Web résumé

Michael Buckingham

Technical product leader · hands-on builder

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Professional summary

Senior technical product and delivery leader with more than two decades guiding complex software, security, digital commerce, and AI initiatives from discovery and product definition through production operations. Led global teams of up to 16 and programs up to $9M, including client engagements supporting Amazon, T-Mobile, Sephora, GSK, and Nintendo. Combines executive stakeholder leadership with hands-on delivery in Next.js, TypeScript, Python, FastAPI, Supabase/PostgreSQL, iOS, and LLM integrations.

Experience

Independent Technical Product Consultant & Builder

Self-Employed

Mar 2024 - Present

  • Own end-to-end technical product delivery for paid and pro bono clients, from discovery and product definition through architecture, implementation, deployment, and operations.
  • Built QuiltPatternManager, a production Next.js/Supabase platform for a quilting business; replaced two unsupported Windows applications, recovered 15,000+ pattern records, and added payments, tax reporting, wait-list management, and semantic search with pgvector.
  • Delivered SheRidesMore, a paid Next.js/TypeScript cycling analytics platform with Strava OAuth, Supabase/PostGIS route matching, and AI-generated performance analysis.
  • Developed Far Reach Jobs, a FastAPI job-aggregation platform serving rural Alaska; used Claude API to configure scrapers, ingest and deduplicate 1,000+ listings, and run daily updates.
  • Built a native iOS companion app, Apple Health data pipeline, and TypeScript/Python/SQL web dashboard for an individual referral client, charting progress on a virtual cross-country journey.

Senior Delivery Manager

Nortal US

Aug 2020 - Jan 2024

  • Led enterprise software engagements for a global consultancy, managing cross-functional teams, client relationships, and portfolio budgets up to $6.3M across concurrent accounts.
  • Amazon Corporate Security: Architected and delivered an emergency lockdown system replacing legacy Windows-based infrastructure; reduced facility activation from 40+ minutes to one operation at building, campus, or regional scale.
  • Designed context-aware notifications and controlled-egress logic to target affected badge holders and support safer emergency response.
  • T-Mobile: Maintained security program operations and stakeholder alignment during a senior leadership gap, preserving continuity across technology and operations teams.

Director, AI/ML Product & Program Delivery

Publicis Sapient

Mar 2014 - Jun 2020

  • Directed enterprise e-commerce, CMS, and AI/ML delivery for major retail and CPG clients; authored statements of work, managed program financials, and led distributed teams.
  • Sephora: Led a 9-person technical team building a natural-language query interface for an enterprise data catalog; translated product needs into deliverables for PyTorch-focused ML and data specialists.
  • GlaxoSmithKline: Led a 16-person blended team on a $9M SAP ERP/WebSphere Commerce B2B portal integration, delivered in 10 months.
  • David Yurman: Recovered and delivered a commerce-platform migration by a fixed datacenter-decommissioning deadline, leading a 12-person on-site team.

Senior Project Manager

Amplifi Commerce

Feb 2013 - Mar 2014

  • Brought in mid-engagement as the sole on-site delivery lead to stabilize and launch a Nintendo customer-support portal, converting the engagement into follow-on work.
  • Contributed PMO frameworks for project definition, planning, resource allocation, governance, and execution.

Senior Project Manager, Enterprise Program Office

T-Mobile

Feb 2012 - Feb 2013

  • Led internal Adobe Experience Manager modernization initiatives; managed project financials and stakeholder alignment.

Earlier experience

CenturyLink

2011 - 2012

Lead IT Program Manager

Managed an eight-project enterprise portfolio spanning self-service portals and an SAP ERP upgrade.

Verizon Business

2007 - 2011

Sr. Security Software Project Manager

Delivered security solutions, managed portfolio financials, and led an offshore development team.

Cingular

2006 - 2007

SS7 Network Engineer / Team Lead

Engineered SS7 backhaul and monitoring and served as team lead.

Speakeasy Broadband

2004 - 2006

Engineering Manager / Sr. Engineering Project Manager

Managed network, systems, database, and security functions; supported datacenters and a WiMAX trial.

T-Mobile USA

2003 - 2004

Wi-Fi Project Manager / Network Engineer

Engineered the initial Starbucks 802.11 Wi-Fi network and backhaul.

Skills & technologies

Product & Program Leadership
  • Technical product management
  • Product strategy
  • Product roadmaps
  • Technical program management
  • Cross-functional leadership
  • Executive communications
  • Budget/P&L ownership
  • Vendor management
  • Agile/Scrum
  • Jira
  • Confluence
Engineering
  • TypeScript
  • JavaScript
  • Next.js
  • React
  • Node.js
  • Python
  • FastAPI
  • iOS
  • SQL
  • PostgreSQL/PostGIS
  • Supabase
  • Docker
  • Linux
AI & Automation
  • Claude API
  • LLM integration
  • pgvector/Voyage embeddings
  • n8n
  • AI-assisted workflows
Cloud & Platforms
  • AWS
  • Azure
  • GCP
  • Stripe
  • OAuth
  • Git/GitHub