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Summary

Results-driven Senior Software Engineer with over 20 years of expertise in architecting, developing, and deploying high-performance web applications, specializing in Ruby on Rails and modern backend technologies. Proven innovator with a consistent track record of delivering scalable software that enhances user engagement and drives significant business growth. Adept at leading development initiatives, optimizing system performance, modernizing infrastructure, and mentoring teams to achieve technical excellence. Passionate about leveraging technology to solve complex challenges and deliver exceptional value.

Core Competencies

Languages & Frameworks:

• Ruby on Rails, Ruby
• PHP, Laravel
• JavaScript (ES6+), Node.js, React Native
• Python, C++, Java

Databases & Data Management:

• PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Oracle
• Database Design, Query Optimization, Data Modeling

Development Practices & Tools:

• Agile/Scrum Methodologies
• Test-Driven Development (TDD), Behavior-Driven Development (BDD)
• Pair Programming, Code Review
• CI/CD, Docker, AWS (EC2, ECS)

Architecture & Performance:

• RESTful API Design & Integration
• Microservices Architecture
• System Scalability & Performance Optimization
• Cloud Infrastructure Modernization

Professional Experience

Gousto (Oct 2024 – Present): Senior Software Engineer

• Orchestrated the seamless migration of a critical microservice from legacy AWS EC2 instances to AWS ECS (Elastic Container Service), enhancing scalability, improving deployment efficiency, and bolstering system resilience.
• Drove significant performance improvements and enhanced security posture by leading the successful upgrade of the core Laravel framework and underlying PHP environment.
• Architected and implemented a high-performance, reusable API endpoint, reducing code duplication and accelerating data retrieval across multiple platform services.

Kitman Labs (Feb 2023 – July 2024): Senior Web Engineer

• Spearheaded the development of critical athlete management and performance tracking features, directly contributing to enhanced product offerings.
• Boosted application performance by 10% through strategic refactoring of core components and advanced query optimization techniques.
• Collaborated with data scientists to successfully integrate machine learning models, enabling predictive analytics for athlete performance.
• Championed best practices in an Agile environment, improving team velocity and code quality.

Ably (Jan 2022 – Nov 2022): Senior Web Engineer

• Engineered system-wide optimizations for a high-traffic platform, resulting in a 20% improvement in overall performance and reduced latency.
• Pioneered containerization efforts by successfully Dockerizing complex Ruby on Rails applications, streamlining deployment and improving scalability.
• Designed and implemented real-time data streaming features, enhancing user engagement by 15%.

Reallyenglish (Oct 2005 – Oct 2024)

Lead Engineer (Jan 2022 – Oct 2024): Part-Time Freelance Consultant

• Provided ongoing expert-level maintenance and feature development for a high-performance, scalable EdTech platform built on Ruby on Rails.
• Enhanced and optimized existing mobile (React Native) and JavaScript-based applications, improving user experience and functionality.
• Rapidly addressed critical bugs and implemented new features based on evolving business needs. Note: This freelance engagement was concurrent with full-time roles at Ably and Kitman Labs.

Lead Ruby Developer (Oct 2005 – Jan 2022)

• Architected, developed, and successfully launched three generations of a robust Learning Management System (LMS), serving as the core product for the company.
• Drove a 25% increase in customer satisfaction by conceptualizing and implementing innovative features and intuitive user interfaces.
• Mentored and led a team of junior developers, fostering a culture of code quality, continuous learning, and adherence to best practices.
• Successfully scaled the LMS platform to support over 100,000 active users while maintaining 99.9% uptime.

Key Projects

• Enterprise Learning Management System (LMS) Evolution (Reallyenglish):
  • Led the end-to-end design, development, and deployment of three successive LMS platforms using Ruby on Rails, PostgreSQL, and various frontend technologies.
  • Impact: Scaled to serve 100,000+ users, achieved 99.9% uptime, and significantly improved customer retention through continuous feature enhancement.
• Practical English Course Platform (Independent/Reallyenglish):
  • Developed a comprehensive and scalable e-learning platform utilizing Node.js, Ruby, and JavaScript.
  • Impact: Resulted in a 30% increase in user engagement and provided a flexible architecture for future course additions.
• Mobile Learning App (Reallyenglish):
  • Spearheaded the development of a feature-rich React Native mobile application, enabling offline learning capabilities.
  • Impact: Achieved a 4.8-star rating on app stores and expanded user reach to mobile-first learners.
• Advanced Course Management System (Reallyenglish):
  • Engineered a state-of-the-art internal system using Ruby on Rails, Stimulus, and Turbo to streamline course creation and management.
  • Impact: Reduced course creation and update time by 50%, significantly improving operational efficiency for the content team.
• Education Platform WordPress Homepage (Reallyenglish):
  • Designed and implemented a high-performance, SEO-optimized WordPress homepage for the main education platform.
  • Impact: Increased organic search traffic by 40% and improved lead generation.