Professional Experience

Fractional CTO and Staff-Level Systems Engineer specializing in Generative AI, automation, and scalable infrastructure. Experience at Meta, Apple, Google, and high-growth companies.

Recent Builds

Recently shipped — built alongside my work at Meta:

Overview

Fractional CTO and Staff-Level Systems Engineer specializing in Generative AI, automation, and scalable infrastructure. Focused on designing and delivering end-to-end AI systems — from LLM integration and RAG pipelines to agentic workflows using MCP and APA — built to operate reliably in real-world environments. Combines deep expertise in distributed systems, full-stack development, and cloud infrastructure to create systems that are scalable, secure, and production-ready.

Technical Skills

Languages

JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Go, Swift, Java, C++, Rust, Solidity, Ruby, Bash/Shell, SQL

AI / ML

LLM Integration, Prompt Engineering, AI Agents, NLP Pipelines, GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, LLaMA, MCP, TensorFlow, PyTorch, ONNX Runtime, Pinecone

Frontend

React, React Native, Next.js, SvelteKit, Expo, TailwindCSS, Radix UI, shadcn/ui, Framer Motion, Storybook

Backend

Node.js, Express, Fastify, FastAPI, Flask, Django, Spring Boot

Cloud & DevOps

AWS, GCP, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, GitHub Actions, Vercel, Supabase, Firebase

Databases

PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, DynamoDB, BigQuery, Supabase, Neon, Firestore

Professional Experience

Meta

September 2025 – Present

Machine Learning Infrastructure Engineer

  • Architected large-scale C++ experimentation infrastructure enabling experiment tracking, debugging, and results aggregation across ML workflows used by ~300 engineers.
  • Built distributed validation systems including end-to-end, regression, and integration testing frameworks preventing regressions across complex ML research pipelines.
  • Developed centralized observability platform aggregating logs, debugging signals, and model outputs using Plog and internal infrastructure for real-time monitoring.
  • Integrated compute infrastructure including ALA servers, internal cloud environments, Skills tooling, and MTP developer platforms supporting large-scale ML experimentation.
  • Engineered high-performance compute orchestration for systems utilizing 150+ GPU cores and ~2TB RAM, enabling avatar generation pipelines requiring ~55 minutes per render.

Freelance

January 2024 – September 2025

AI Engineer / Technical Consultant

  • Built LLM-powered sales automation platform integrating GPT-4 with Apollo APIs to automate prospecting, messaging workflows, and engagement validation.
  • Developed AI content intelligence platform analyzing social media signals to identify viral content trends and strategic insights for businesses.
  • Architected generative AI platform enabling personalized image generation and AI-driven creative tools.
  • Built Zoom productivity plugin integrating AI teleprompter functionality and automated FAQ generation for sales calls.
  • Maintain and contribute to open-source C++ networking library resolving connectivity issues for Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 macOS release.

Apple

Sep 2019 – Jun 2020, Dec 2020 – Dec 2023

Senior Software Engineer

  • Architected scalable backend services and APIs supporting Apple Store applications using distributed systems and microservices architecture.
  • Developed React-based user interfaces using Apple internal UI libraries aligned with Apple Design Guidelines.
  • Implemented GraphQL data services and optimized backend data pipelines improving query efficiency and performance.
  • Managed CI/CD deployment pipelines using Ansible and AWS infrastructure.
  • Led cross-team engineering collaboration and Agile processes improving feedback loop efficiency by 32%.

Instagram (Meta)

July 2020 – November 2020

Senior Software Engineer — Privacy & Compliance

  • Built Account Center privacy controls enabling proactive ad-category blocking aligned with EU privacy regulations.
  • Designed and implemented GraphQL APIs and backend services using Python Django and Relay.
  • Developed cross-platform UI rendering infrastructure supporting multiple Meta applications.

Google

August 2018 – September 2019

Software Engineer — Search Infrastructure (Travel)

  • Developed backend infrastructure supporting travel search features serving 55M+ monthly search result views.
  • Implemented C++ grammar rules and NLP pipelines improving query intent recognition and search accuracy.
  • Built internal developer tools used by 150+ engineers, reducing manual experimentation workflows by ~1 hour per day.
  • Conducted large-scale A/B testing improving click-through rates while maintaining <0.01% global search performance impact.
  • Supported emergency response search infrastructure enabling localized SOS alerts during global crises.

