AZ (ABBAS ZAHEER) ZAIDI | CSM® | CSPO® | FEDRAMP
SUMMARY
AI/ML Program Management utilizing agent training for better analytics outputs, seasoned in the realm of systems engineering and SW project management.
I have orchestrated the initiation and refinement of enterprise-scale operations, transformative initiatives,
and monetization programs for renowned entities such as Apple, Meta, Cisco WebEx & Supply Chain, Adobe, EA, among others.
My aspiration is to contribute my expertise to the growth and prosperity of an advancing organization.
Presently transforming Operations at Cisco WebEx as a Program Manager, I’ve spearheaded the implementation of a FedRAMP mandated solution, crafting a business process change to deliver a syndicated documentation publication ecosystem.
This system ensures the integrity and precision of secure documents through an automated verification process, harnessing capabilities of Astro, Svelte, and Tailwind.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Program Management: Orchestrated the Ops DevSec transformation at Cisco WebEx, deftly navigating coordination efforts across over 50 teams.
This endeavor culminated in the enhancement of operational workflows, streamlining doc integration into ITIL/FedRAMP Git repo’s, and the establishment of a bespoke B2B media publication platform tailored for security audience.
- Product Delivery: Pioneered notable B2C products including Meta Horizons Creators Learn Hub, Apple SearchAds, and B2B or B2Gov systems at Adobe Sign GovCloud, PG&E eNOS, & the Cisco WebEx FedRAMP portfolio.
- At the helm of cross-functional relationships, I curated seamless collaborations across design, UX, engineering, UXR, and UAT domains, ensuring the successful promotion and integration of code and functionality from staging to testing and eventual production environments.
- Proficiency in Microservices architecture, exemplified through endeavors with Apple Ad Platforms, secure cloud-based
architecture initiatives at Adobe Sign, and distributed server architecture implementations at PGE eNOS. - Masterfully dashboarded research results in Smartsheet and Tableau, enriching user workflow experiences through
robust UXR methodologies, & sculpting change management strategies aligned with custom architected solutions. - Data-Driven Program Management: Pioneered data-centric management methodologies, meticulously researching, identifying and harnessing key metrics (KPIs, SLIs, quants,) to orchestrate the seamless transition from KPIs to Service Level Objectives (SLOs) leading to Agreements Lifecycle, thus sculpting dimensional data models for metric analysis leading to operational results.
ML agent training> dashboard histograph
Workflow UXR (Ads, Media Publication)
Change Mgmt. & Solutions Architecture
Unit Test, Integration Test, UAT for launch
Data-Driven Program Mgmt: identify KPIs
KPI & SLI to SLO to Agreement Lifecycle
Dimensional data models /metrics analysis
NPI experience in hardware and software
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
Project Closure /follow-up management
Stakeholder Management /BPR consulting
Align Agile+WaterFall planning > AgileFall
HOBBIES AND INTERESTS
- Thespian: Embodied leading roles, including a notable off-
Broadway performance in NYC, showcasing a multifaceted
talent beyond the confines of the tech realm & consulting. - Community Engagement: Co-organized International
CloudCamp gatherings, spearheaded Developer Meetups,
and orchestrated Tableau/Python Free Training sessions,
enriching the communal landscape within the tech sphere.
- Continuous Learning: Actively pursuing personal growth
avenues, including work on Kwaai.AI Personal AI Assistant, a
hang-gliding certification, and nurturing my mathematical
and physics acumen through occasional tutoring. - Recreational Pursuits: Eager participant in tennis, chess,
badminton, and pool, alongside cultivating a long term
interest in poker and innovative strategy gaming realms.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Corp to Corp engagement
- Workflow Engineering Program Manager– Cisco WebEx (FedRAMP DevSec Ops). (Remote.) Aug 2023–Present
- Workflow engineering resulting in better Ops DevSec across distributed teams. Standardize CI/CD processes as Git Repo DRI
- Create solutions to close operational gaps via workflow automation. Standardize media input modalities to assure enforcement of build-time verification via Jinkins. Establish programmatic gating via verification of template structure per pull request
- Lead a Tech stack upgrade to include Astro, Svelte JS, & Tailwinds CSS added to MDX files to improve Markdown CI functionality.
