Derek Lingo
Software Engineering Manager
Edmond,OK
Summary
Hands-on manager focused on building strong teams and getting the best out of the people around me. I take an analytical approach to operations, invest in relationships across the board, and stay technically aware so I can lead from a place of real understanding.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
Work History
Software Engineering Manager
Tinker AFB
10.2021 - Current
- Direct engineering operations for a 50-person technical department, overseeing hiring, training, cybersecurity compliance, and project budget execution across 6 concurrent product lines
- Mentor a diverse roster of personnel across disciplines, experience levels, and organizational boundaries, including individuals outside the direct chain of command, fostering leadership development, technical upskilling, and a culture of continuous learning.
- Lead multi-team cloud initiatives, successfully architecting and migrating operations to a highly regulated, compliant cloud environment suitable for processing sensitive data.
- Spearhead rapid incident response and remediation for critical cloud infrastructure events within strict 10-day remediation windows, implementing contingency plans that hardened system security and improved operational resilience.
- Drive development and implementation of internal coding standards and process documentation to successfully transition engineering teams toward Agile frameworks.
- Bridge critical communication gaps between developers, end-users, and executive stakeholders to align unstated operational requirements with final deliverables.
- Modernize infrastructure tooling and implement automated testing frameworks, maximizing engineering velocity and system reliability across a sustained 2-week release cadence with quarterly formal deliveries.
Squadron Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Tinker AFB
10.2020 - 10.2021
- Served as a cross-functional hiring SME, evaluating candidates and synthesizing feedback to support data-driven hiring decisions across the organization.
- Spearheaded three enterprise-wide Value Stream Mapping initiatives, driving process documentation, workflow optimization, and action-item tracking across multiple teams.
- Designed and drove requirements for a Tableau-based management reporting tool, contributing to data collection, feedback, and organizational adoption across leadership levels.
- Regularly briefed senior civilian and military leadership monthly across 12+ programs, requiring broad technical fluency and awareness across multiple concurrent workloads.
- Developed training materials and led cross-functional knowledge-sharing initiatives to enhance staff proficiency across specialized technical subject areas.
B-52 Electronics Engineer
Tinker AFB
02.2017 - 10.2020
- Authored, implemented, and peer-reviewed test procedures across multiple project increments, identifying defects and generating problem reports to drive continuous quality improvement.
- Collaborated cross-functionally with engineers, developers, management, and contractors to document and communicate test results, ensuring alignment across all project stakeholders.
- Developed and standardized procurement process documentation that streamlined workflows and was subsequently adopted across multiple teams, reducing overall process duration organization-wide.
- Designed and led an immersive internship program spanning multiple rotations and nearly 100 college interns, coordinating real-world project experience, peer reviews, and customer-facing engagements.
- Served as primary feedback contributor for organization wide intern hiring placement, evaluating candidates and providing structured assessments to senior leadership.
- Trained incoming personnel on procedure writing, hardware systems, functional requirements, and software use, accelerating onboarding and reducing ramp-up time for new team members.
Education
Master of Science - Engineering
Oklahoma Christian University
Edmond, OK11-2023
Bachelor of Science - Electrical Engineering
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS12-2016
Skills
Technical Team Management
Mentoring & Career Development
Hiring & Onboarding
Performance Management
Employee Empowerment
Risk Management
Executive Communication
Relationship Building
Conflict Resolution
TRAINING
- Leading Your People Through Change (Ken Blanchard, 2021)
- Team Leadership (Ken Blanchard, 2020)
- Mastering Your Building Trust Skills (Ken Blanchard, 2020)
- Mastering Your Situational Leadership II Skills (Ken Blanchard, 2020)
- Building Trust (Ken Blanchard, 2020)
- Scrum Master Training (2017)
Awards
Group Notable Achievement Award Sep 2021
Group Notable Achievement Award Jul 2021
OC-ALC Scientist, Engineer, & Technician Team Nominee 2021
Group Notable Achievement Award Jul 2020
General Bernard P Randolph Engineering Team Award 2020
General Lester L Lyles Award CY19/2
Timeline
Software Engineering Manager
Tinker AFB
10.2021 - Current
Squadron Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Tinker AFB
10.2020 - 10.2021
B-52 Electronics Engineer
Tinker AFB
02.2017 - 10.2020
Master of Science - Engineering
Oklahoma Christian University
Bachelor of Science - Electrical Engineering
Kansas State University