Contact Will Norris
Hillsboro, OR, USA
will@biohack.net

Senior Platform Engineer

Hyatt Hotels, Remote/Chicago, IL, Jan 2021–present

  • Splunk
  • Datadog

Cloud Engineer

Comscore, Remote/Portland, OR, Apr 2018–Jul 2020

  • Stand up new services in AWS using terraform, apache, nginx, JRE, memcache, varnish on Ubuntu
  • Run operations in AWS and AppNexus using sensu, grafana, PagerDuty, Jira
  • Reduce costs by rightsizing, use of spot instances, network connectivity, stack rearchitecture

DevOps Consultant

Independent Contractor, Hillsboro, OR, Dec 2014–Apr 2018

  • Maintain legacy ERP codebase using NodeJS using consul.io, AWS EC2, Elastic Beanstalk, SNS, SQS
  • Develop software and control infrastructure for a major theme park attraction (jQuery, python, and redis)
  • Develop full ops stack for startup: jenkins, build slaves, LDAP, jmeter (load testing), nginx (web server and load balancer), debian package repository (aptly), file/top beat, logstash, elasticsearch, kibana, mongodb, docker

TechOps: Senior Engineer

Disney Interactive, Palo Alto and Glendale, CA, Jun 2011–Nov 2014

[also Systems Administrator]

  • Build out 10,000 node CloudStack private cloud, including automation covering all devices under our control (provisioning, AD/DNS/LDAP, Zenoss monitoring, Puppet, F5 BigIP LB, Graphviz visualizations, hypervisor config using ansible)
  • Create and maintain puppet infrastructure, from servers to code base
  • Develop TechOps API and dashboard, using accepted best practices, thus eating our own dogfood and providing an example
  • Train remote teams in India
  • Capacity planning for data center buildout based on game release schedules
  • Load testing for login and prize redemption backend services for Disney's Infinity console game
  • Work with software engineering teams to gather requirements and develop solutions, often from systems already nearing development completion

Website Development Consultant

San Francisco, CA, USA · Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
Freelance Programmer, Nov 2007–May 2011

  • Major contributor to Foswiki; root administrator for foswiki.org servers
  • Maintain existing and create new healthcare-related websites (PostgreSQL, mod_perl/apache, Mason)
  • Perform routine system administration and maintenance

Senior Perl Programmer for Marketing and Analytics

FriendFinder, Inc., Palo Alto, CA, 2006–2007

[also Customer Communications Programmer, Infrastructure Programmer]

  • Operate and enhance CUPIDS—a parallelized, distributed email sending program for sending over 8 million personalized emails daily; drove automation efforts to enable on-demand scaling
  • Coordinate new AB test development and analysis; Implemented email AB tests
  • Work with Project Managers to produce design and implementation specifications
  • Implemented nagios monitor system for site health monitor from analytics perspective
  • Implemented [and introduced the concept of] unit tests for infrastructure tools

Web Programmer

Freelance Programmer, Tijuana, BC, México, 2005–2006

  • Support programming for Authoring Tool for movie and radio web surveys using AJAX, mod_perl, and Mason
  • TWiki Consultant [Installation, Custom Programming]
  • Major contributor to TWiki development of the time

Embedded Linux Consultant

Independent Contractor, Redding, CA, 2003–2004

  • Created and maintained a customized Linux distribution derived from RedHat 9 for the Russound Smart Media Server
  • Interfaced various open source components [e.g., PostgreSQL, Apache, ImageMagick, MPlayer, customized FireFox, SSH, yum, Samba, FTP, etc.]
  • Created and maintained the build system for daily automated testing, production of the Gold Master, combined with a self-booting installer CD, later upgraded to create a LAN installer farm
  • Interfaced with technical and licensing requirements for Gracenote [CDDB] and Muze [album cover artwork]

Math Instructor

Sylvan Learning Center [Avondale and Orange Park, FL], 2001–2002

  • Taught K-12 students in groups and math portion of SAT prep course
  • Increased center revenue by enabling new one-on-one tutoring for high school AP math and remedial adult CLAST

Student Tutor

FCCJ [Florida Community College at Jacksonville] - Learning Center, 1999–2001

  • Tutor students one-on-one in Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English, and French

President / Senior Software Engineer

Cave Logic Studios, San Francisco, CA, 1994–1998

  • Managed 8-person production team of programmers, artists, and support staff
  • Met with publishers and other clients; negotiated game programming, artwork, and other support contracts
  • Generated additional revenue streams by licensing World Foundry tools and libraries
  • Trained artists and level designers
  • Created sample levels using algorithmic generation techniques for promotional material for Channel 3D, using an updated version of World Foundry for stereoscopic glasses
  • World Foundry architecture and development, one of the two main programmers, scripting language compiler and runtime byte-code interpreter
  • World Foundry enabled Cyclone Studios [3DO], PF.Magic, Hasbro, and Virgin Games to provide a rapid prototyping environment for game designers, artists, and level designers
  • Development of PlugIns for 3DS R4, designed and coded other tools required for conversion of assets from commercial packages to internal runtime game formats
  • Ported Ballz 3D: The Director's Cut from SNES to 3DO
  • Coordinated all programming and art production, management and scheduling, interfacing to publisher for Ballz 3D [SNES] project; one of the two programmers

Senior Software Engineer / Team Lead

Alexandria [Oddworld Inhabitants], Los Osos, CA, 1993

  • Responsible for development of OO core runtime library code for game engine used in several titles on both the Genesis and SNES
  • Art production pipeline specification; developed many tools and utilities to automate artist and production build tasks

Software Engineer / Project Manager

Developer Resources, Mountain View, CA, 1992–1994

  • Coded The Great Waldo Search, trained new artists for tile-based assets production
  • Coded Game Genie OO firmware and supporting encryptions tools
  • SNES Art Downloader [PC connected to a custom SNES cartridge with parallel port; artist hits "PrintScrn" button and image is transferred to SNES and displayed on the TV]
  • SNES Development System tools, including OO multiscreen windowed debugger, assembler, profiler [under DOS 4/GW 32-bit DOS Extender]

Software Engineer

Equilibrium, San Rafael, CA, 1991–1992

  • Developed production tools for GameBoy development
  • Provided training to artists

Software Engineer

Brian A. Rice, Inc., Darien, IL, 1990–1991

  • Ported Trump Castle II from MS-DOS to Amiga
  • Developed Penthouse Jigsaw
  • OO Assembly Language: Code Architecture and programming on Super Soccer
  • Support programming for Shanghai II and Mission to Mars

Software Engineer / Assistant External Producer

Polarware [Merit Software], Batavia, IL, 1988–1990

  • Enabled Polarware to increase sales and profits by providing Amiga versions of their product lineup
  • Ported and enhanced Electric Crayon series for the Amiga
  • Implemented Transylvania III on Amiga and IBM PC
  • Interfaced with external developers as an External Assistant Producer