Work Portfolio
Experienced engineering leader with a proven track record of building and scaling high-performance data-driven applications and infrastructure.
Professional Overview
Experienced engineering leader with a proven track record of building and scaling high-performance data-driven applications and infrastructure. Expertise in cloud technologies (AWS, GCP), data modeling, and fostering collaborative engineering teams. Passionate about leveraging technology to drive business growth and operational efficiency.
Technical Expertise
Skills sized by proficiency level • Hover for details
Leadership & Soft Skills
Data & Analytics
Cloud & DevOps
Frontend Development
Backend & Systems
Emerging Tech
Proficiency Scale
Professional Experience
Senior Director of Engineering
National Research Group • October 2022 – Present
- • Led migration efforts with engineering team and third-party vendors to migrate web and data applications to GCP
- • Managed initiatives involving orchestration of EC2, Docker (EKS), serverless (Lambda), and managed databases (RDS, Cloud SQL) to support evolving business priorities and rapid growth
- • Architected and optimized tools to elevate team productivity and system observability, enabling real-time monitoring, actionable data insights, and high availability essential to robust deployment cycles
- • Fostered cross-functional partnerships with data engineering, DevOps, and development teams to streamline objectives, align priorities, and drive cohesion across technical and product goals
- • Led architecture and development for critical projects, focusing on enhancing developer experience, improving platform reliability, and providing mentorship to emerging technical leaders
Director of Engineering
National Research Group • April 2021 – September 2022
- • Represented the software engineering team in client-facing meetings and senior leadership discussions, steering direction and resources to align with organizational goals
- • Designed and architected technical solutions for complex data processing systems, considering business requirements, integration needs, infrastructure, cost, and security
- • Led and supported multiple product scrum teams, ensuring managers, developers, QA testers, and other team members had the tools and resources to deliver high-quality products on time
- • Facilitated discussions with engineering managers, product managers, and technical project managers to ensure development of products with solid design principles and sound architectural approaches
- • Fostered a culture of training and knowledge-sharing within the organization and engineering teams to promote career growth
- • Oversaw and managed the hiring and recruiting processes for all application development-related resources and consultants
Software Engineering Manager
National Research Group • November 2015 – April 2021
- • Served as the principal lead for multiple software engineering scrum teams (4-5 engineers and testers each), focusing on timely output that adheres to high-quality development and security standards
- • Led and mentored development teams in full-stack development (Java/C#/Python/React), troubleshooting, and bug-fixing, ensuring quality work delivery through comprehensive testing
- • Played a key role in transitioning existing products from a combined on-prem/Rackspace infrastructure to AWS cloud services in a phased approach
- • Provided architectural design for new software/data-driven projects and delivered development/technical support for various web/software applications
Senior Software Engineer
Nielsen • August 2011 – November 2015
- • Transitioned an older, outdated Classic ASP website into a .NET 4.0+ site that uses AJAX/Web Methods to dynamically load HTML based on user interactions
- • Created single-page web projects to fulfill organizational needs (survey quota management, social media monitoring, box office forecasting) using latest technologies (AngularJS/jQuery UI/Bootstrap)
- • Ingested from and shared data (MS SQL, Oracle, MySQL) database servers with third-party businesses (Rotten Tomatoes/Fandango/Facebook/Listen First/Rentrak) using various ETL techniques
Early Career Roles
TBG West • Web Developer • April 2010 – April 2011
• Modernized company website from a static HTML website to a dynamic CMS/Drupal interface (PHP/MySQL/IIS)
University of Arizona: Department of English • Software Engineer/Network Administrator • August 2006 – February 2010
- • Led student I.T. team projects made up of a web developer, DBA, and two tech troubleshooters
- • Developed and managed web portals and applications and extracted and analyzed data for department meetings and reports
Professional Philosophy
In every position I've held, from my early days as a Web Developer to my current leadership role, my focus has remained steadfast: to bridge the gap between technical excellence and strategic vision. This philosophy has guided me in leading diverse teams through complex projects, driving efficiency, and maintaining the highest standards of software development.
Continuous Growth
Outside of work, I'm deeply committed to continuous growth, both personally and professionally. Whether it's exploring new tech trends, refining leadership skills, or simply learning something new, I believe in the power of persistence and passion to drive success.
Let's Connect
Interested in learning more about my work or discussing potential collaborations? I'm always open to connecting with fellow professionals and exploring new opportunities.
📧 jpaezz@gmail.com • 📱 310-845-6466 • 🌐 johnpaez.com