MARTIN A. JACKSON Senior Computer Scientist | Software Architect | Full-Stack Developer
Benton, AR | 501-247-2392 | martin.a.jackson@gmail.com linkedin.com/in/martinajackson | github.com/mjackson
Professional Summary
Software architect and full-stack technical lead who owns production systems end-to-end — from database schema through deployment pipeline to live monitoring. At the FDA's National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR), I led the architecture and modernization of enterprise-scale scientific computing infrastructure serving hundreds of researchers, including a 97% performance improvement on a critical research platform and a successful 11TB database migration with zero downtime. I drive technical direction, mentor engineers, and translate complex requirements into reliable, maintainable systems. My stack spans TypeScript, React, Node.js, PostgreSQL, Go, Rust, Docker, and Linux/NGINX — and I operate all of it in production, not just write it.
Career Highlights
- 97% faster: Migrated Multi-species Behavioral System from Python to Node.js, cutting query time from 186.7s to 6.28s
- 11TB zero-downtime migration: Moved Oracle schemas and pathology data to PostgreSQL/SQLite without interrupting research
- 134 vulnerabilities mitigated: Identified and resolved security flaws across legacy systems, establishing SQL injection prevention and role-based access
- Production operator: Run multiple live services on nginx/systemd with TLS, CI/CD, and automated WAL-consistent backups
- Cross-runtime performance engineering: Built load-testing harness comparing Node.js, Go, and Rust at 1–1000 concurrent users with p50/p95/p99 latency profiling
Core Competencies
Technical Leadership & Architecture
- Full-Stack Development: Node.js, React, Express, TypeScript, HTMX, HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript
- Backend Systems: Go, Rust (Axum/Tokio), NGinx, Python, Java, C/C++, RESTful APIs, GraphQL, WebSocket, Microservices
- Database Expertise: Oracle, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MongoDB, SQL Injection Prevention
- Cloud & DevOps: Docker (multi-stage builds), Linux Administration (Arch/Ubuntu/Red Hat), NGINX Reverse Proxy & TLS, systemd Services, Automated Backups, GitLab CI/CD, Security Hardening
- AI & Modern Tools: Prompt Engineering, AI-Assisted Development, Automated Testing (Vitest, Playwright, Jest)
Domain Expertise
- Scientific Software: Toxicology Research Systems, Real-time Data Collection, Bioinformatics
- Regulatory Compliance: GLP (21 CFR Part 58), FDA Security Standards, PIV Authentication
- System Security: Security Audits, Vulnerability Mitigation, TLS 1.2 Implementation
- Performance Optimization: Database Tuning, Asynchronous Programming, Load Testing
Professional Experience
Senior Computer Scientist (GS-1550-13)
FDA, National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) | 1981 - Present
Technical lead and architect responsible for the full lifecycle of production scientific computing systems — from requirements and design through deployment and operations. Owned technical outcomes for a team of 5+ engineers, drove architectural decisions, modernized legacy systems incrementally, and maintained reliable service for hundreds of active researchers throughout every transition.
Key Achievements:
- Led cloud-readiness transformation of Multi-species Behavioral System (MBS), migrating from Python to Node.js achieving 97% performance improvement (186.7s → 6.28s query time) while maintaining backward compatibility for existing researchers
- Spearheaded enterprise database migration, successfully moving 11TB of pathology data and Oracle schemas to PostgreSQL and SQLite architectures with zero downtime and zero data loss across the research community
- Identified and mitigated 134 security vulnerabilities across legacy systems, establishing SQL injection prevention, role-based access controls, and a security-first development culture
- Own production web infrastructure end-to-end: deploy and run multiple Node.js and Go services behind nginx with TLS (Let's Encrypt), systemd service management, GitLab CI/CD pipelines, and automated WAL-consistent SQLite backups — achieving zero-downtime redeploys across live services
- Built cross-runtime load-testing and observability harness driving Node.js (Express), Go, and Rust services at 1–1000 concurrent users against live PostgreSQL data, capturing p50/p95/p99 latency, throughput, CPU/RSS, and file-descriptor-leak metrics to guide architecture and runtime decisions
- Pioneered AI-enhanced development workflows, implementing automated testing with 97.8% code coverage using Claude and Vitest, reducing manual testing by 80%
- Architected authentication modernization, developing PIV-enabled Node.js/NGINX solution replacing legacy systems while maintaining backward compatibility
- Modernized development infrastructure with zero interruption: migrated from GitHub Enterprise to GitLab Enterprise to GitLab CE, containerized deployments, and trained team on DevOps practices — delivering significant cost savings
- Developed polyglot backend portfolio with production-ready applications in Go (WebSocket kanban board, reading tracker), Rust (Axum/Tokio async portfolio site), and TypeScript (strict-mode SQLite ER-diagram viewer with 22 Vitest tests) — all with Docker, SQLite, and real-time capabilities
- Implemented local AI/ML inference and LLM-integrated tooling: Go/CGo bindings to llama.cpp with CUDA GPU offload and GGUF models for a video-to-text summarization pipeline, plus a Python proofreading workflow that preserves Word Track Changes — shipping AI features with full control over cost, privacy, and latency
Technical Leadership:
- Own technical direction and system design; influence architecture decisions across cross-functional teams of engineers, QA, and product stakeholders
- Mentor 5+ engineers on modern JavaScript frameworks, automated testing, and security best practices
- Translate research requirements into practical technical solutions; drive those solutions through implementation and into production
- Lead technology selection committees, ensuring alignment with security requirements and scientific research needs
Robotics Software Engineer
Metal Fabricating Systems | 1985 - 1986 (14 months)
Developed control software for steel fabrication robotics systems in a manufacturing environment as well as GM windshield placement.