Chopstix

June 2013 – July 2018

Software Engineer

  • Architected backend systems using Django and Stripe for secure payments and order processing.
  • Developed responsive web and mobile applications using React, React Native, and Material UI.
  • Designed scalable APIs and distributed systems supporting real-time order tracking.
  • Implemented AWS and DigitalOcean deployments with Nginx load balancing and CI/CD automation.

Education & Certifications

  • Harvard University

    Intro to Computer Science

  • New Jersey Institute of Technology

    B.S. Computer Science & Finance

  • Udacity

    ML Engineer · iOS Developer · React Native Developer Nanodegrees

  • Cisco

    CCNA Routing and Switching

Open Source

  • BO3MacFix — Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (macOS)

    Maintain and contribute to open-source C++ networking library resolving connectivity issues for Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 macOS release.

Case Studies

AI Agents Platform — Next.js + WebSocket + Claude

Built a PWA for dispatching Cursor and Claude Code agents across 4 cloud servers and a local Mac. Real-time WebSocket updates, built-in AI assistant, and voice input for hands-free agent management.

  • Multi-server agent orchestration with live status updates via WebSocket
  • Progressive Web App with offline support and push notifications
  • Voice input integration for natural-language task dispatch

lowercase — Swift + Neural Engine + Parakeet

On-device speech-to-text for macOS and iOS. Uses NVIDIA Parakeet and Fluid Audio SDK for fully offline transcription. Custom keyboard on iOS, menubar app on macOS, with Live Activities and multi-language support.

  • Zero-cloud architecture: all transcription runs on Apple Neural Engine
  • Custom iOS keyboard with real-time dictation in any app
  • Multi-language support with automatic language detection

eSIM App — Swift + Next.js + Stripe

eSIM marketplace with a native iOS app and a Next.js web storefront at esim.maxawad.com. Users browse data plans by country, purchase eSIMs, and manage a credits wallet. Apple Sign-In for frictionless onboarding.

  • Country-based plan browsing with carrier aggregation
  • Credits system for pre-paid balance and instant eSIM provisioning
  • Dual-platform: native iOS experience with full-featured web fallback

Consumer Ads Insights — React + Node

Architected ML experimentation infrastructure supporting Meta Avatars and Reality Labs research platforms used by hundreds of engineers.

  • Built distributed validation systems preventing regressions across complex ML research pipelines
  • Developed centralized observability platform with real-time monitoring for research teams and leadership
  • Orchestrated compute for systems utilizing 150+ GPU cores and ~2TB RAM

Travel Search Infrastructure — Google (C++ / Go)

Built large-scale search infrastructure powering travel discovery across Google Search, Maps, and Assistant.

  • Backend infrastructure supporting travel search features serving 55M+ monthly search result views
  • C++ grammar rules and NLP pipelines improving query intent recognition and search accuracy
  • Large-scale A/B testing improving CTR while maintaining <0.01% global search performance impact

Jay's American Auto Sales — Next.js 16 + Tailwind 4 + TypeScript

Ground-up rebuild of a classic car dealership website from WordPress + Elementor to a blazing-fast Next.js 16 static site. Dark luxury automotive theme with classic muscle car photography, hero slideshow, inventory gallery with category filters, and auction platform integration.

  • Replaced 30+ WordPress plugins with 9 clean React components — zero bloat
  • 10x faster load times: ~6–8s (WordPress) to under 1.2s (Next.js static on Vercel edge)
  • Full SEO metadata, mobile-first responsive design, and smooth scroll animations

Privacy Infrastructure — Instagram / Meta (Python / GraphQL)

Developed privacy infrastructure used across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp platforms.

  • Built Account Center privacy controls for proactive ad-category blocking aligned with EU regulations
  • Designed GraphQL APIs and backend services using Python Django and Relay
  • Cross-platform UI rendering infrastructure supporting multiple Meta applications

Let's work together

Available for staff-level engineering, AI systems, and consulting engagements.

Get in touch