Technical Program Manager · PMP Candidate · Certified Scrum Master (PSM)

Jie
Flowers

Available nowLos Angeles, CA · Remote and On-Site

In an AI driven world, I develop teams that build systems and workflows that keep complex operations running via Human-centered Design. 20+ years directing live technical operations, with 8 years of QA experience in the tech industry. Formally transitioning into Program and Project Management.

20+
Years leading ops
6
Most environments managed simultaneously
7K
Highest envirnment capacity served

My ideology

Plant vs Pyramid

Most organizations are pyramids. A throne sits at the top, everything below exists to hold it up, and resources flow upward toward power. A plant is the inversion. The seed, executives, originates the system. The roots are the values. The trunk is senior leadership, stable and load bearing. The branches are middle management, extending reach. The fruit is the people doing the closest, most visible work, and nutrients flow up toward the fruit, not down from a throne.

A pyramid is a monument, finished the day it's built. A plant is alive, it adapts, it compounds, it regenerates what it consumes.

Canopy Culture

The Canopy Culture Framework

Canopy Culture measures the impact an organization has on its people, and their ecosystem, before deliverables. It ensures people are equipped, informed, and empowered to convert challenge into enrichment and setback into investment.

FruitClient facing talent
BranchesMiddle management
TrunkSenior leadership
SeedExecutives
RootsValues
Nutrients flow upward

See it in action

Challenge Deck

A few real decision points, worked through using the Canopy Culture Framework itself. See how the framework can make the difference.

Challenge 01 / 04 / Managing a stakeholder relationship

Managing a Stakeholder Who Keeps Changing the Terms

A key stakeholder has requested a fourth change to already agreed requirements this month, on a short deadline. This request reverses a decision the same stakeholder made two weeks ago.

What would you reach for?

Experience

Technical Director (Program & Project Lead)

May 2024 → July 2026

Overlake Christian Church · Redmond, WA

  • Stabilized lighting and video systems within 4 months, then audio systems within the following year, cutting major service disruptions
  • Built training programs, SOPs, and escalation workflows from scratch for a team with no prior formal structure
  • Directs a rotating volunteer team of 6 to 10 across 6 environments, with hands on coaching during live operations
  • Manages multi platform AVL infrastructure spanning Dante networked audio, video switching, CCTV, lighting control, and multilingual broadcast
  • Developed a three phase capital budget of approximately $319,000 spanning operations and finance stakeholders, built without access to historical baseline data
  • Designed a 23 position organizational structure across 5 tiers with a position scoring and workload framework, and produced a full transition documentation suite including a risk register and process documentation for incoming leadership
  • Infrastructure Strategy
  • Stakeholder Management
  • Vendor Management
  • Risk Mitigation
  • Volunteer Management
  • Capital Budget Planning
  • Organizational Design
  • Program Documentation
  • AVL Systems
  • Dante Audio
  • GrandMA2
  • Video Switching

QA Engineer

2022 → 2023

Cavrnus · Contract to full time

  • Designed, wrote, and executed manual and automated test cases across functional, regression, and integration testing cycles
  • Identified, documented, and tracked software defects through to resolution, collaborating directly with developers and product teams
  • Reviewed requirements and technical specifications to identify test coverage gaps early in the development cycle
  • Participated in Agile ceremonies including sprint planning, standups, and retrospectives to align QA work with development timelines
  • Agile QA
  • JIRA
  • Confluence
  • Defect Tracking
  • Manual Testing
  • Test Case Design
  • Regression Testing

Technical Director / Project Manager

2005 → 2024

Self employed · Los Angeles, CA

  • Managed FOH mixing and live production for West Angeles Cathedral services, audiences of approximately 5,000
  • Led sound design for Faithful Central theatrical productions, managing constrained mic resources across large casts
  • Delivered full technical builds for CalArts Modular Theater's morphing, revolving stage productions
  • Recruited, trained, and mentored a rotating crew of 15 student technicians at Norman J. Pattiz Concert Hall
  • Managed project scope, timelines, and budgets across concurrent multi venue engagements over 19 years, coordinating vendors, crews, and client stakeholders from planning through delivery
  • Budget Management
  • Vendor Management
  • Cross Functional Collaboration
  • Live Event Production
  • FOH Mixing

QA Lead · Freelance

2016 → 2022

Los Angeles, CA · concurrent with TD work

  • Directed whitebox, greybox, and blackbox QA testing within Agile Scrum and Kanban frameworks
  • Partnered directly with developers and publishers to align test coverage with release milestones and quality bars
  • Authored Game Design and Concept Documents, managing cross functional upstream and downstream communication
  • Tested breakout titles such as Rocket League and Hyrule Warriors
  • Agile
  • Scrum
  • Kanban
  • JIRA
  • Confluence
  • Test Planning
  • Defect Tracking
  • Unreal Engine
  • Unity