Joseph A. Pfohl
Product Engineer
Summary
Product-minded full-stack engineer who builds complex data platforms that feel simple to use. Strongest in the TypeScript ecosystem (Next.js, NestJS, React, Angular) on AWS, with deep experience in infrastructure-as-code, event-driven architecture, and multi-tenant SaaS design. Track record of leading small teams from architecture through delivery on complex platforms, championing enterprise-wide technical practices, and bridging the gap between engineering and business stakeholders.
Technical Skills
- Languages
- TypeScript, JavaScript, SQL, Terraform (HCL), C#
- Frameworks & Libraries
- Next.js, NestJS, Angular, React, .NET
- Cloud & Infrastructure
- AWS (EventBridge, SQS, RDS, Lambda, ECS, Cognito), Azure (Function Apps, App Service, AI Services), Terraform, Docker, AI-Assisted Development (GitHub Copilot, Claude, OpenCode)
- Databases
- PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, Cosmos DB
Professional Experience
Technical Lead / Principal Software Engineer, MSO & Innovation
December 2020 – Present
- Led end-to-end creation of the Payment Integrity eXaminer (PIX), a multi-tenant SaaS platform on AWS, from initial architecture through production deployment with a small, focused team.
- Designed and built a graph-based "concept builder" enabling business users to construct complex structured queries through a point-and-click interface, reducing analysis feedback loops from 4–8 weeks to minutes.
- Owned full infrastructure architecture using Terraform: event-driven data ingestion (EventBridge, SQS, Lambda), multi-tenant authentication via Cognito, and flexible tenancy patterns supporting pool, hybrid, and silo deployments.
- Advocated for PostgreSQL over DynamoDB after identifying OLAP workload requirements incompatible with the original enterprise-directed architecture, unlocking query flexibility critical to the platform's core product.
- Established front-end architecture standards and converted siloed specialists into full-stack developers across two teams (5 engineers) on the Rx Clinical Concierge pharmacy SaaS platform.
- Pioneered enterprise adoption of trunk-based development and feature flags — authored organizational standards, built custom flag infrastructure on Azure App Config, and delivered shared libraries for .NET and Angular.
- Championed company-wide adoption of GitHub Copilot as the organization's first approved generative AI tool, driving the POC and engaging security architects and C-suite stakeholders from pilot to full rollout.
Senior Software Engineer
October 2018 – February 2020
- Built an internal HR application end-to-end, replacing a fragmented manual process (spreadsheets, emails, legacy forms) with automated paid family leave management and delivering the organization's first direct programmatic integration with UKG and UltiPro APIs.
- Reduced new developer onboarding from 8–12 weeks to under 3 hours by containerizing the local development environment and hosting images on an internal repository, benefiting a team of ~75 developers.
Software Engineer
March 2020 – August 2020
- Co-developed and rapidly launched "Amenity Boss" during a COVID-driven business pivot, building onboarding automation that helped scale the customer base and recurring revenue significantly.
Software Engineer
August 2020 – December 2020
- Consolidated two related product codebases into a single modular system and automated the software build process for a new hardware product line.
Software Engineer
January 2018 – October 2018
- Built a standalone desktop application (JavaFX) for a proprietary chemical hazard prediction model, plus a batch testing tool that significantly reduced model validation time.
Education
B.S. Computer Science
B.A. Philosophy & Religious Studies