Susan Dratwa

About Susan Dratwa

Dynamic and results-driven Agile Leader with extensive experience in all phases of the software development lifecycle, cloud modernization, and AI-driven innovation. Proven expertise in building high-performing, self-organizing teams across diverse cultures and geographies. Committed to fostering a culture of psychological safety, innovation, and collaboration that drives impactful delivery, executive alignment, and enhanced security posture.Customer-Centric Focus: Ensures early and continuous delivery of high-value software, prioritizing customer satisfaction and iterative improvement.• Cloud Modernization and AI Integration: Spearheaded cloud-native transformations on AWS, leveraging Kubernetes, Docker, and microservices. Led AI projects using Scale AI to optimize learning experiences and real-time analytics.• Security and Compliance Leadership: Guided teams through Texas RAMP, State RAMP, and cloud security best practices, ensuring compliance and risk mitigation.• Team Empowerment: Cultivates self-organizing teams that thrive in Agile environments, promoting trust, transparency, and accountability.• Servant Leadership: Advocates for risk-taking, embracing change, and continuous learning to accelerate growth and adaptability.• Cultural Alignment: Effectively bridges cultural and generational gaps to unify teams, inspire collaboration, and achieve strategic goals.• Strategic Execution: Drives results-based delivery while maintaining strong executive buy-in and stakeholder engagement.

Experience

1. Senior Software Engineering Manager

   Cengage

   Sep 2019 — Present · Raleigh, NC, US

   Led engineering teams for WebAssign, Personalization, and Enterprise Search, managing a global team of over 20 engineers across five pods- Spearheaded cloud-native modernization efforts, migrating 32 applications to AWS and Kubernetes, cutting costs by 10%- Directed the Student AI project, leveraging Scale AI to enhance Student Assistant capabilities and real-time analytics through Amplitude- Championed Agile best practices, optimizing team performance with targeted retrospectives, backlog grooming, WIP limits, and improved sprint velocity by 17%- Authored streamlined onboarding processes, cutting ramp-up time for new engineers to less than a month- Collaborated with Product, UX, and Architecture teams to align engineering execution with business objectives, driving the delivery of robust, user-focused solutions- Designed Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery strategies, ensuring uptime and data integrity for critical applications- Built and mentored teams instilling best practices for DevOps, CI/CD, and scalable application development- Played a critical role in Texas RAMP, State RAMP, and the development of the Company Security Policy.

Education

• Cleveland State University

  Computer Science

  1995 — 2000

Skills

• Gwt
• Gxt
• Design Patterns
• Jstl
• Spring
• Java
• Databases
• Struts
• Unix
• Tomcat
• Architecture
• Ant
• Jsf
• Weblogic
• Javascript
• Uml
• Cvs
• Xml
• Database Design
• Team Leadership
• Sdlc
• Tortoise Svn
• Control-M
• Software Development
• Java Enterprise Edition
• Jboss Application Server
• Junit
• Jsp
• Maven
• Eclipse
• Pl/Sql
• Software Design
• Oracle
• Requirements Analysis
• Spring Framework
• Agile Methodologies
• Richfaces
• Toad
• Offshoring
• Servlets