension and Value Diagnostics Research Cadence

Principal Strategist & User Researcher

Velir Studios

Jan 2023 - Mar 2024 (1 year 2 months)

Facilitated stakeholder workshops to align on scope and accelerate decision-making across client engagements. Executed a card-sorting study for a website redesign to improve navigation and information architecture.

Stakeholder Engagement Card Sorting Information Architecture Navigation

UX Research

Freelance

Jan 2021 - Jan 2023 (2 years)

Conducted usability and foundational research for multiple startups and clients, including a usability study for a gaming company. Led quantitative and generative research efforts to inform product strategy, value propositions, and business pivots.

Usability Studies Quantitative Research Survey Analysis Research Generation Product Strategy

Senior User Experience Researcher

Netflix

Jun 2020 - Nov 2020 (5 months)

Built a 6-month research roadmap to prioritize strategic questions across multiple product areas. Directed evaluative studies for customer support and chat experiences to reduce friction and improve outcomes, partnering with cross-functional teams in workshops to converge on problems and decision criteria.

Evaluative Research Workshop Facilitation Hypothesis Development Decision Criteria Alignment

Senior User Experience Researcher

Nov 2016 - Jun 2020 (3 years 7 months)

Drove foundational research on Talent Insights from concept through launch of a new $50M+ data analytics product. Led a 20-person international research team, established LinkedIn’s first usability lab, mentored researchers on synthesis and storytelling, and mapped mental models for LinkedIn Referrals to inform sunset decisions.

Usability Lab Setup International Research Leadership Team Management Storytelling Mental Modeling Product Research