I'm a people manager and solutions architect with a background in online video workflows, content management systems and e-commerce, backed by two decades of experience with well-known, high-traffic, enterprise-level web properties that are created and maintained by globally distributed teams. I empower engineers to create high-quality, reusable, and maintainable solutions using SOLID design principles, automated testing, and continuous integration.
Current role
I lead a team of fullâstack engineers in eBayâs global shipping division, with team members based in London, Toronto, and Cyprus. Our primary focus is enhancing the revenueâsensitive postâsales shipping experience for sellers on the web in the US, UK, German, Canadian, and Australian markets.
We handle over 30m label purchases per month, supporting a variety of payment methods and complex workflows including: pay now, pay by invoice, pay in store, bulk shipping, returns, tracking, insurance claims, QR codes, customs forms, scan forms, cost adjustments; as well as eBay programmes like: Global Shipping / Exports, Authenticity, and Vault. We build Single Page Applications in React, complemented by backâend microservices in Node.js.
My responsibilities include: fostering good engineering, project prioritisation, capacity planning, stakeholder engagement, career development, performance calibration, and recruitment.
I empower engineers to be customerâfocused and consider platform architecture and maintainability over shortâterm results, resulting in a significant decrease in production outages and customerâreported issues.
Previous roles
I lead the central Video engineering team of backâend engineers in the US and UK, with additional contractors from South America. We built a new SaaS video ecosystem to support up to two billion unique videoâonâdemand (VOD) play sessions per year. We also handled liveâstreaming, captioning, digital asset management, ads integration, analytics, and distribution.
We onboarded CNET, ZDNet, GameSpot, GiantBomb, TVâŻGuide, OnlineMBA, Cord Cutters News, BestColleges, NurseJournal and were in the process of bringing Healthline, Metacritic and LonelyPlanet onto our platform. We worked with vendors such as AWS Elemental, Fastly, Bitmovin, Rev, and Mux.
We built API orchestration and microservices in Node.js (Express) & Go/Golang, CMS integrations in PHP (Symfony, WordPress), and deployed into AWS and GCP with CircleCI on infrastructure managed with Terraform.
By acquisition from ViacomCBS, reporting to the VP of Engineering, I oversaw the migration of systems and workflows, including setting transition targets, undertaking vendor evaluations, and managing engineering deliverables & stakeholder expectations.
I architected the replacement VOD solution based on GCP, Bitmovin and Fastly, which serves just shy of a billion video play sessions per year. Achievements include saving US$430,000 first year and US$275,000pa after that in costs for video content management by removing a vendor from our workflow with minimal impact on users and the business.
I was a team leader with direct reports, reporting to the VP of Engineering, part of a larger central CMS and API team of 13 engineers spread across the US, with support from product, PM, QA and DevOps. We maintained the CMS, REST APIs, and tech stack that powered web properties ViacomCBS operated internationally, including CBSâŻNews (inc. 60 Minutes), CBS Sports, 24/7 Sports, MaxPreps, SportsLine, CNET, ZDNet, TechRepublic, Download.com, TVâŻGuide, and many more.
My team and I were subjectâmatter experts on all videoâonâdemand (VOD) content - interfacing with internal and thirdâparty vendors for transcoding, storage, metadata management, captioning/transcription, ingestion, publishing, and distribution (e.g., YouTube using Content ID). Achievements include saving US$500,000pa on video playback costs, bypassing a thirdâparty video platform, and avoiding the pay per play.
Initially based in Singapore as part of a team lead out of Sydney, we maintained a CMS and API stack that powered many of CBSâŻInteractiveâs international brands. We built a new adaptive and responsive CMS user interface with just a few engineers within a couple of months for ZDNet. Out of that success, our teams merged with the US, building a CMS to power almost all of CBSâ web properties, covering broadcast, news, sports, tech, gaming, and food verticals. I led the video workflow integration whilst based in SanâŻFrancisco for 6wks.
I was part of an international team supporting localised versions of CNET and ZDNet in the UK, AU, Asia, DE and FR. We developed a Zend-based framework used by engineers in those regions to handle scalability problems such as routing, caching and CDN integration. I also provided support for GameSpot, TV.com and TechRepublic. I delivered training in the Paris office to FR and DE teams; and presented our achievements at our offâsite in Singapore.
I was part of the Customer Service Tools team within the Applications Dept., responsible for developing and maintaining internal webâbased applications to manage customers and staff. We built and supported CRM, billing, HR, and B2B ordering & monitoring systems that integrated thirdâparty telecommunication APIs to process broadband applications with upstream providers (Telstra). I was awarded âHardest Worker of the Yearâ in 2006.
I was a team leader in the contact centre, assisting and coaching customer service representatives, standing in for managers for customers with escalated technical or billing issues, identifying and lodging networkâwide faults with operations and liaising with highâvalue clients. I created a set of webâbased customer service tools, including a copper wire attenuation calculator based on raw telecommunications cable data to calculate the theoretical maximum DSL speed and a scheduling/roster user interface. The tools were used by all staff across Australian, NZ and South African offices. I was awarded âMost Innovative Staff Memberâ in 2005.
Oversaw IT operations, from desktop and server IT support to development, hosting and maintenance of their websites, intranet and other webâbased tools. I also provided onâsite IT support, consulting and web development for their clientele.
I provided web development services for small to medium businesses, including hosting and domain name management. Based on my own CMS, I created and supported web properties from simple microsites to intranets and full shopping portals. I worked closely with clients, from concept and design to development, deployment, and support.
Tech
Some of the tech, frameworks and platforms I have recent industry experience with include:
Education
Majored in Electronic Business and IT Systems.
Side projects
Underpinned
A nonâprofit microâbusiness, creating and selling pin badges for charity. See underpinned.org
Smart Home
A dashboard of weather and internal temperature data from the home. See /smartâhome
Volunteering
Science Museum Mass Vaccination Centre, London, UK
Mar 2021 â Sep 2021 (6mths), 420hrs (70x6hr shifts)