Profile of James T. Baker

suit, geek,
& creative.
I speak
geek, & creative.
I speak suit,
intersection of business, software,design, and digital media.My 20+ years’ experience in design,technical product management, &leadership have allowed meto lead and executeprojects and operations at the
intersection of business, software,design, and digital media.My 20+ years’ experience in design,technical product management, &leadership have allowed meto lead and executeprojects and operations at the
business, software, design, and digital media.My 20+ years' experience in design,technical product management, & leadershiphave allowed me to lead and executeprojects and operations at the intersection of
management, & leadership have allowed me to lead and executeprojects and operations at the intersection of business,software, design, and digital media.My 20+ years' experience in design, technical product

Skills 
Technical

Featured

  • JavaScript / ES6+: 90% expertise
  • React: 90% expertise
  • Node.js: 80% expertise
  • Serverless / AWS Lambda: 80% expertise
  • Drupal: 80% expertise
  • PHP: 80% expertise
  • HTML: 90% expertise
  • CSS: 90% expertise

Standard

  • Strapi: 60% expertise
  • REST API development: 90% expertise
  • MongoDB: 80% expertise
  • SQL: 80% expertise
  • ColdFusion: 50% expertise
  • Linux: 50% expertise

Skills 
Business

  • Communicating and motivating across organizational levels and boundaries
  • Analysis, research, information integration and synthesis, design thinking, systems thinking
  • Team building, individual mentorship
  • Agile process, ScrumMaster
  • Process engineering
  • Product / project / program management
  • Customer service and support
  • Adaptability
  • Collaboration, negotiation, conflict management
  • Prioritizing, scheduling, decision making, delegation
  • Emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence, empathy, mentoring, diplomacy, patience, building trust
  • DEI Advocacy
  • 20 years' remote work experience with distributed teams of varying cultures, time zones, and first languages

Skills 
Design / Engineering

  • Universal design (accessibility): 90% expertise
  • Art direction: 90% expertise
  • UX / CX engineering: 80% expertise
  • Brand strategy, development: 80% expertise
  • Content strategy: 80% expertise
  • Data visualization: 90% expertise
  • Typography, color, composition: 90% expertise
  • Figma: 90% expertise
  • Adobe Illustrator: 90% expertise
  • Adobe Photoshop: 80% expertise
  • Adobe After Effects: 40% expertise
  • Adobe Premiere: 40% expertise
  • Adobe InDesign: 70% expertise
  • DaVinci Resolve + Fusion: 70% expertise
  • Digital asset management: 90% expertise
  • Cloudinary: 90% expertise

Professional Experiences

Lead Developer

  • Employer: Museum of Science, Boston
  • Dates: March 2020 — February 2021

Responsibilities and Achievements

  • Built AWS Lambda + Node.js processes that combine multiple data sources to define product catalog and serve it over REST API. Built React apps to display products.
  • Supervised team of 5 junior and senior developers + intern. Managed tickets and Scrum process, performed code reviews, and mentored juniors.
  • Designed new infrastructure and software stacks plus content management practices. Worked with vendors on contracts. Devised change management plan. Developed tech solutions that could be reused in future stack.
  • Collaborated with internal stakeholders on daily matters and long-term content management needs. Served as technical lead for projects handled by third parties.
  • Introduced team to AWS Lambda / Serverless, componentized architecture, and Scrum processes.

Full Stack Web Developer + Designer

  • Employer: Museum of Science, Boston
  • Dates: September 2019 — February 2020

Responsibilities and Achievements

  • Improved and added features to Intranet and suite of internal apps, using AWS Lambda, Node.js, MongoDB Atlas, React, Redux, Microsoft Graph, SharePoint, Active Directory, OneDrive, and line-of-business applications.
  • Managed main website product listings and content updates, collaborating with numerous internal stakeholders.

Senior Developer: Web Enterprise Apps

  • Employer: Museum of Science, Boston
  • Dates: July 2013 — August 2019

Responsibilities and Achievements

  • Designed and developed new Intranet plus suite of 56 internal apps, using AWS Lambda, Node.js, MongoDB Atlas, React, Redux, Microsoft Graph, SharePoint, Active Directory, OneDrive, and line-of-business applications.
  • Built proprietary workflow engine, allowing for rapid production of custom apps. Built REST API with 72 microservices.
  • Collaborated with 80+ business process owners and hundreds of users: staff members, senior management, Chairman of the Board, vendors, and collaborating partners.
  • Lots more! Read the case study.

