Professional engineering case study
Scaling AI-assisted code review with practical defaults
A rollout across 30+ repositories, followed by more selective draft and opt-in review defaults around developers’ usage allowances.
Read the case studySenior Staff Engineer · Independent builder
Engineering
with range.
I’m a Senior Staff Engineer at The Estée Lauder Companies, working across platform architecture, design systems, digital commerce and applied AI. Alongside that work, I build practical web products through Signal & Habit, from defining the problem and architecture to testing, shipping and refining the experience.
My body of work spans more than 70 brands and organizations through employment, client work and independent projects.
From problem to product
Selected case studies
The product decisions, architecture and hands-on validation behind the work.
Independent product case study
Mock Band: keeping guitar practice in flow
Product direction, real hardware and browser audio architecture, with a clear division between human judgment and AI-assisted implementation.
Read the case study
From colleagues
Excerpts from LinkedIn recommendations.
He is adept at understanding the business problem, managing stakeholders and getting the job done.
I'm constantly impressed with his ability to solve some of our hardest engineering challenges, whether directly or by leading large cross-functional teams.
His technical leadership, patience and mentorship has helped me become a more productive engineer and a better tech lead.
70+
Brands and organizations
Brands and organizations I’ve contributed to through employment, client work, and independent projects.
Most recent work first. Periods reflect the associated roles.
The Estée Lauder Companies
2022–present
Direct employment, with earlier ELC work through Cognizant Softvision.
Tom Ford Beauty
Lab Series
Jo Malone London
Estée Lauder
Clinique
M·A·C Cosmetics
La Mer
BECCA Cosmetics
Bobbi Brown
Aveda
Flirt Cosmetics
Smashbox
AERIN Beauty
Balmain Beauty
Bumble and bumble
Darphin Paris
Dr.Jart+
Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle
GLAMGLOW
KILIAN PARIS
Le Labo
Origins
Too Faced
Cognizant Softvision
2012–2022
Client work across beauty, membership and materials.
Boyd Technologies
CPCU Society
Independent consulting
2006–2018
Freelance client work and publications I founded, alongside employed roles.
Indian River Medical Center Foundation
Metal Injection
Junior Achievement of Central Florida
Foreclosures Daily
The Apparatus
Headbang ’n Buttonmash
QuietTime.tv
Gospelr
Psyopus
Crowpath
Hybrid
Success Will Write Apocalypse Across The Sky
Bluespark Labs
2010–2012
Agency client work.
Dodson & Ross
Scott James Online
Sandusky Radio
Princeton University Art Museum
XOS Digital
2011
Sports organizations and digital properties.
PAC-12 Conference
Big East Conference
SEC Football
Mid-American Conference
Tournament of Roses
NCAA Football
XOS Sports
SEC Digital Network
Bonnier Corporation
2008–2011
Publishing and event properties.
Field & Stream
Outdoor Life
Bonnier–IGFA World Tournament of Champions
Scuba Diving
Saveur
SkiNet.com
Skiing
SNOW
Boating
Islands
TV4 Sweden
2011
Product work during a design internship in Stockholm.
TV4 Play
AKT Enterprises
2008
Music, entertainment and commerce work.
Eulogy Records
Miami Tattoo Expo
The Almost
District Lines
Staind
Chris Crocker
Metal Blade Records
Ernie Ball
Lucky Stripes
Royal Family
EuroRSCG
2008
Agency client work.
Charles Schwab
OppenheimerFunds
The full independent collection
Independent projects
My independent projects grow from practical needs and creative interests, including music practice, matching photos, food labels and restaurant records.
Signal · listen
The Apparatus
Technical metal and mathcore, documented through concert footage and a growing archive.
Habit · practiceMock Band
An adjustable browser backing band for guitar practice, with hands-free controls on supported setups.
Signal · observeCampare
Recreate an earlier photo so your before-and-after comparison lines up.
Habit · chooseScantrast
Scan a food product and see its nutrition against your own daily targets.
Signal · understandKitchenGrade
Explore restaurant inspection histories, with clear dates, sources and independently calculated grades.
Habit · rememberWaterGrade
A taste tool. Rate restaurant water by taste and share how it was served.
An independent product studio
Signal & Habit
Context Matters.
Thoughtful tools for creative work and everyday life.
About Paul
Experience,
with room to explore.
I’m a Senior Staff Engineer at The Estée Lauder Companies, with roots in front-end engineering and a focus on turning complex requirements into usable products and shared platforms. I’ve contributed to ELC’s digital infrastructure since 2012, progressing through Drupal engineering, platform architecture, design systems, digital commerce and applied AI.
Alongside my full-time role, I run Signal & Habit as an independent product studio. Its projects start with problems I’ve experienced myself, including keeping guitar practice in flow, matching before-and-after photos and interpreting nutrition against personal targets.
“Context Matters.” is the studio’s tagline and how I approach agentic development: set clear requirements and system boundaries, direct the agents, review their changes and validate what ships. AI agents accelerate implementation and automated checks.
Contact
Let’s talk.
Want to discuss engineering, architecture or a project here? Send me a note.