Let's get to work! - Encoura - Technical Lead / Senior Software Engineer
Stephanie Spanjian
Encoura provides custom technology solutions that combine Eduventures research, data science, strategic enrollment services, and multichannel marketing to serve over 2,000 higher ed institutions.
As the E4E (Encourage for Educators) technical lead, collaborated across engineering teams to design, develop, and deploy new features, and enhancements for the company’s E4E product ecosystem. Led a team that expanded from 5 to 8 members, driving critical migrations and team improvements during a significant company transition.
Key Achievements
Collaborated with the CTO to secure approval for a comprehensive migration plan, including:
Migrating from a legacy REST API to a Federated GraphQL architecture, enhancing system scalability and developer efficiency.
Upgrading entire E4E product line's codebase to Node.js 22, React 19, Next.js 15, and Storybook 8.
Adopting the company's Design System shared libraries to align with best practices and ensure seamless integration across codebases.
Delivered a Major Milestone:
Successfully directed the migration plan and deployed the first E4E feature live on the federated graph—providing educators with a powerful new feature to view their students' detailed profiles. This marked a significant milestone in the company’s transition and laid the groundwork for future feature development.
"I'm hearing great progress on your end. You are making a difference already! Kudos and thank you for being here."
Leadship & Collaboration:
Partnered with the shared component library owner to ensure smooth integration of codebases, aligning with company standards and fostering cross-team collaboration.
Modernized workflows and established a culture of continuous improvement, enabling the team to overcome complex challenges and deliver high-quality solutions consistently.
Provided mentorship and leadership to team members, cultivating a collaborative and high-performing environment.
Certifications:
Earned Apollo Graph Developer - Associate Certification and Apollo Graph Developer - Professional Certifications, demonstrating advanced expertise in GraphQL development and implementation.
Engineering Management
Evaluated team performance and dynamics, implementing strategic changes to address inefficiencies, including onboarding senior team members to achieve key objectives.
