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Principal Software Engineer · Duxbury, MA
Joseph Rounds — 25+ years turning hard technical problems into production systems that ship.
I've spent 25+ years being the person teams call when the architecture has to be right — from enterprise healthcare environments such as McKesson to founding and lead-engineering roles at startups including Molar, IntelyCare, and Voicelove. I still write the code myself. I don't hand off the hard parts, and I don't disappear once the demo works.
- 25+Years in production engineering
- 10+Industries — healthcare, fintech, logistics, retail
- 6Startups as founding/lead architect
About
Deep, hands-on ownership — not hand-waving.
I've been writing production code since 1998, back when "the cloud" mostly meant a rack in someone's closet. Across more than two decades in enterprise and startup engineering, I've architected systems for a Fortune 10 healthcare company, been the founding backend engineer at half a dozen startups, and built HIPAA-compliant platforms that had to be right the first time because there wasn't a second chance.
What hasn't changed: I still write the code. I own the architecture, the API design, the database schema, and the pager when something breaks at 2am — not just the roadmap slide. I lead and mentor teams because good engineers deserve someone who's actually done the work, not just managed it. And when I'm not doing that, I'm running Lighthouse Consulting, my own practice, because I've never been great at stopping at 40 hours a week.
Backend & Cloud Architecture
AWS (Lambda, API Gateway, RDS, EC2, IAM, CloudWatch), Node.js/TypeScript, event-driven & serverless design, Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD
Full-Stack Development
API design, database design & optimization, React/React Native, Python/Django, Java/Spring Boot, C#/.NET
Engineering Leadership
Team building, mentorship, Agile/Scrum, technical roadmapping, project management
Quality & Production Support
Code review standards, automated testing, monitoring & observability, incident response, security remediation
Selected Impact
Outcomes, not activity.
Logistics
4 hours → 45 minutes
Redesigned an order management system's processing pipeline, cutting cycle time by over 80% and removing a recurring operational bottleneck.
Healthcare
40% less admin overhead
Architected a HIPAA-compliant patient portal from the ground up — access control, audit logging, and encryption of PHI in transit and at rest.
E-Commerce
8.2s → 2.4s page load
Led a legacy storefront migration to a modern stack, cutting load times by 70% and directly improving conversion.
I don't hand a system off and hope for the best. I own it — architecture, code, and the pager — until it's boring in production.
— Joseph Rounds
Experience
Where I've built.
BlockSkye
Lead Engineer, Atlas Team
- Primary backend architect for the Atlas team's services — data flow, service boundaries, and third-party integration patterns.
- Design event-driven architectures on AWS Lambda and async messaging for high-volume, time-sensitive logistics and travel workflows.
- Build and maintain RESTful APIs and microservices on Node.js, PHP, and AWS (Lambda, API Gateway, S3, RDS).
Highspring — Technical Consultant
Senior DevOps Engineer (Stifel Financial) · Lead Engineer (Intact) · Lead Full Stack Engineer (Kawasaki)
- Audited Azure/AWS environments with Wiz and remediated security vulnerabilities for Stifel Financial.
- Led a team of 5 delivering a production API in Java/Spring Boot for Intact; mentored junior engineers.
- Designed and built a financing portal end-to-end (React, TypeScript, Node.js, Elasticsearch) for Kawasaki.
Voicelove
Architect / Lead Engineer, then Lead Software Engineer
- Directed end-to-end architecture for a HIPAA-compliant hospital/patient/family communication platform.
- Architected a Node.js/TypeScript + MySQL backend and its core REST APIs, meeting HIPAA access-control and encryption requirements.
- Directed a 10-person engineering team across backend, mobile, and web; built AWS production infra with Terraform.
- Built an AI-driven Figma-to-React-Native pipeline that accelerated mobile releases by 30%.
Aliro Quantum
Senior Backend Engineer
- Architected the Python/Django backend and API contracts for the company's core platform.
- Designed authentication, authorization, and account lifecycle management; containerized the app with Docker.
Molar
Senior Software Engineer (Founding Engineer)
- Sole backend engineer building a healthcare/benefits integration platform from the ground up as founding technical lead.
- Designed data pipelines (Python/Django, Docker) ingesting Medispan drug reference and Medicare claims data.
Doctor On Demand
Senior Python Engineer, Tech Lead
- Led backend delivery on a Django/Postgres telehealth platform; integrated SureScripts for e-prescribing.
