WWF Conservation Navigator

Title : Web Lead Developer / Tech Lead.
Organization : Catalyze Communications
Project Scope : Leading full-stack web engineering, system integration, and technical governance for the WWF Conservation Navigator platform.

Technical Team Leadership & Oversight : Directing the core engineering team—comprising frontend developers, backend developers, UI/UX designers, DevOps, and QA specialists—through project phases, technical backlog execution, and quality checks.
System & Solution Architecture : Overseeing the platform's multi-tier technical architecture, combining Next.js on the frontend, NestJS for backend API services, MSSQL/MySQL databases, ArcGIS Enterprise spatial integration, and Azure Cloud infrastructure.
Security & Quality Compliance : Enforcing code quality standards (ESLint, SCSS structure, Tailwind standards) and aligning application security with enterprise requirements, including Veracode Static Application Security Testing (SAST), Web Application Firewall (WAF) configurations, and Microsoft Entra / WWF Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication.
Technical Documentation & Sign-Off : Authoring, maintaining, and providing formal technical approval for fundamental deliverables, including the Functional Specification Document (FSD) and context alignment presentations.
Cross-Partner Technical Alignment : Coordinating technical workflows, CI/CD deployment pipelines, and repository management between Catalyze, WWF technical leadership (Nasser Olwero), and third-party partner teams (BBD and Blue Raster).

Functional Specification & Documentation : Authored and finalized the comprehensive Functional Specification Document (FSD v1.1.0) detailing system architecture, server requirements, environment variables, API endpoints, and database collections.
Feature Development & Technical Backlog Execution : Actively developing and supervising key backlog deliverables, such as alphabetizing landscape search results, configuring Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework (ESSF) trend toggles, implementing microcopy sections, resolving backend email 500 errors, and managing bookmark/pin APIs.
GIS & ESRI Technical Problem-Solving : Addressing complex ESRI JavaScript API integration challenges, including legend widget configurations, map feature popup querying, spatial rest queries, and map extent locking mechanisms.
Deployment & CI/CD Pipeline Configuration : Setting up environment variables, GitHub repository configurations, and Azure Web App deployment slot rules across development, staging, QA, and production environments.
Sprint & Resource Allocation : Managing team effort hours, backlog prioritization, buffer allocations, and technical post-mortems across sprint cycles.

Successful Platform Delivery : Deliver an integrated, high-performance, and secure web application that centralizes WWF's internal data, ESSF assessments, and spatial layers into a responsive portal for leadership, landscape teams, and operations staff.
Standardization & Engineering Growth : Elevate internal engineering practices to meet high-level security gates (Veracode SAST), Azure deployment workflows, and enterprise SSO frameworks.
Seamless Spatial & Data Integration : Ensure reliable data translation between external ESRI GIS map layers, relational database collections, and intuitive frontend summary visualizations.
Streamlined Cross-Team Workflows : Establish unified GitHub branching strategies, structured PR processes, and clear task-tracking alignment (linking Trello cards to GitHub issues) to minimize deployment friction across multi-vendor technical teams.