Staff Software Engineer · 25+ Years
Karl Hill
Cloud · Platforms · Engineering Leadership
I architect systems, lead teams, and ship software that matters — from disaster-response platforms at NASA to mission-critical aerospace systems at Jacobs/BlackLynx.
01 — Why Me
I Build
Cloud-native platforms on AWS. Containerized services with Docker and Kubernetes. High-traffic web systems. Secure CI/CD pipelines. Built to last and operate reliably at scale — not just to demo well.
I Lead
Engineering teams from roadmap to release. 1:1s, onboarding, PR standards, definition of done — the unglamorous work that turns a group of developers into a high-performing team that ships consistently.
I Deliver
Predictable execution, every sprint. I translate mission needs into sequenced plans, manage stakeholders across technical and non-technical audiences, remove blockers, and ship.
02 — Selected Work
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NASA · 2017–2025
NASA Earth Observatory
Flagship science communication platform serving 1.5M+ monthly visitors with satellite imagery and Earth science data. Rebuilt the publishing pipeline to unify editorial workflows across distributed content teams. Overhauled the delivery architecture for accessibility compliance and redesigned the information hierarchy for long-term scale.
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NASA · 2017–2025
Flood Mapping System
Operational satellite imagery processing system generating near real-time flood inundation maps during active disaster events globally. Automated the end-to-end pipeline from raw sensor acquisition through geospatial product generation, dissemination, and integration with international emergency management networks.
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NASA · 2017–2025
Direct Readout Laboratory
Scientific data processing hub ingesting multi-instrument sensor streams from polar-orbiting satellites in near real-time. Reformats and distributes Level-0 through Level-2 geophysical products to operational centers and research institutions across a global network of registered direct broadcast ground stations.
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