Team & Staffing
The people behind the project and how we staff for success.
We will assemble a dedicated VOLY Next Gen team that combines our strongest platform modernization, experience design, and engineering talent. The core team will remain consistent throughout the engagement to maintain context, relationships, and momentum. We staff teams when contracts are signed, but we can confidently say now that the team will be composed of full-time W-2 geniant employees. We may leverage 1 or 2 vetted contractor specialists, who operate under geniant's standard NDAs and security protocols.
Dedicated Team
Team Composition
| Role | Responsibility | Allocation |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement Lead | Overall relationship, strategic alignment, escalation path | Part-time (oversight) |
| Project Manager / Scrum Master | Day-to-day delivery management, sprint planning, stakeholder communication | Full-time |
| Lead Experience Designer | UX strategy, user research, design system, and quality oversight | Full-time (Discovery & Design); Part-time (Build) |
| UI Designer | Visual design, component design, prototyping | Full-time (Discovery & Design); Part-time (Build) |
| Lead Architect / Tech Lead | Architecture decisions, technical standards, code review, SDD specification authoring | Full-time |
| Senior Full-Stack Engineer | Core platform development, API design, integrations, testing | Full-time |
| Front-End Engineer | UI implementation, responsive design, performance optimization | Full-time |
| QA / Test Engineer | Test strategy, automated testing, regression, UAT coordination | Part-time |
| DevOps / Cloud Engineer | Infrastructure, CI/CD, monitoring, security configuration | Part-time → Full-time at deployment |
| Integration Specialist | Background check provider integrations, third-party APIs | Part-time (as needed per sprint) |
Employment Structure & Contractor Flexibility
The core VOLY Next Gen delivery team will be composed of 8 full-time W-2 geniant employees, supplemented by vetted contractor specialists as needed. This structure maintains a strong W-2 core (95% of the proposed team) while enabling flexibility to bring in specialized expertise — such as background check integration specialists or K-12 compliance subject matter experts — when required by specific project phases.
| Employment Category | Composition | Security & Compliance |
|---|---|---|
| W-2 Employees (Core) | Project Manager, Lead Architect, Lead Designer, Senior Engineers, QA Lead, DevOps Lead (8 team members) | Continuity, accountability, institutional knowledge throughout engagement |
| Vetted Contractors (Specialist) | Backend specialist, Frontend specialist, Integration specialist (as needed) | geniant standard NDAs, security protocols, insurance aligned with VolunteerNow requirements |
All contractor relationships are formalized with appropriate legal protections, and all team members operate under geniant's security and compliance standards — ensuring VolunteerNow receives consistent quality and protection regardless of employment type.
Committed Leadership
For this engagement, we're committed to assigning these key leaders to drive strategy, architecture, and delivery success. Each brings proven expertise in volunteer platforms, nonprofit technology, and large-scale system implementation.
Melanie Gotz
Project Manager
geniant | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
Melanie leads project execution across geniant's complex client engagements. With deep experience in managing multi-phase implementations, cross-functional team coordination, and stakeholder management, she ensures delivery excellence while maintaining close alignment with client needs and RFP requirements.
Key Focus:
- • Project governance & timeline management
- • Team coordination & resource planning
- • Risk mitigation & quality assurance
Luke Keith
Front-End Engineer
geniant | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
Luke shapes the strategic vision and product direction for geniant's engagements. His expertise spans UI/UX design, engineering architecture, and product strategy, ensuring VOLY Next Gen is built with world-class user experience, technical excellence, and a foundation that scales with VolunteerNow's growth.
Key Focus:
- • Product vision & strategy
- • UX/UI design leadership
- • Technical architecture direction
Chris Byler
Lead Architect + Applied AI
geniant | Las Cruces, NM
Chris leads the technical architecture and AI/automation strategy for VOLY Next Gen. His deep expertise in applied AI, system design, and intelligent automation ensures VolunteerNow benefits from cutting-edge technology while maintaining security, compliance, and operational simplicity.
Key Focus:
- • Technical architecture & system design
- • AI/automation strategy & integration
- • Security & compliance framework