Key Achievements:
- Reduced existing code base by over 80% while adding dual measurement support (inches and metric), enabling Canadian and European market expansion
- Programmed real-time robotic control systems for steel forming and fabrication processes
- Developed hardware interface drivers for industrial automation equipment
- Implemented safety-critical control logic for heavy machinery operations
Software Engineer V
ICF/Z-Tech Corporation (FDA Contract) | 2004 - 2012
Principal software developer for NCTR research systems, focusing on web-based scientific applications and database architecture.
Key Achievements:
- Developed ArrayTrack™ bioinformatics platform, building data integration pipelines that ingested and synchronized gene expression datasets from 20+ institutions into a unified searchable research platform serving 10,000+ datasets
- Developed web and database components of FDALabel, a nationwide data synchronization system aggregating structured submissions from drug, food, and device manufacturers into searchable consumer safety documents — ensuring correctness and idempotency across distributed submissions
- Co-inventor on FreshTag™ patent, designing software architecture for real-time food freshness monitoring system
- Implemented Oracle database optimization strategies, improving query performance by 40%
- Led Agile/Scrum adoption, reducing project delivery cycles by 30%
- Co-authored FDA Ubuntu Linux Hardening Guide, establishing agency-wide security standards
Software Architect
Northrop Grumman IT (FDA Contract) | 1994 - 2004
Technology evangelist introducing modern development practices to NCTR's scientific computing environment.
Key Achievements:
- Architected patent-pending SIAS colorimetric analysis system, reducing phototoxicology analysis time by 60%
- Developed Linux kernel drivers for real-time behavioral testing hardware
- Led NCTR's first web-based scientific application deployment, serving 100+ researchers
- Established Java development standards and object-oriented design practices
Technical Skills
- Languages: TypeScript, JavaScript, Go, Rust, Python, Java, C/C++, C#, Bash, PowerShell, Perl, SQL
- Frameworks: Node.js, React, Express, Axum, GraphQL, REST APIs, WebSocket
- Databases: Oracle (PL/SQL), PostgreSQL, SQLite, Redis, MongoDB, SQL Optimization
- Cloud & DevOps: Docker (multi-stage builds), Linux Administration, NGINX Reverse Proxy & TLS, systemd Services, Automated Backups, GitLab CI/CD, Apache
- Security: PIV Authentication, TLS 1.2, Security Auditing, SQL Injection Prevention, Vulnerability Mitigation
- Testing: Vitest, Playwright, Jest, Unit Testing, Automated Code Review
- Observability & Performance: Load & Stress Testing (1–1000 concurrent users), Percentile Latency (p50/p95/p99), CPU/Memory/FD-Leak Profiling, Metrics Collection
- AI & Modern: Prompt Engineering, AI-Assisted Development, Claude API, Local LLM Inference (llama.cpp, CUDA), Performance Profiling
- Methodologies: Agile, Scrum, Solution Architecture, Stakeholder Management, Technical Leadership
Education & Certifications
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 1989
- Minors in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics
Professional Development:
- GLP Training Certificate (21 CFR Part 58 Compliance)
- FDA Annual Ethics Training 2025
- Mastering JavaScript Unit Testing (Vitest)
- O'Reilly Fluent Conference Speaker 2013
Selected Publications & Presentations
Chen, M., Jackson, M., et al. "ebTrack: an environmental bioinformatics system built upon ArrayTrack™" - Proceedings of the First International Conference on Toxicogenomics Integrate with Environmental Sciences (TIES-2007)
Jackson, M. "A Self-Maintained Space Management System with Dynamic Manipulation Capability for Pictorial Data" - Arkansas Computer Conference, 1993
O'Reilly Fluent Conference 2013 - Ignite Speaker: "Change is going to happen, how is your project prepared for it?"
Awards & Recognition
- O'Reilly Fluent Conference 2013 - One of seven Ignite Speakers selected from hundreds of applicants
- Sun Microsystems JavaOne Symposium - One of eight technologists invited to present nationally