Software Engineering Project Director

Executive Summary

Visionary and hands-on Technical Project & Program Manager with over 25 years of experience delivering large-scale, cross-functional software and infrastructure solutions. Adept at leading Agile and hybrid teams, aligning delivery with business strategy, and managing full SDLC lifecycle in remote, enterprise, and consulting environments. Known for cultivating strong C-suite relationships, driving process improvements, and delivering high-value outcomes across industries, including QSR, retail, procurement, logistics, HR, marketing, and healthcare risk management.

Core Competencies

Leadership Digital Transformation Agile & Waterfall Methodologies Scalable Software Delivery Project/Program Management Strategic Planning Budgeting & Forecasting Cross-Functional Collaboration Stakeholder Engagement Process Modeling & Optimization Team Building Software Development & Delivery Quality Assurance & Testing SQL

Professional Experience

Project Director – Acrelec

Chicago, IL January 2020 – April 2025

Led more than 24 global Agile developers across multiple squads to deliver custom self-ordering kiosk software for McDonald’s under tight deadlines while ensuring high scalability and resilience.

Managed the entire SDLC from backlog grooming to post-release QA using Jira and Confluence.

Developed and presented executive-level QBRs, SOWs, change requests, and process diagrams, enhancing visibility and governance while overseeing financials, budgeting, ROI, resource forecasting, vendor contracts, scope, risk, and delivery across various initiatives.

Collaborated cross-functionally with senior stakeholders on roadmap planning, risk mitigation, operational support, and contract negotiations to ensure effective execution and alignment across multiple initiatives.

Implemented best practices in agile planning and change management, improving deployment transparency and velocity.

Created order-to-installation process models, enhancing delivery for Wendy’s and Tim Hortons.

Senior Manager – Jaggaer

Chicago, IL November 2016 – September 2019

Delivered collaborative sourcing and logistics optimization platforms for global procurement teams.

Led 16 software engineers across on-site and offshore locations, while consistently meeting strict SLAs.

Increased enhancement throughput by 50%, reduced backlog by 65%, and decreased defects by 45%.

Implemented a hybrid Agile model (Scrum + Kanban) to improve resource utilization and velocity.

Reduced technical debt by refactoring, conducting code reviews, and integrating CI/CD.

Senior Director, Technology – PeopleScout

Chicago, IL October 2002 – October 2016

Recognized with the Foresight Award as the 2014 Employee of the Year.

Aligned the product roadmap with evolving recruitment needs across departments.

Ensured compliance with ISO and SOX standards; served on the Change Advisory Board.

Led the development of a proprietary Applicant Tracking System (ATS) platform utilized by over 300 recruiters and millions of candidates.

Delivered a $2M Business Intelligence platform on schedule and within budget.

Automated recruiter workflows, enhancing efficiency by 45% and saving over $500K annually.

Integrating QA test automation and performance metrics resulted in shorter release times and improved system stability.

Senior Project Manager – Idea Integration

Northbrook, IL May 1999 – October 2001

Developed strategic reports for the Chicago Board of Trade.

Modeled business and data processes for PDX, Inc. using OOAD and Rational Rose.

Performed source data analysis for Motorola using Oracle ERP and DB2.

Lead developer for various projects.

Principal / Project Manager / Consulting Manager – Zeal, Inc

Northbrook, IL October 1988 – May 1999

Served as the principal partner in an IT consulting firm that expanded from 3 to over 65 employees.

Delivered IT consulting services for various development projects with budgets ranging from $100K to $2M.

Served as Technical Lead and Developer on various projects spanning industries including healthcare risk management, market research, human resources, manufacturing, financial services, and residential & commercial services.

Led career development and training initiatives for more than 65 developers.

Education

University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Management Information Systems

Certifications

Project Management Professional (PMP)

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