Thomas Underwood
Fractional Head of Engineering & Technical Leader
Helping fast-growing companies scale engineering teams and build enterprise-grade systems that handle millions of users
I'm a proven engineering leader with 8+ years of experience building and scaling high-performing engineering teams from 0 to 12+ developers. As the founding Head of Engineering at two startups, I've led teams through enterprise-level product launches, architected systems supporting 1M+ monthly transactions, and generated $5M+ in company revenue through technical excellence and lead a team through an acquisition.
Team Leadership & Scaling Expertise
- Built engineering teams from scratch at BuckLabs and Glossi, hiring and training 10+ engineers across multiple companies
- Led cross-functional teams of 6-12 developers generating ~$1M in revenue at premier NYC consultancy Heady
- Mentored junior and mid-level developers into senior contributors while establishing engineering best practices
Enterprise-Scale Technical Architecture
- Designed systems handling 100,000+ daily users with 100k+ transaction peaks at BuckLabs
- Architected AWS cloud infrastructure supporting 10,000+ daily active users across multiple client projects
- Led large-scale migrations and re-architectures, including React to Next.js transitions and OAuth implementations
Technical Expertise Modern full-stack technologies including Next.js, Node.js, TypeScript, GraphQL, AWS, and emerging Web3/blockchain platforms. Proven ability to work hands-on in code while providing strategic technical direction.
REVIEWS FROM CLIENTS
In 2023, I started as the founding Head of Engineering at BuckLabs. I hired, trained, and scaled
our team to 4 engineers. In 202...
In 2023, I started as the founding Head of Engineering at BuckLabs. I hired, trained, and scaled
our team to 4 engineers. In 2024, I led our team through 2 enterprise level product launches
while working directly with the co-founders and support teams. I designed and helped
implement both products while working hands on in the code and guiding our engineering
excellence.The first being a brand engagement platform through Shopify that tracks user
engagement with a brand through their social media interactions and rewards them with points
that they use for voting and redeeming prizes. We had several large e-sport brands with 2M+
fans like 100 Thieves and Cloud9 sign-up and successfully onboard their companies. Our
second product is a Web3 native brand engagement platform for Web3 gaming studios that also
has a store component using a Shopify competitor. The systems I architected have scaled to
support 1M+ transactions monthly with 100k+ transaction daily peak usage for 100,000s of
users. (Next.Js, Nest.Js, Node.js, System Design, Web 3.0)
As a Technical Solution Architect at a premier New York City software consultancy company I
hired, trained and led 3 teams of 6-...
As a Technical Solution Architect at a premier New York City software consultancy company I
hired, trained and led 3 teams of 6-12 developers across 4 projects equaling ~$1M in company
revenue. Our clients ranged from a small high growth startup to large beauty brands with
100,000+ users. I was responsible for setting engineering best practices, setting up and
managing cloud resources at scale in AWS for clients that had 10,000+ daily active users and
ensuring that security and performance considerations are addressed pre and post launch for a
client. I was also responsible for drafting both high level and detailed technical specification
documents for our engineering teams and clients as we launched new projects and closed new
business. (System Design, AWS, Technical Document Drafting, Engineering Diagrams in Lucid)
As the founding Head of Engineering at Glossi, I hired, trained and led a team of 5 engineers.
Our engineering team created the ...
As the founding Head of Engineering at Glossi, I hired, trained and led a team of 5 engineers.
Our engineering team created the world’s first photo-realistic video and product shots in a web
browser using Unreal Engine 5. I planned company technical objectives on the executive
leadership team and was responsible for hiring, coding, goal setting, project planning, and
execution. I architected and implemented the product, supporting services, CI/CD, and cloud
infrastructure. I worked across multiple supporting teams such as QA, UI/UX, and the executive
leadership team. (Next.js, Chakra, GraphQL, WebRTC, Typescript, Auth0, AWS)