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Ross Grady

Cell: 919-444-3104
Email:
Twitter:
Web: rossgrady.org

I apply a user-centered approach, intuitive problem-solving skills, speedy absorption of new concepts, and extensive Agile project management experience to foster teams of productive & happy developers.

Work Experience

IBM Extreme Blue2007 - present

Lab Manager

  • Winnow ~1800 applicants down to an annual hiring pool of ~40 via high-touch behavioral-based interview process
  • Mentor multiple simultaneous development teams on Agile practices:
    • Scrum, user stories, short time-boxed iterations, self-directed teams, continuous stakeholder feedback
  • Work with project sponsors to identify projects with perfect combination of
    cutting-edge tech and real business value
  • Stay current on tech trends & developments, both IBM-internal and external
  • Manage $750k lab budget

Systems Architect

  • Manage geographically-distributed network of Linux servers, including instances of:
    • Rational Team Concert, OpenLDAP, Drupal, Subversion, WebSphere Application Server, Tomcat, DB2, MySQL, Lotus Domino, BIND, Samba
  • Strong focus on identifying suitable existing solutions rather than rolling our own
  • Spec, order & configure $80k of laptops annually

IBM Global Services 1998 - 2007

Network/Server/End-User Support

  • Became highly adept at working with business users with technical problems
  • Mastered the art of learning just enough to get the job done
  • Developed a persistent bias against Windows Server products

Education

Rice University 1988 - 1992

BA, English & Art