Provide local dev server to MOP authors to preview live changes prior to initiating Jenkins/Astro CI, saving time and effort
Pro-Bono (out of love of the platform) ownership of the role
- Product Manager for 12 years– Bay Area Timebank. (Hybrid but mostly remote.) Jan 2012–Sep 2023
Community sourced Timebank is a medium of exchange using users’ time as currency, part of the SF Bay Area Community Exchange. - Establish Project Charter and manage development roadmap over necessary stack upgrades and around changing volunteers
- Own Business Requirements, Functional Specs, Scope of Changes. Applied Agile methodology across teams to manage RACI
Led conversion of one-time web-only interface to a mobile-friendly frontend that works for 6000+ users across platforms
Consultant via AdvantisGlobal.com
- Technical Program Manager owning 2 teams– Meta Horizon Worlds (Oculus Acquisition). (Remote.) Feb 2022–Nov 2022
Own Agile cadence & artefacts of Community Management & Creator Monetization teams in the Horizon Worlds Communities pillar - Develop portfolio with SMEs to incorporate ML & data-derived learnings/analytics to improve Meta Horizon world creators UX
- Manage XFN initiatives to serve identity, economy, & reputation across portfolio teams, empowering VR creators to earn a living
- Publish weekly update addressing success metrics & KPIs across teams, accelerating Sales Enablement goals by empowering creator community with LMS on Web & VR. Manage Sprint & artefact cadence, to meet personalization & legal team milestones
Launch customer-facing Horizon Worlds Learn Hub rollout, conduct inter/external UXR of defined topics from creation tools to monetization of in-world purchase items. Conduct internal UAT & run sprint-testing to improve customer usage via feedback.
Consultant via MindSource.com
- Engineering Program Manager for 2 projects & 1 program– Apple Ad Platforms. (Remote.) Mar 2021–Dec 2021 Develop Engineering Excellence Program in an Agile env to improve the lives of AAP Developers & QE teams, reporting to 2 Directors
- Collaborate with 2 directors & senior staff to develop Ad Platforms’ Engg Excellence Portfolio focus across 2 opposite time zones
- Define, refine & execute plans for projects that support internal customers: Apple stakeholders, engineers, & QA/Support teams
- Set up SearchAds Engineering Excellence Program, researching and merging stakeholder priorities with those discovered via UXR
- Integrate DevOps processes identified in research /automate code-promotion gates between environments /refine SonarQube
Identify & track critical measures of success, train ML agents to glean analytics to publish weekly exec program efficiency report
Consultant via TekSystems.com – (2 engagements)
- Cloud Tech Program Manager in FedRAMP Certification– Adobe Sign GovCloud. (Remote.) (1) Sep 2020–Mar 2021
- Technology Governance, Risk Mitigation, & Compliance role, creating FedRAMP best-practices to establish a reproducible template
- Align parallel projects as CloudTech Portfolio Program Manager to achieve highly defined FedRAMP Compliance NIST credentials
- Innovate data-driven program leadership, create dashboards for visible Ops performance-tracking across XFN workstreams
Build and maintain credible relationships with all levels of org, to empower project execution, and lead Ops teams by example
- Program Manager in Security & IT Mgmt– Cisco Supply Chain. (Milpitas, CA.) (2) Nov 2019–Jul 2020
Business Process Risk Mitigation by transforming PMO Ops to a DevOps model, and modify Supply Chain information flow practices - Lead cross-functional Change Management with Cisco’s manufacturing partners to enhance IT Security posture across all sites
- Develop best practices for Manufacturing Portfolio, gain standards agreements, socialize via SharePoint, Tableau, & SmartSheet
- Implement Agile to manage timeline across partner sites, meet migration constraints, & report via executive presentations
- NPI logistics for multi-site product development, BOM level Tolerance stack analysis, to meet electro-mechanical design specs
Analyze data & signals to identify trends and problems, create solutions & shell scripts to drive implementation of key initiatives
Consultant via Forshay.com – (2 engagements)
- Program Manager in HRBP Program Office– EA. (Redwood Shores, CA.) (1) Sep ‘18–Mar ’19. (2) Aug 2019–Sep 2019
Business Process Re-engineering & Promapp workflow gamification for EA’s HR Talent Acquisition and People Experience teams - Engage Stakeholders, develop Proj. Charter/Scope Baseline, for high-ROI change management. MVP: define Future State design
- Onboard ProMapp workflow for PLM gamification plan, train & support users, manage onboarding, & design key game economy
- Develop LumApps CMS UI/UX maps, & utilize to bring uniformity to disparate page formats, to market ProMapp design-thinking
- Execute identified change areas, produce & manage Change Impact Analysis, & report on results of user gaming journey metrics
- Create Exec preso as a data story, sourced & developed in Smartsheet, dashboarding transformation adoption success metrics
Implement & dashboard dimensional data-slices to tell a project story with work/phase status, by resources, and %load analytics
Consultant via Red Oak Tech
- Technical Project Manager in Corporate Mobile Device Management – Apple. (Sunnyvale, CA.) Apr 2019–Jun 2019
Lead cross-functional teams in Collab & Productivity, to manage and improve HW Mgmt App developed to onboard new Corp users - Own API docs & scrum rituals ‘review/retrospective/planning/daily scrums’, as ScrumMaster for internal SaaS prod global launch
- Collaborate in UX design, roadmap & triage feature inclusion, own Integration Test/UAT process, coordinate Apple-wide release
- Facilitate feedback between users and engineering, track incident types/severities, prune backlog, & expedite iterative updates
Consultant via BayOne Solutions, Inc. –(2 roles in the same engagement)
- Program Manager “WebEx Meetings”– Cisco WebEx Ops. (San Jose, CA.) Mar ‘16–Jul ‘18
Ops Program Manager (FedRAMP), for WebEx Meetings SaaS in Cloud Services. Moved to AV-Ops Automation Engineering.
