About me
Software Engineer with 25+ years designing, building, and scaling complex web-based applications and distributed systems. I bring clarity to ambiguity, define technical direction through hands-on engineering, and build systems that endure.
Equally comfortable designing architectures and writing code, I translate intricate problems into simplicity through thoughtful design and pragmatic execution. I thrive where deep technical work, mentorship, and shared ownership of outcomes define success.
Follow me:
| Name | Brian Raines |
| brian@raines.io | |
| Role | Software Engineer |
| Experience | 25+ Years |
| Contact | (214) 707-0983 |
| Location | Plano, TX |
Technical Expertise
Architecture & System Design
- Serverless & event-driven architecture; microservices patterns
- Distributed systems at scale; reliability, performance, and cost optimization
- API architecture (REST, WebSocket); single-table database modeling
- Performance & scalability patterns; system reliability engineering
- Technical trade-off analysis and pragmatic design
Cloud Infrastructure & Platform
- AWS: Lambda, API Gateway (HTTP/REST/WebSocket), DynamoDB, S3, Step Functions, SNS/SQS
- Infrastructure as Code (CloudFormation, SAM); serverless computing patterns
- Message queuing & event streaming; real-time systems
- CI/CD pipeline design; synthetic monitoring; cloud cost management
Data Architecture & Engineering
- DynamoDB (single-table design), PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis
- Data modeling for scale; access pattern modeling; query optimization
- Database migration strategies; multi-tenant architecture; ETL and data warehousing
Technical Leadership
- Architecture review & technical standards; cross-team collaboration & influence
- Engineering mentorship & capability building
- Technical strategy & roadmap planning; build vs. buy evaluation
- Documentation, knowledge sharing, team scaling & best practices
Experience
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Distinguished Software Engineer, Turnitin — Dallas, TX
- Author and implement SAM driven serverless patterns through working systems that have become the organizational standard.
- Mentor engineers across multiple teams on distributed systems, DynamoDB modeling, and event-driven design.
- Partner with engineering leadership on technical strategy and platform architecture decisions.
Paper to Digital Platform
- AI-powered extension to Turnitin Feedback Studio that expanded assessment capabilities beyond digital submissions to include paper-based evaluations featuring short answers, multiple choice, handwritten diagrams, and mathematical equations.
- Architected serverless, event-driven backends in AWS achieving 99.9% reliability and horizontal scalability.
- Implemented DynamoDB single-table design and Step Functions for complex AI/OCR workflow orchestration.
- Built real-time collaboration via WebSocket APIs enabling synchronous grading and feedback.
- Developed test automation that included unit tests, integration tests, end-to-end tests, and synthetic canaries.
- Ensured TX-RAMP compliance and certification, maintaining rigorous state-level security standards.
- Tech & Learning “Best Tools For Back to School 2024” for Turnitin’s Paper to Digital Add-On for Feedback Studio.
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Principal Software Engineer, Turnitin
Usage Analytics Platform
- Designed and implemented an event-driven ETL pipeline leveraging SNS, DynamoDB Streams, and Kinesis Data Firehose to ingest and transform real-time customer engagement data into Amazon Redshift.
- Visualized through QuickSight dashboards to drive consumption-based billing insights across the product portfolio.
- Stack: AWS (Lambda, API Gateway, WebSocket, DynamoDB, Step Functions, SNS/SQS, SAM), Serverless Architecture, Event-Driven Systems.
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Software Engineer IV, ExamSoft (acquired by Turnitin)
- High Volume Assessment Password Management () — re-engineered a legacy WordPress solution into a serverless, auto-scaling architecture leveraging AWS services, delivering high concurrency and reliability for hundreds of thousands of simultaneous assessment credential requests.
- Migration of Liftupp from PHP Monolith to AWS Serverless ( - ) — reverse-engineered and migrated API endpoints to Lambda-based services; guided the team through database migration to AWS RDS and DocumentDB; mentored PHP engineers transitioning to AWS and Java development.
- Stack: Java, PHP, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, AWS (Lambda, API Gateway, RDS, Cognito, ElastiCache, DocumentDB).
- Award: Engineering Will-to-Win Employee of the Year.
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Lead Software Developer (Consultant), Innovar Solutions
- Architected and delivered a modern SaaS platform that unified multiple legacy business systems into a single, real-time interface for commercial scheduling and operations.
- Developed a Symfony RESTful API backend and Vue.js SPA frontend, enabling real-time data synchronization and consolidating third-party TV commercial purchasing and scheduling workflows into a unified UI.
- Integrated and decommissioned multiple legacy systems, reducing operational complexity and long-term technical debt.
- Mentored junior developers in system design, debugging, and framework best practices.
- Stack: PHP (Symfony), MSSQL, Vue.js, Bootstrap, Windows Server.
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Application Architect, Speed Commerce
- Architected and developed a suite of enterprise-scale fulfillment and warehouse systems supporting multi-million sq. ft. distribution centers and thousands of concurrent users.
- Designed and deployed order fulfillment and warehouse control systems with event-driven processing.
- Built real-time OMS integrations with PLCs, sortation systems, and shipping carriers (FedEx, UPS, USPS).
- Developed multi-language, SaaS-enabled platforms powering global eCommerce for Fortune 500 retailers.
- Created mobile tools for warehouse staff using Motorola RhoElements for wearable devices.
- Delivered scalable, resilient systems managing packing automation, store fulfillment, and warehouse logistics orchestration.
- Stack: PHP 5/7, Symfony, Redis, PostgreSQL, AS400, Microservices, REST APIs, Real-Time Messaging.
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Early Career
- Senior PHP Developer — StoneEagle, Credit Solutions
- Senior Developer / Engineering Lead — New Media Gateway, Crosswerk, Oven Digital
- Intranet Coordinator — Garden.com
- Freelance Web Developer — Siegel Gale, Credit Suisse First Boston, BLUEprint
- Progressively responsible roles building enterprise applications, leading development teams, and architecting marketing automation systems for Fortune 500 clients including Sprint, Harrah's, ING, Tiffany, and Consumer Reports.
- Stacks: PHP, Symfony, CakePHP, Zend Framework, MySQL, MSSQL, SOAP/XML, ExtJS, ASP, JSP, JavaScript/DHTML
Education
B.S., Business Administration — University of Texas at Dallas
What People Say
"Brian is an exceptional Software Engineer. His ability to develop top quality products that exceed expectations is second to none. He encourages his peers to step outside the box and develop innovative products that help move the business forward."
"Brian takes a holistic system engineering approach to design to strike the optimal trade-off between performance, reliability, and functionality. Overall, Brian is a rock-solid technical performer that delivers an end-to-end working solution, on time, with remarkable consistency."
"I could provide a short brief of a project and he'd take it to the finish line. When clarification was needed he came forward with clear and concise questions or concerns. Brian was also very willing to help others."
"Each time Brian showed the leadership and technical knowledge to carry each product from conception to production. He completed projects and introduced modern, more efficient ways of managing development and technical resources."
"He anchored the development team with leadership skills and programming smarts rarely found in one developer simultaneously. I don't think I could recommend Brian more highly."
"His design and implementation were excellent and any issues we had between the UI and database layers were quickly resolved. His excellent communication skills helped make my introduction into the existing team very productive."
Contact
Let’s connect. I’m responsive by email and happy to schedule time.