Zscaler

DevOps Architect

Bluebeam, Inc.

Software Architect

Recharge Payments

-   Participated in the Architecture Board, which governed best practices, cross-cutting concerns, and technical proposals
-   Introduced a Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) to address quality issues and reduce production incidents by 90%+
-   Led the organization of the first Architecture Summit to discuss high-level concerns and processes
-   Increased batch job processing throughput by 4x through hands-on troubleshooting and developer coaching
-   Designed API throughput performance improvements for a 10-15x reduction in deployment resources and related costs
-   Mentored engineers by sponsoring technical designs, offering career guidance, and enhancing technical skills
-   Promoted methodologies for performance testing and data-driven decision making
-   Developed strategies and systems for decomposing a monolith into microservices
-   Collaborated with the event bus team on designs for eventing and serverless functions
-   Improved testing frameworks and guided developers on Test Driven Development (TDD)
-   Worked with the Security Team to address security concerns and implement secure coding practices
-   Utilized Python, Google Cloud Platform/Functions, API First designs, Microservices, Dapr, Redis, Docker/container images, Kubernetes, MySQL, and ElasticSearch

Principal Engineer/Software Architect

Pulse Secure

- Served on the Architecture Board, responsible for determining overall software architecture and development practices
- Architected and led a team for the development of a Zero Trust microservice platform
- Coordinated security hardening, evaluation, and best practices for most Python-based software
- Designed and led the development of the Python framework at the core of most of the company's Python software
- Designed various features, including authentication token management, multi-tenancy, WebSockets, event messaging, RBAC, user management, certificate management/PKI, OpenAPI adoption, Docker image builds, Postgres migrations, async function queues, and inter-service APIs
- Advocated for Python Best Practices, API design, Test Driven Development, Continuous Integration, and Continuous Delivery
- Maintained several open-source projects core to the company's Python frameworks
- Coordinated Python 2 to Python 3 conversion of many microservices
- Utilized Python, Azure, AWS, Kafka, Redis, Kubernetes, Docker/containers, Postgres, MySQL, Nginx (Lua), OpenAPI, AsyncAPI, Terraform, MongoDB, and ElasticSearch

Principal Engineer/Architect

- Leader of team that converted newly acquired MobileSpaces's Mobile Device Management (MDM) software to Pulse Workspace
- Architect for Pulse One, a VPN server manager and orchestrator that is Docker based, SaaS and On-premise
- Team lead for conversion of Pulse One from a SaaS solution to a cluster-able, on-premise solution within 6 months. Its Docker based architecture can be installed on custom VPN hardware or ran in VMware

Senior Staff Engineer/Server Architect

Various startups and consulting roles

Through many years of software engineering, I gained a broad range of experience from various startups, consulting companies, and open-source projects. I've deployed to every major cloud hosting provider. I've been hands-on with every major programming language. I have developed SaaS, on-premise, desktop, and mobile applications. Some notable highlights include:

-   Co-founding a software contracting agency called Massive Forge, where we developed multiple applications using Python and Javascript. A client acquired the company.
-   Software Architect Consultant for several Hong Kong-based startups, including Libbler and Pingspot, where I developed applications using Python, Javascript, MongoDB, Redis, AWS, and iOS.
-   MapMyFitness (acquired by Under Armour), a fitness tracking SaaS and mobile app, where I primarily developed with Python and Django. I also worked with Hadoop, Cassandra, and Java for analytics.
-   Zenoss, IT monitoring software, where I designed a new event processing and service monitoring suite as part of a project to convert the software from Python to Java.
-   A fintech startup called Bancvue Interactive (now known as Kasasa), where I developed SaaS products for community banks and credit unions.

Additional Software Engineer Experience

Pingspot

Pingspot (http://pingspot.com/) was "A fun, new way to record and recommend your favorite businesses.". It's an iOS application with a Python backend. For Pingspot I developed the mobile application as well as designed and developed the backend. The app graphics were designed and created by Catchlight Productions (http://www.catchlight.com/).