(1)- As WebEx Operations FedRAMP Program Manager: - Publish security-specific technical & executive reports, meet strict security requirements, and achieve 2 FedRAMP ATO renewals
- Assist 15 functional leaders to prepare global rollout of CI/CD development efforts for FedRAMP, & develop Error Budget Process
- Establish PLM process for FedRAMP (NIST 800-53 Rev4) with org-wide workflow, engaging stakeholders with weekly reporting
- Convert org to Agile, collaborate with x-functional teams to achieve IaaS SLAs, & meet 4-9’s availability, in incremental epics
(2)- As WebEx AV-Ops Technical Project Manager responsible for Change Management - Collab with SaaS teams to capture DW interactions, & establish secure-access/log-tracking to define new system SFDC BRD/FRD
- Lead technical analysis to improve video-stream handoff latency by 15%+ across different in-house/external HW module types
- Create alliances across Ops engineering & Support team silos, & clarify agreements by negotiating SLOs to meet XFN 4-9s SLA
- Initiate Confluence (org wiki) development, create templates/macros, apply fixed structure across org, & gain leadership support
Consultant Program Manager & TPM via eForte.net
Program Manager, Management Consultant, TPM– eForte.net (SF Bay, CA.) Jun ‘13–Mar ‘16
Product Development and engagement ownership to design & launch web/mobile/consumer products, & a C-Suite financial DSS. Initial analysis through PLM development, implementation, UAT, launch, documentation, game design, UI/UX, & media strategy - ForceBrain: Custom SFDC solution architecture & management of ForceBrain C-Suite financial Decision Support System (DSS)
- ZenSifu: Design a “discovery game”, to scale layered-concept-understanding through to user-sourced content, via growth metrics
- RobertHalf: Own EU launch of RHT’s CRM product. Baseline scope, test integration, validate legal /local requirements compliance
- Neustar /Quantivo: Documented SW Configuration and release Mgmt. to help a dimensional-analytics start-up pass seed funding round. Led UAT of completed Quantivo front-end at Visa, with marked screenshots showing steps in a clearly indicated manner.
Consultant via M-Squared, now SolomonEdwards Consulting Nov ‘12–May ‘13
Program Manager /Change Manager of “eNOS”– Pacific Gas & Electric HQ (SF, CA.)
eNOS (E-Net Online System) grid-asset Mgmt. dev transformation to Agile, an EGI (Electric Generation Interconnection) SaaS product - Modify eNOS (Waterfall) enterprise-development program to Agile methodology, enabling integrated HW-control dev changes
- Workflow existing project plans into 2-week sprint implementations with stakeholder PMs, enabling 2 pivot-gates per month
- Meet Federal (FERC) & State (CPUC) tariff /reporting requirements as eNOS PgM, to meet changing business & customer req’s
- Lead FRD PM for new SFDC ERP workflow mapping, tasked with leading UAT of completed modules to validate MVP adherence
- Created & led UAT at 2-day remote offsite, with instructor led workshops utilizing self-created trainings with clear instructions.
UAT was created as a set of use-case workflows, from individual steps already covered in “HP-QA” tool’s Integration Test scripts
COMPETENCIES AND DOMAINS
Data Driven Lead: Smartsheet/Grafana Dashboarding, Automated Report Generation, regular Program Summaries, & Risk Register
Enterprise Tools: Jira, Smartsheet, Confluence, Enovia PLM, ProMapp, LumApps, OBIEE, Oracle FA, ERwin, Vignette StoryServer V/6
Software /Tools: Expertise in Google Suite, OpenOffice, MS Office, MS Access, & MS Publisher. Design /Analysis experience in Visio
/Figma /LucidChart /MockFlow /MindMap, Unix shell, ColdFusion, and version control in GitHub & SVN/CVS, etc.
Platforms: AWS, MacOS, Ubuntu, WAMP, LAMP, OpenStack, etc. IDE experience includes Xcode, Eclipse, PyCharm & SFDC
Languages: Tcl/Tk, JavaScript, Python, DHTML/CSS, Pascal, Lisp, C, & Bourne/C-shell. DB Lang: PL/SQL, FoxPro, and XDB-Pro
Databases: Oracle legacy DB & PL/SQL development/administration, IBM UDB admin, SQL Server, FoxPro, and MS Access
Domains: Mobile, FinTech, Supply Chain workflow Engg, Security & IT Change Management, Agile Project Mgmt, FedRAMP
Cloud Security, Systems Architecture /Engineering, SW Interaction Design, Enterprise SDLC, and Utilities (Power)
COMPETENCIES AND DOMAINS
Master’s Program, in Information Systems Development, from George Washington University (GWU) Business School, -deferred.
Bachelors of Science Degree, in Computer Science, from George Mason University (GMU) Volgenau School of Engineering.