Jason Stafford

Lead multiple product teams delivering enterprise solutions for commercial clients. Responsible for client configuration, data validation, data intake, and data transformation which support large-scale payer workflows.
* Canvas: React Front End, node.js API, cosmos dB, and Azure Functions
* Data Engineering Pipeline: Azure Data factory, Python, Databricks
* Direct the Lab Benefits Management (LBM) integration initiative, partnering with Avalon to integrate external analytic responses back into Optum’s pre-pay ecosystem.
* Lead development of the Claim Tracker application, an agentic AI solution that tracks claim progression across Data Engineering pipelines.
* Champion a Security-First Engineering culture and ensure teams meet all security MBOs, including:
* Compute Management: Enforcing approved image usage and secure ingress/egress flows.
* Vulnerability Management: Driving remediation of aged critical and high-severity vulnerabilities.
* Site Management: Validating secure configurations for network and web assets.
* Drove agile methodologies adoption, streamlining project delivery and increasing team efficiency.
* Spearheaded software modernization efforts, replacing legacy systems with cutting-edge technology solutions that improved performance and maintainability.
* Oversee the design and execution of annual Disaster Recovery Plans, including full failover exercises to validate system resilience.
* Led team through annual HI TRUST and SOC 2 audits for our production applications
* Partner with Technical Product Management and business stakeholders to define product roadmaps, clarify requirements, and align priorities.
* Facilitate monthly stakeholder reviews to communicate progress, risks, and upcoming deliverables.
* Manage a $5M annual budget across Data Engineering and LBM teams, optimizing spend and resource allocation.
* Consistently delivered projects on time and within budget through meticulous planning and diligent execution
* Lead and develop a team of 20+ Software Engineers, providing strategic direction, coaching, and career development.
* Direct procurement, deployment, and configuration of Oracle Exadata hardware in collaboration with Oracle engineering and infrastructure teams.
* Managed vendor relationships to ensure timely delivery of third-party components critical to project success.

• Architected new data-loading platforms using Node.js APIs to modernize ingest capabilities.
• Developed automated Jenkins pipelines to create and close ServiceNow production change tickets, accelerating change-management workflows and reducing manual effort.
• Promoted engineering best practices including code coverage, JIT delivery, and automated testing.
• Reduced time-to-value for deployments from 7 weeks to 3 weeks through pipeline automation and process refinement.
• Managed Oracle DBA resources supporting the OPRS pre-pay system.
• Delivered Exadata storage expansions to support application and data growth.
• Migrated Legacy .Net application to .NET Core
• Reduced implementation time for medical record letters by streamlining workflows and improving automation.
• Supported O&M and Capital roadmap planning activities.
• Participated in the TDP program, recruiting, interviewing, and mentoring early-career talent.
• Managed budgets and resource allocation for software projects, ensuring optimal use of organizational assets.
• Conducted performance reviews and provided constructive feedback to enhance team member capabilities and engagement.
• Oversaw technical architecture decisions, driving innovation in system design and implementation strategies.

• Designed and developed distributed backend services in C#/.NET, delivering high-performance, scalable APIs supporting enterprise transaction volumes.
• Led redevelopment of the patient claim assist form into Direct Connect, an MVC-based application that improved user experience and processing efficiency.
• Architected and implemented a custom service bus enabling asynchronous communication between the recovery platform and downstream client systems.
• Managed production deployments and tracked delivery progress in Rally, ensuring predictable release cycles and high-quality output.