Technologies used: Python with Flask and Celery, MongoDB, Redis, Foursquare API, Facebook API, iOS SDK, Heroku, Cloudinary

Software Architect Consultant

Libbler

Libbler (http://libbler.com/) is "The ultimate career launchpad for entry level professionals. Features include: resume builder and guide, comprehensive employer database for graduate, internship, entry level opportunities and practical industry advice to help develop career skills.". 

I designed and developed the original libbler.com from top to bottom -- except for the graphic design.

Technologies used: Python with Flask and Celery, Spine.js, Coffeescript, MongoDB, Redis, Oneall single-sign-on, Heroku and AWS

Massive Forge

A software contracting agency that I started with my business partners. We developed several applications, primarily with Python and Javascript. The company was acqui-hired by a client.

Co-Founder/CTO

MapMyFitness

- Maintained and developed new features for primary website platform using Python/Django and MySQL
- Developed new API platform using Python and Flask while utilizing Django ORM
- Developed new live race tracking platform using Flask and integrated with remote tracking services using Python and RabbitMQ
- Created APIs for mobile developers to integrate with race tracking
- Maintained fitness statistics reporting engine using Hadoop, Cassandra, and Java
- Created and maintained new unit test infrastructure using py.test
- Developed continuos build solution for development virtual boxes using VirtualBox, Vagrant, and Python

Senior Software Engineer

Zenoss, Inc.

Zenoss provides dynamic system monitoring for IT services across physical, virtual, and hybrid cloud infrastructures. The core of Zenoss is open source and built on Zope/Python, Ext JS, and MySQL.

- Helped wrap up development of UI refresh for 3.0 release
- Developed Dynamic Service View using Flex and yfiles
- Use Agile methodologies for software development
- Design new event processing and service monitoring suite which uses Java, RabbitMQ, SOLR/Lucene, and Neo4j.

🔸Unpacking Software Architecture

I help people deploy more value with less code.

Mike Thornton

Teaching Strategies, LLC

Various

Since the start of 2020 I have been working with multiple Tech Start-ups to build out their technology platforms,  validate MVPs and build engineering teams. 

➢ Lead Design and Development of 3 MVPs in a single year.
➢ Used Swift, NodeJS and Go to Develope native and web applications
➢ Design an Expert System for Medical Diagnostics
➢ Implimented payment processing using Stripe
➢ Built product recommendations using AWS Personalize and SageMaker machine learning

Startup Technology Leader

Thistle

First Staff Software Engineer and Technical Advisor for innovative health food service platform. 

➢ Saved the organization 3 months of development by converting a legacy android app to a modern Progressive Web App (PWA)
➢ Led development of applications using Python, Django, Web Components, Modern CSS, Semantic HTML and React in Heroku.
➢ Caused a 10 fold performance increase through reduction of unused code, improved query performance and code optimization
➢ Brought the design and development teams closer by developing unified terminology and techniques between the two teams
➢ Reduced Developer onboarding from a week to hours using containerized Development

Staff Software Engineer/Advisor

ZOOM+Care

🔑Positively led mission based culture to retain current talent, doubling the size and diversity of the Engineering Department while reducing turnover from over 80% to less than 10% yearly

➢ Coordinated preparation and evaluation of the organization’s technology assets for completion of successful acquisition
➢ Took company enterprise reliability from sub 90% to over 99.99%
➢ Cut cloud services cost in half, saving thousands monthly, utilizing optimization and automation
➢ Led and contributed to development of IOS, and Mobile/Web Applications utilizing Java, JavaScript, NodeJS, Swift, Python and other technologies
➢ Mentored and Coached multiple developers to become full stack engineers, improving flexibility and ability to complete deliverables
➢ Led engineering alignment and delivery on Product Roadmap
➢ Created, gathered executive support and executed roadmap to move legacy application to highly evolvable modern architecture
➢ Managed a multi-million dollar engineering budget, including compensation, software licensing, education and product capitalization
➢ Administered Amazon Cloud (AWS) infrastructure, including IAM, VPC, centos linux EC2 Instances and Alpine Linux Docker Containers

Director of Software Engineering/Principal Software Architect

CDK Global

🔑Led, Designed and Architected industry changing Global Identity Provider using open standards including OAuth and Open ID Connect

