Director, Ad Engineering

• Lead RED team in architecture and planning of new and improved systems.
• Lead the engineering side of new ad products and improvements to existing tools.
• Plan and deploy the white-labeling of successful technologies for sale.
• Plan, develop and deploy platforms and ad technologies to serve business goals.
• Optimize advertising-related code, plan deployments, and assess technical challenges.
• Coordinate with editorial managers and AdOps to ethically integrate ads into the website and app experience.
• Work with and lead multidisciplinary teams on a variety of projects ranging from ad design to microservices.
• Asses 3rd parties and opportunities around improving site performance and impact of ads.
• Work with engineering, design and product teams across the company, often in task-oriented pods. Some examples:
  • Building and releasing Rhapsochord, a Node-based microservice, while coordinating with our audio CMS team to create a smooth and regular release schedule.
  • Collaborated with multiple app teams to deploy the Ad Safety Script, an innovative client-level Javascript solution to allow ads to work while correcting bad code on the fly.
  • GDPR requirements and cross-team code deployment, including defining requirements and working with legal team to help determine responsibilities.
  • CCPA release, including: working with legal team to define CCPA requirements, setting implementation strategy, managing deployment across multiple teams, defining a clear interface requirement to vendors and API requirements across server and app teams.
  • Coordinated with engineering, data and business intelligence teams to develop and deploy a serverless analytics stack for ad data.
  • Managed external agency, contracted engineers, editorial engineers, and BrandStudio product managers to rebuild entire BrandStudio publishing stack.
• Build and deploy technology that meets both business and editorial goals.
• Work in depth on Node, Javascript (including React and Typescript), CSS, Java, Python, and HTML projects.
• Plan and enforce overall JSON schema interface for API tasks between a growing cloud of microservices.
• Represent The Washington Post in interviews, presentations, talks and conferences focused on Ad Tech topics.
• Assist and train junior developers.
• Participate in numerous management training sessions.
• Monitor and combat ad fraud with manual and automated actions.
• Continuously think on and activate ideas around new ways for news organizations to monetize.
• Help define vision and strategy around advertising technology at The Washington Post.
• Work with middle and upper management to define strategic opportunities, structural organization changes and organizational workflows.
• Represent The Washington Post in helping to set the agenda around privacy and advertising technology within the W3C.
• Aid in the maintenance and assessment of the full stack of programmatic advertising tools, including:
  • DMPs, Ad Servers, DSPs, RTB, SSPs, Trading Desks, Analytics

Full Stack Developer / Acting Director of Engineering

• Launched significant upgrade to backend Content Management System (WordPress).
• Rebuilt front end theme to be fully responsive.
• Built custom platform-agnostic video viewer tool.
• Mentored developers into more senior skill-sets.
• Worked to optimize and launch ad code.
• Rebuilt metadata and on-page tools to fully comply with social media platforms
• Worked closely with editorial and product to find and build out tools and workflow optimizations.
• Worked on editorial-driven projects, including a live election map.
• Built Gulp-based and Webkit workflows for using SASS and JSX across the entire organization.
• Worked with PHP, WordPress, MySQL, Javascript, Node, YUI, React, Reflux, Redux, and Foundation.
• Worked closely with sales and built significant ad tech and performance improvements.
• Built Facebook Instant Articles plugin and worked with Facebook Live API.
• Built out significant custom analytics for A/B testing, video and general KPIs.
• Built React/Reflux API-driven WordPress theme.
• Worked as primary contact between engineering and editorial teams.
• Led engineering team.

Content Strategist

• Worked with all divisions to improve overall web presence by leveraging new technology, user experience data and narrative design.
• Developed an RFP, assessed agencies and managed a team of project managers, designers, engineers, and external agency engineers on the launch of a new, fully responsive, WordPress-based website.
• Developed and open-sourced a plugin to provide advanced metrics through Google Analytics, including viewability and seconds engaged.
• Developed and open-sourced community-building plugin Response Stack.
• Trained journalists and marketing staff in content development and SEO techniques.
• Mentored journalists seeking manager-level editor roles.
• Trained marketing staff to leverage new digital tools.
• Worked to optimize the digital sales channel.
• Tested, deployed and designed tools to increase engagement and create a more positive user experience.
• Worked with developers, sales and audience development units to craft Native Ads and supporting technology.
• Created Sales training materials.
• Launched video channel.

