Maria Lucena
Philadelphia,PA
Summary
Strategic and results-driven Director of Architecture with over 15 years of experience in designing scalable API solutions, leading enterprise-level engineering initiatives, and fostering developer communities. Proven expertise in GraphQL, cloud-native systems, and distributed architecture. Recognized for technical leadership, mentorship, and driving innovation through patents, internal conferences, and architectural standards.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director Of Architecture
Fidelity Investments
11.2021 - Current
- Led design and implementation of scalable GraphQL APIs for enterprise-wide adoption.
- Created and evangelized GraphQL Federation guidelines across engineering teams.
- Authored a detailed implementation guide to support internal GraphQL development.
- Co-authored a pending patent for GraphQL Gateway-as-a-Service.
- Launched an internal GraphQL Day Conference, driving awareness and adoption.
- Mentored a direct report toward becoming an autonomous, high-performing engineer.
- Established and promoted a GraphQL Certification Program within the firm.
Principal Software Engineer
Fidelity Investments
01.2020 - 12.2021
- Collaborated with NLP vendors to define and implement the architectural vision for best-in-class chatbot services, integrating advanced conversational AI capabilities at scale.
- Partnered with cross-functional teams to design and develop GraphQL resolvers, enabling seamless and secure access to diverse, distributed customer data systems.
- Coordinated with enterprise teams to deploy, maintain, and optimize cloud-native applications, ensuring reliability and scalability.
- Worked alongside engineering peers to architect robust micro-processes that enhanced core platform modularity and extensibility.
- Teamed up with stakeholders to design and implement a transparent multi-NLP integration system, establishing a reusable architectural pattern that streamlined vendor onboarding and reduced operational complexity.
Senior Software Engineer
Fidelity Investments
12.2018 - 01.2020
- Leveraged Agile methodologies to drive end-to-end software development lifecycle activities, including planning, design, implementation, testing, and deployment.
- Applied analytical and critical thinking to research, architect, develop, and rigorously test high-impact microservices within a distributed, cloud-native environment.
- Developed scalable, maintainable core Node.js services orchestrating calls to internal and external systems supporting chatbot functionalities.
- Ensured software quality and reliability through comprehensive unit, functional, regression, and performance testing.
- Utilized CI/CD pipelines with Concourse and Jenkins to automate builds, testing, and deployment, accelerating delivery cycles and maintaining high code standards.
Software Developer
Fidelity Investments
05.2015 - 12.2018
- Served as the technical liaison between Virtual Assistant team and Chapter of Excellence, driving requirements gathering, solution design, and implementation alignment.
- Onboarded the Virtual Assistant team to the core platform, enabling enhanced chatbot features such as real-time account balance retrieval and personalized responses.
- Facilitated stakeholder communication and ensured transparent progress tracking to deliver high-impact customer experiences on schedule.
Software Developer
Santander Bank with Everis
09.2011 - 05.2015
- Developed and maintained enterprise applications across four teams, focusing on enhancing legacy systems and supporting ongoing operational needs.
- Worked on updating and maintaining multiple backend applications, ensuring stability and performance in production environment.
- Built standalone applications for database connectivity and data processing using various technologies.
- Supported diverse legacy projects, collaborating on solutions involving both Microsoft and Java technologies to handle large-scale data processing and online application requirements.
- Improved software efficiency by troubleshooting and resolving coding issues.
Web Developer/Designer
Lara Web Works
09.2009 - 09.2011
- Founded and operated a freelance web design business, delivering four creative and effective web solutions tailored for small businesses aiming to boost sales and expand their online presence.
- Provided a range of professional services including website design, web application development, SEO, and digital marketing to help clients access and succeed in the online marketplace.
- Demonstrated initiative and business acumen by managing client relationships, project delivery, and ongoing support as an entry-level developer committed to quality and client satisfaction.
- In the short time the business ran, eight websites were created and handed off to customers to maintain.
Education
Bachelor's degree - Computer Science
Tiffin University
Tiffin, OH12.2021
Associate of Science - Information Technology
University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Lowell, MA05-2018
Diploma - Web Development
Strayer University
Online01.2007
Skills
- GraphQL Federation & API Design
- Technical Leadership
- Software Architecture Patterns
- Cloud Architecture (AWS, Kubernetes, Docker)
- Developer Enablement & Mentorship
- Engineering & Coding standards
- CI/CD Pipelines (Jenkins, Concourse)
- Backend Engineering (NodeJS, Go, Python, Java)
- Database Design (SQL & NoSQL)
- Cloud Architecture (AWS, Kubernetes, Docker)
Accomplishments
- Co-inventor on two U.S. patents: “Systems and Methods for Bot Dialog Delegation” and “Session-Based Data Storage for Chat-Based Communication Sessions”/
- Presented twice at GraphQL Summit, and at virtual events such as GeekGirls and GraphQL at Scale, sharing expertise in scalable GraphQL architecture and developer enablement.
- Participated in cross-functional collaboration to establish firm-wide GraphQL federation standards, driving alignment, reusability, and architectural consistency across engineering teams.
- Acted as liaison between teams to deliver advanced chatbot flows enabling seamless transactional capabilities within the system.
Certification
- Graph Developer - Professional
- Graph Developer - Associate
Languages
English (Full Professional)
Spanish (Native or Bilingual)
Awards
Academic Excellence
Patents
- Session-Based Data Storage for Chat-Based Communication Sessions
- Systems and methods for bot dialog delegation
Timeline
Director Of Architecture
Fidelity Investments
11.2021 - Current
Principal Software Engineer
Fidelity Investments
01.2020 - 12.2021
Senior Software Engineer
Fidelity Investments
12.2018 - 01.2020
Software Developer
Fidelity Investments
05.2015 - 12.2018
Software Developer
Santander Bank with Everis
09.2011 - 05.2015
Web Developer/Designer
Lara Web Works
09.2009 - 09.2011
Bachelor's degree - Computer Science
Tiffin University
Associate of Science - Information Technology
University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Diploma - Web Development
Strayer University
Similar Profiles
MICHAEL O'BRIENMICHAEL O'BRIEN
FIDELITY CLIENT SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE at Fidelity Investments - Fidelity Institutional (Fidelity Advisor Funds)FIDELITY CLIENT SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE at Fidelity Investments - Fidelity Institutional (Fidelity Advisor Funds)
Kevin TherrienKevin Therrien
Customer Relationship Advocate at Fidelity InvestmentsCustomer Relationship Advocate at Fidelity Investments
Christina Coskey-KingChristina Coskey-King
Associate II - DC/TEM at Fidelity InvestmentsAssociate II - DC/TEM at Fidelity Investments
ROBERT TINIROBERT TINI
Front Desk Supervisor at Courtyard MarriottFront Desk Supervisor at Courtyard Marriott
Sarah R. MoretaSarah R. Moreta
Food Service Worker- School Division at The Nutrition GroupFood Service Worker- School Division at The Nutrition Group