Joseph Todd Messer

About Joseph Todd Messer

I am the Technical Program Manager overseeing all software development projects at the U.S. International Trade Commission. I also am the Director fo UX for my employer TCG Inc. I leverage my extensive project management experience in conjunction with many years as a senior software developer, UX specialist and graphic designer to strategically manage development teams from concept to production.I lead product development teams of designers and developers while promoting the value of design thinking methodologies across the organization as a whole. I facilitate collaboration between product and development directors to bring new concepts and best practices into our client’s products that adhere to user-centered design principles and demonstrate how UX is critical in meeting mission and business goals. I manage our design systems and pattern libraries used to build and evolve a product’s vision and ultimate strategic life. I foster a culture of inclusivity, learning, and empowerment within all of my teams which leads to innovative cross-pollination idea-generating thinking and a sense of belonging.As the Program Manager for the United States International Trade Commission, I mange all software development teams responsible for building the USITC\'s core mission-based applications. Combined, these applications make up the compendium of agency’s tools used for running the day-to-day business of conducting international trade investigations as well as all the agency\'s data portals which give the public access to years of import-export data, trade investigation meta data and documents plus all reference data sets such as the Harmonized System of trade codes. I am adept at influencing and driving alignment on product decisions across functional organizational levels and am practiced at presenting and explaining design and functionality effectively to my stakeholders.I incorporate human-centric design into the agile projects I manage, leading to highly usable products delivered cost-effectively. My education includes a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering along with classical training as a painter, giving me a unique and highly effective skill set for problem solving and creating beautifully designed products. Program Management Project Management Staff Development Interactive UX/UI Design & Development Digital Product Development Project Planning and Budget Resource Management User Research Graphic Design Systems Architecture Design/Planning Stakeholder Engagement Agile Team Direction

Experience

1. Program Manager

   TCG

   Nov 2021 — Present · Washington, DC, US

   As the Technical Program Manager for the International Trade Commission, I manage and direct all software development teams responsible for building the USITC\'s core mission-based applications. Combined, these applications make up the compendium of agency’s tools used for running the day-to-day business of conducting international trade investigations as well as all the agency\'s data portals which give the public access to years of import-export data, trade investigation meta data and documents plus all reference data sets such as the Harmonized System of trade codes. I use my design and user experience knowledge to design the user interfaces for all these systems. This allows me to manage stakeholder expectations and guide designers and developers through the product’s vision which I collaboratively create with teams and end users. I am adept at influencing and driving alignment on product decisions across functional organizational levels and am practiced at presenting and explaining design and functionality effectively to my stakeholders: Program management Project planning Stakeholder management Federal Client management and reporting Team management and resource allocation Project planning and budgeting Iterative product design leading and clarification from stakeholder requirements Overseeing all stages of product usability testing Incorporating usability testing into development cycles Product adherence to agency style guide and accessibility guidelines Staff management and skill development Project documentation and CMMI certification

Education

• West Virginia University

  Bachelors of Science, Mechanical Engineering

  1993

• West Virginia University

  Masters of Science, Mechanical Engineering

  1989 — 1997

• West Virginia University

  Bachelor, Computer Science Degree

  1995 — 1997