Director of Software Engineering

BuildingHigh-PerformingTeams

Driving innovation through strategic leadership, technical excellence, and a relentless focus on quality and team development.
Leadership
Cross-functional team direction
Architecture
End-to-end test frameworks
Mentorship
Team growth & development
Scroll to explore my journey
🏢Triton Digital3 Roles7 years
Triton DigitalRole 1/3
Mar 2022 - Present • 4 years

Director of Software Engineering

Multi-Team Leadership

  • Direct three engineering teams across the Triton Advertising stack: two development teams and the organization-wide QA team, overseeing five scrum teams and managing multiple direct reports to ensure seamless collaboration and efficient delivery of high-quality software products.
  • Lead technical strategy and architecture decisions across assigned development teams and quality assurance, aligning engineering efforts with product vision and business objectives.
  • Served as a key liaison between engineering teams and executive leadership, providing insights and recommendations to drive strategic decision-making.
  • Held responsible for the overall success of five scrum teams, driving the adoption of best practices, agile methodologies, and innovative solutions to achieve project goals and deliverables.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Fostered a unified engineering culture across development and QA teams, promoting shared ownership of quality, open communication, and collaborative problem-solving.
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams, including product management, operations, and stakeholders, to align team efforts with broader business objectives.
  • Broke down silos between development and QA within assigned teams, creating integrated workflows that improved product outcomes, velocity, and team morale.

Test Architecture & Engineering Excellence

  • Defined and implemented an end-to-end test architecture that is reusable across all teams in the organization, significantly improving the efficiency and effectiveness of testing processes and reducing redundancy.
  • Established quality standards and engineering best practices adopted across managed development and QA teams.
  • Championed shift-left testing practices, integrating quality early in the development lifecycle.

Team Development & Mentorship

  • Conducted bi-weekly one-on-one meetings with all direct reports across development and QA to provide personalized guidance, performance feedback, and professional development support, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
  • Mentored and coached engineers at all levels, fostering their professional growth and enhancing overall team capabilities across multiple disciplines.
  • Conducted regular training sessions on engineering best practices, tools, and methodologies to keep teams up-to-date with industry advancements.
  • Built career development paths for team members, resulting in internal promotions and increased retention.

Strategic Planning & Innovation

  • Developed and executed strategic plans for assigned teams to support the organization's long-term goals, ensuring that technical strategies align with business objectives and product roadmaps.
  • Implemented data-driven approaches to engineering, leveraging metrics and analytics to identify areas for improvement and drive continuous enhancement of processes.
  • Led technical innovation initiatives within managed teams, evaluating and adopting new tools and technologies to improve team efficiency and product quality.
Triton DigitalRole 2/3
Mar 2019 - Mar 2022 • 3 years

Senior Software Engineering Manager [QA]

Leadership

  • Promoted to senior level manager after demonstrating exceptional leadership competence, resulting in heightened team performance and streamlined project delivery.

Team Transformation

  • Led a comprehensive QA team transformation, significantly improving team morale and adopting innovative automation practices to enhance productivity and accuracy.

Test Automation

  • Established effective test automation practices within sprint cycles, streamlining testing processes, and reducing time-to-market for software releases.

Recruitment and Talent Management

  • Managed the entire QA recruiting pipeline, successfully hiring high-performing engineers who contributed to the team's success and operational excellence.

Stakeholder Communication

  • Facilitated regular updates to stakeholders, ensuring transparency in project progress and maintaining strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Presented QA findings and metrics to senior leadership, providing actionable insights and influencing decision-making at the highest levels.
Triton DigitalRole 3/3
Mar 2019 - Apr 2019 • 1 month

Senior Software Development Engineer Test

Rapidly Adapted to Java Development

  • Quickly transitioned from a .NET development background to Java, demonstrating versatility and the ability to learn new technologies efficiently.

Front-End Testing Framework

  • Developed a new front-end testing framework, significantly improving testing efficiency and reliability for the development team.

End-to-End Test Automation

  • Implemented impactful end-to-end test automation, reducing manual testing efforts and enhancing test coverage and accuracy.

Mentoring Junior Engineers

  • Mentored junior engineers, sharing knowledge and best practices to increase team velocity and overall technical competence.
🏢Risk Placement Services, Inc.1 Role1 year
Risk Placement Services, Inc.
May 2018 - Mar 2019 • 10 months

Senior SDET

Automation Framework Implementation

  • Established an automation framework within the first month of joining, significantly enhancing the efficiency of testing processes.

Automated Deployment Pipeline

  • Implemented an automated deployment pipeline to the staging environment, reducing manual deployment efforts and minimizing errors.

Championing Automation

  • Championed automation throughout the entire software lifecycle, driving the transition from manual to automated testing practices.

Leadership in Transition

  • Led the transition from manual to automated testing processes, resulting in increased testing efficiency and effectiveness.
🏢Scentsy, Inc.1 Role7 years
Scentsy, Inc.
Jun 2011 - May 2018 • 7 years

SDET III

Leadership and Project Management

  • Led the SDET team for the IT department, managing multiple successful projects and ensuring high-quality software delivery.

Test Dashboard Development

  • Built a test dashboard using .NET Core and D3.js with real-time test execution reporting, enhancing transparency and visibility of testing efforts.

Test Analytics and Triage Tools

  • Implemented comprehensive test analytics and triage tools, improving the efficiency of identifying and resolving test issues.

Career Progression

  • Progressed from a manual tester to a lead SDET role, demonstrating continual growth and increased responsibility within the organization.
🏢Lionbridge1 Role4 years
Lionbridge
May 2007 - Jun 2011 • 4 years

Software Test Engineer

Full-Time Employee Achievement

  • Achieved rare full-time employee status through demonstrated competence and exceptional performance.

Contract Work with Major Tech Companies

  • Performed contract work with major tech companies including HP, Microsoft, and Palm, delivering high-quality testing services.

Manual Testing Expertise

  • Conducted manual testing across mobile, web, and hardware platforms, ensuring comprehensive test coverage and reliability.

Client Satisfaction

  • Managed independent testing contracts with high client satisfaction, demonstrating strong project management and communication skills.

That's My Journey

18+ years evolving from hands-on testing through automation architecture to engineering leadership, driving quality excellence and team success.