Senior Developer: Consumer Web Apps

  • Employer: Museum of Science, Boston
  • Dates: June 2011 — June 2013

Responsibilities and Achievements

  • Designed and helped develop new, main website on new infrastructure and software stacks. Helped maintain existing web properties and planned for their redesign or retirement.
    • 43 web apps, scaled back to 21: e-commerce and marketing campaigns, data collection used to influence government policy, education products, and internal digital signage.
    • 4 million unique annual visitors.
    • Accessibility meeting standards for NSF and NASA funding.
    • Used Drupal, PHP, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Photoshop, Illustrator.
  • Supervised web developers and content creators. Led Web Governance Team. Collaborated with senior management to ensure revenue channels were properly supported, product goals were met, and organizational resources were utilized efficiently.

Consultant, Designer, Developer

  • Employer: jamesTbaker
  • Dates: November 2000 — June 2011

Responsibilities and Achievements

  • Consulted on and created web products, digital media, brands, and print collateral.
  • Clients were primarily marketing departments, freelancers, startups, and small business owners.
  • Built distributed team of subcontractors in Boston, Seoul, Mumbai, London, and Melbourne.
  • Used PHP, MySQL, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Flash, Illustrator, and Photoshop.

Designer + Full Stack Web Developer

  • Employer: Museum of Science, Boston
  • Dates: August 2010 — May 2011

Responsibilities and Achievements

  • Designed, developed, and maintained static and interactive web apps using PHP, MySQL, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Flash, Illustrator, Photoshop.
  • Collaborated with stakeholders, content strategist, other web and database developers, infrastructure administrators, and print and exhibits designers.

Director of Food and Beverage

  • Employer: Hotel Ithaca
  • Dates: June 2002 — July 2004

Responsibilities and Achievements

  • Multimillion-dollar operations including events, restaurant, bar, and room service for 181 rooms.
  • Designed jobs. Recruited and trained staff members. Developed training materials.
  • Planned and executed New Year's Eve event.
  • Significantly reduced costs.

Director of Technology and Product

  • Employer: University Pride, Ltd.
  • Dates: November 2000 — March 2002

Responsibilities and Achievements

  • Oversaw market research to determine target market size and the features of a web portal desired by said market.
  • Initiated and participated in the production of the redesigned portal.
  • Company closed due to lack of funding after the dot-com crash.

Education and Certification

Project Management Professional (PMP)®

  • Organization: Project Management Institute (PMI)
  • Dates: 2015 — 2024

More Details

Credential ID: 1877258

Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM)

  • Organization: Scrum Alliance
  • Dates: 2015 — 2023

More Details

Credential ID: 484936

Tufts University

  • Objective: Philosophy: Epistemology, Ethics
  • Dates: 2007

Harvard Extension School

  • Objective: Philosophy: Logic, Metaphysics
  • Dates: 2006

Ithaca College

  • Objective: B.S., Business Administration
  • Dates: 2002

More Details

  • Concentration in Management
  • Summa Cum Laude
  • GPA: 3.921 / 4
  • Dean's Scholar
  • Named to Dean’s List all semesters
  • Member, Sigma Iota Epsilon (student division of the National Academy of Management)

Volunteer Experiences

Messager

  • For Whom: Squad303 / 1920.in
  • Date: 2022
  • Objective: Sending information about the war on Ukraine to Russian citizens, bypassing Russian state censors by using WhatsApp.

Consultant

  • For Whom: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
  • Dates: 2015 — 2016
  • Objective: Developing automated business processes on top of Office 365 / SharePoint Online.

Consultant

  • For Whom: The Juilliard School
  • Date: 2015
  • Objective: Developing automated business processes on top of Office 365 / SharePoint Online.

Consultant

  • For Whom: Artists for Africa
  • Date: 2014
  • Objective: Branding, website design, intellectual property management.

Consultant

  • For Whom: Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)
  • Date: 2013
  • Objective: Building web apps on top of Drupal.

Vocalist

  • For Whom: Christ Episcopal Church
  • Dates: 2001 — 2003
  • Objective: Periodic guest performer.

Laborer, Instructor

  • For Whom: Independent
  • Date: 2001
  • Objective: Aiding students learning accounting, Microsoft Excel.

Webmaster

  • For Whom: East Texas PFLAG
  • Date: 1999
  • Objective: Created and maintained organization's web presence.

Consultant, Designer

  • For Whom: Jim Simon for City Council
  • Date: 1998
  • Objective: Branding, production of campaign materials.