- Diagnosed and resolved Celery race conditions, improving background job reliability.
IntelyCare
Senior Backend Engineer, Tech Lead
- Architected a healthcare staffing SaaS backend (Python/Django, Golang, MySQL) as technical lead.
- Shipped a COVID-19 training feature in under two weeks at the onset of the pandemic.
- Managed a team of 4 developers and 3 interns; ran standups and sprint planning as interim Scrum Master.
Earlier experience (2003 – 2019) — AirCycler, Foley Hoag, Jenzabar, McKesson, JJILL, and more
AirCycler — Senior Software Engineer 2018 – 2019
Foley Hoag — Senior Application Developer 2017 – 2018
Jenzabar — Senior Software Engineer 2015 – 2017
McKesson — Software Engineer 2014 – 2015
JJILL — Senior Web Developer 2013 – 2014
Organogenesis — Systems Programmer 2012 – 2013
Agero, Inc. — Software Engineer 2011 – 2012
SmartCo Services, LLC — Software Engineer / Contractor 2011 – 2012
LifePlans, Inc. — Application Developer 2010 – 2011
Isobar (formerly Molecular) — Application Administrator 2008 – 2010
Hyperion Catalysis — Help Desk Coordinator 2005 – 2008
MCPHS — Help Desk Technician 2004 – 2005
Francis IT — Computer Analyst 2004
Intelinet — Technician & Mac Guru 2003 – 2004
Lighthouse Consulting — Independent Engineering Practice
Founder & Principal Engineer
Independent architecture, full-stack development, and technical ownership for startups, enterprises, and government clients, run alongside full-time roles.
- Designed and built an e-commerce platform for an equipment leasing company that scaled to $200M in yearly sales.
- Architected backend financial software for the Nigerian Consulate and a casino player's portal.
- Delivered a multi-year corporate website engagement for a major law firm's $200k–$300k client base.
Technical Skills
Tools of the trade.
Languages & Frameworks
Node.jsTypeScriptPython/DjangoJava/Spring Boot
C#/.NETReactReact NativeGolangSwiftAngular
Cloud & DevOps
AWSAzureTerraformDockerKubernetesCI/CDGit
Databases & Data
PostgreSQLMySQLMongoDBDynamoDBSQL ServerSequelize
APIs & Integration
RESTSOAPElasticsearchEvent-Driven ArchitectureServerless
"I don't chase every new framework. I pick what's boring and reliable for the parts that can't fail, and save the experimentation for where it actually pays off."
Selected Work Through Lighthouse Consulting
A few sites I've shipped.
A sample of client work delivered through my independent practice. Kayaking Geek is the exception — that one's mine — you'll find it in the footer.
See the complete portfolio at Lighthouse Consulting ↗, or more build notes on the blog.
Education
Background.
Bachelor of Science, Computer Science
University of Massachusetts Boston — Boston, MA
Associate Degree, Computer Science
New Hampshire Community Technical College — Nashua, NH
Certifications & Languages
Certifications
Eagle Scout Award, BSA (1998)
Languages Spoken
English (Native), German (A2), Spanish (A1)
Built for Fun
Take a five-minute break.
Four dependency-free canvas games, built by hand — no engine, no framework, just physics and pixels.
Cannon Duel
Built from scratchType in an angle and a gunpowder amount, then account for wind — a turn-based artillery duel against the CPU on destructible terrain.
Tetris
Zero dependenciesSeven-piece bag, wall kicks, ghost piece, level speed-ramp. The real mechanics, built from scratch.
Breakout
Mobile controlsSilver bricks that take two hits, falling power-ups, multi-ball chaos. Clear a board and the next one hits back harder.
Flappy Bird
CanvasGravity, procedural pipes, real collision detection. Tap to flap — see how far you get.
Contact
Let's talk about your team.
Open to principal/staff engineering and architecture roles, and select consulting engagements. The fastest way to reach me is the form, or directly below.
- Emailjrounds@lighthouseconsult.com
- Phone(617) 615-9563
- LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/josephrounds
- GitHubgithub.com/dalerks
- LocationDuxbury, MA — remote-friendly, worldwide
Looking to hire for a project, not a full-time role? That's Lighthouse Consulting — my independent practice, with its own portfolio, packages, and process.
Visit Lighthouse Consulting ↗