New Media and Technology Consultant, Web Developer

• Provides consulting and development for online media.
• Developed and deployed a number of new websites.
• Project managed numerous website redesigns.
• Managed cross-functional teams that included designers, engineers, agencies and others.
• Retained to provide and implement advice on branding, marketing, targeting, social media integration and engagement to onAir LLC.
• Retained by onAIR as Acting CTO to implement online content platform through PHP, HTML and Javascript development.
• Provided strategy, training and talent recruitment and development to onAir LLC.
• Retained by Center for History and New Media (George Mason University) as Lead Developer to develop on Sloan Foundation-funded PressForward project. Work targeted at building aggregation tools.
• Trained Junior Developers at the Center for History and New Media to pick up and build their own WordPress themes and plugins.
• Provided social media, WordPress and SEO training to select professors and classes at George Mason University.
• Developed day-long Alternate Reality Game (The Hunt 2) with puzzle focus.
• Launched a JSON API focused on showcasing networks on WordPresss MultiSite.
• Trained a rising cadre of aspiring developers in basic and advanced WordPress techniques.
• Consulted on Knight Foundation grant application

Web Developer, Writer, Community Manager

• Pitched, wrote and published articles covering video games, game design and narrative design.
• Designed, maintained, created modifications and added new options for the website's WordPress theme.
• Optimized website for search engines and social media. Provided tools for authors and editors to continually maximize that optimization.
• Regularly trained writers in SEO, SMO and web authoring skills. This resulted in at least one person leveraging that training to change careers.

Assistant Director for Marketing and Communications

• Administrative Faculty
• Engaged students through social and traditional media. Oversaw social media and branding, including 18 Twitter accounts and eight Facebook accounts.
• Deploy and manage the onMason blogging and site-building platform.
• Build search engine and social media optimization into various student media web presences.
• Manage marketing and public relations for the office. Work to develop and strengthen outlet brands.
• Hired and supervised students
• Discovered and encouraged talented students with interests in digital media.
• Trained multiple student journalists in digital skills and mentored them in leadership positions.
• Increased ad sales and leveraged non-traditional methods and platforms in order to boost revenue.
• Managed salespeople across multiple zones and specialties.
• Represented Student Media at events and functions.
• Develop, design, modify, and improve student media outlet websites. Guide students interested in learning and building their own websites.
• Developed WordPress themes and plugins, including a responsive WordPress theme.
• Developed on Connect2Mason Drupal site.
• Developed, launched and managed numerous student journalists as part of Mason Votes, a political coverage hub.

New Media Manager

• Optimized the UPIU brand's social media presence.
• Grew UPIU visibility in the college media space.
• Trained college journalists in web focused techniques.
• Increased traffic significantly, resulting in the launch of advertising products on the main website.
• Proposed, launched and managed a blog as part of an effort to increase brand transparency, promote content and join the discourse in the college media space.

Lead Resident Technician, Chesapeake-area

• Worked with clients.
• Maintained and repaired student computer systems on-site.
• Managed a number of other resident technicians in my area.
• Helped bring forward talented technicians to take leadership roles.
• Worked with the MAGIC ticket system.
• Monitored an advanced phone- and instant message-system for help requests.

Featured Blogger

• Wrote and promoted posts on the topic of economics three times a week.
• Sparked a lively debate, building an audience, expressing opinions and ensuring that all sides of the youth vote were represented.
• Wrote document, at request of UPI, instructing journalists on how to promote their work online. Ran training sessions with that document.

Managing Editor

• Oversaw the proper formatting and insertion of national and local advertisements
• Coordinated coverage of multiple campuses.
• Organized a team of editors and staff members.
• Oversaw organization and design of a weekly newspaper, checking news budgets and enforcing deadlines.
• Edited copy on 8 to 22 pages a week.
• Coordinated various internal sections.
• Provided support as a peer mentor to students.
• Hired, mentored and trained staff.
• Promoted multiple hires.

Copy Chief

• Coordinated a team of four copy editors.
• Contracted and managed copy editors and writers to insure quality and accuracy.
• Formulated a style guide to determine the overall style for writers of the magazine.

Lead Writer

• Managed all writing- and text-focused projects.
• Managed content for associated projects from a team, located all over the world, ranging in age from 15 to 32.
• Oversaw and maintained all textual content for the project.
• Managed a community of interested consumers and participants, insuring all contributions met the standards for the project while encouraging global participation.
• Collaborated with the Art Lead, Project Leads and Lead Developer.