Rafael Santander
About Rafael Santander
Rafael Santander serves as the Vice President of Engineering at Code for America, where he leads efforts to enhance public service delivery through technology. With a background in quality engineering and extensive experience in agile development, he has held various leadership roles at notable companies including Salesforce and Intuit.
Current Role at Code for America
Rafael Santander serves as the Vice President of Engineering at Code for America, a position he has held since 2023. In this role, he leads a team dedicated to developing technology aimed at enhancing public service delivery for underserved communities. His work focuses on leveraging engineering practices to create impactful solutions that address societal challenges.
Previous Experience in Engineering Leadership
Prior to his current role, Rafael Santander accumulated extensive experience in engineering leadership across various organizations. He worked at Salesforce as Director of Engineering for Salesforce Analytics from 2015 to 2023. He also held positions at Sonos, Inc. as Director of Engineering Tools and at Intuit as Senior Engineering Manager. His tenure at Nimblefish Technologies and Mpire further solidified his expertise in quality engineering.
Education and Academic Background
Rafael Santander earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of California, Davis, completing his studies from 2020 to 2022. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from UC Santa Barbara, where he studied from 2000 to 2003. His educational background supports his strategic vision and leadership capabilities in engineering.
Expertise in Technology and Engineering
Rafael Santander possesses expertise in agile application development, scalability testing, and cloud computing. His technical skills have been instrumental in successfully launching and scaling products across various domains, including analytics, tools, e-commerce, and healthcare. This diverse skill set enhances his contributions to engineering teams and projects.
Professional Development and Leadership
Rafael Santander is recognized as a Fortune Connect Fellow, a program that has contributed to his leadership skills and strategic vision. This fellowship reflects his commitment to professional development and his ability to lead teams effectively in the technology sector.