➢ Led engineering culture change across the organization to increase productivity while providing for greater individual empowerment
➢ Created company wide Resilience Maturity Model and Monitoring
➢ Strategized and Implemented removal unnecessary abstractions that cut nearly $500,000 a year in software licensing
➢ Improved Software Quality through advanced Test Automation Techniques including Static Analysis, Property Based Testing, and Mutation Testing

Senior Enterprise Architect

Bodybuilding.com

🔑Central Architect of iterative process for conversion of legacy application to Micro-Service Architecture which reduced System Overhead by 80%

➢ Instrumental in creating a company wide recognized engineering culture starting in newly founded satellite office
➢ Chief Contributor to conversion of applications from On-premise to Amazon Cloud Solution (AWS)
➢ Led effort to bring Scalability and Velocity utilizing the Netflix stack
➢ Led early implementation of a process that would eventually be known as Progressive Deployment

Infrastructure Architect/Senior Software Engineer

Axian

➢ Led company wide shift from manual testing toward Full Test Automation for Sports Apparel Industry Leader
➢ Mentored previous test automation staff to be full stack software engineers
➢ Designed and Implemented innovative User Interface using modern, social enabled, User Experience design with AngularJS
➢ Main driver of engineering offline and near real time capabilities of a cross platform, HTML5, mobile web application on a C# .Net backend using Azure cloud services

Technical Lead

Jive Software

🔑 Led Software Development and a culture of Radical Candor for leader in Enterprise Social Collaboration Software.
➢ Led effort to reduce customization cost through reusable, configurable and customizable components
➢ Leveraged Apache Lucene for high performance text indexing of an Activity driven Social Networking application
➢ Pioneered techniques for separation of UI and functionality using advanced CSS and javascript

SHPS, Inc

🔑 Engineering Lead of a moderate sized multi-national development team developing Enterprise Applications in Health Care and Health Maintenance
➢ Founding member of the technology center in Arizona, which became the primary software development center for the entire organization
➢ Drove company wide engineering culture from traditional waterfall methodology to modern processes utilizing agile philosophies
➢ Led company wide Architectural plan utilizing Open Source frameworks for ESB, ETL, JMS and Business Process Management
➢ Pioneered  architectural techniques which would later become known as “microservice” architecture

Insight

🔑 Developer of Java Middleware for Corporate Product Management and Sourcing Application utilizing WebSphere and JBoss Application Servers.
➢ Leverage multiple Java Web Services Implementations including Apache AXIS, JAX-RPC, and JAX-WS

🎶 Ever wondered what happens when you blend technical prowess, a passion for personal growth and a touch of magic?  

I don't, because I do it every day.

Hey there! I'm Jamie, and I'm all about harmonizing software teams to achieve extraordinary results. With over two decades in the industry, I've had the privilege of being a part of many diverse projects and helped transform them into something truly remarkable.

As a Software Symphony Conductor (Manager, Directory, Architect, Lead or what ever name you want to put on it), I bring more than my technical expertise to the table. I thrive on being a force multiplier for teams, empowering each member to shine and contribute their best. My background as a trained professional coach and long-time mentor enables me to nurture talent and elevate individual growth, so your team members become unstoppable forces in their own right.

🎼 Orchestrating High-Impact Teams:
I'm passionate about creating the perfect symphony within software development teams. Through collaboration and open communication, I ensure each team member's talents are showcased, leading to innovative solutions and stunning project outcomes.

🎻 Driving Personal & Professional Growth:
As a Growth Muse, I inspire team members to go beyond their limits, reaching new heights in their careers. Together, we break through barriers and ignite a sense of purpose that fuels excellence and fulfillment.

🎷 Experience Meets Vision:
With my extensive experience in the industry, I've mastered the art of organizing teams in a way that maximizes efficiency and creativity. I thrive in dynamic environments where challenges are opportunities waiting to be seized.

But let's not forget, I'm not just here to play the notes—I come to get sh*t done! I'm known for my get-it-done attitude and my ability to lead with a smile. Work should be fun, and I'm committed to creating a positive and energizing atmosphere that drives passion and excellence.

If you're seeking someone who can turn your software team into a powerhouse of innovation and growth, let's connect and make some magic together! 🌟

taplio

The Battle

Mike Thornton

Jamie Smyth

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