James Player

james.player@gmail.com Senior Software Engineer Github LinkedIn

I’m an experienced Senior Software Engineer who has been building clean, scalable and performant apps for over 16 years. My strengths lie in figuring out a path forward in the face of complex problems, delivering things in a way that others can follow and build on top of, as well as helping team members find their way if needed.

Starboard

Starboard Maritime Intelligence

2020 — 2024 • Senior Software Engineer

Go, PostgreSQL, Javascript (React, Redux, Leaflet, IndexedDB), Redis, GraphQL, Google Cloud Platform, Docker, Kubernetes, CSS

Backend

  • Designed and implemented backend APIs for many critical features, key to the company winning a lucrative government contract worth millions of dollars.
  • Provided guidance to other team members, particularly around graphQL API implementations and database design leading to quicker delivery, significant performance gains and greater scalability.

Frontend

  • Wrote much of the frontend for Starboard enabling the product to grow from no customers to hundreds of organizations and thousands of users.
  • Created many coding patterns used by the whole frontend team, providing guidance and education.
  • Took over the running of the frontend team meetings.
Merge Freeze

Merge Freeze

2017 — 2022 (part time) • Founder

Ruby on Rails, PostgreSQL, Redis, Github and Slack integrations, Heroku, Javascript, CSS

  • Built Github and Slack integrations and web app backed by PostgreSQL and Redis.
  • Launched and scaled to thousands of software developers and hundreds of organizations including many well known companies.
  • Experimented with AWS Lamda and Serverless Framework to handle any number of Merge Freezing at the same time.
  • Held customer interviews, responded to support requests, obtained regulatory certifications.
  • Sold to a US based equity fund in 2022.
Optimal Workshop

Optimal Workshop

2017 — 2020 • Senior Software Engineer

Ruby on Rails, MySQL, Redis, AWS, Javascript (React, Redux, RxJS), CSS

Backend

  • Architected and implemented the backend of new features, including a newer, faster, more useful version of the platform’s note taking tool.
  • Refactored the flagship product used by millions of respondents to use a background queue, greatly reducing web server load and response time.
  • Provided guidance to engineers when planning projects leading to high quality delivery and more confident team members.

Frontend

  • Introduced React to the dev team and held tutorial workshops, enabling a superior user experience and is now the primary frontend technology used in the product.
  • Founded and ran the frontend working group, discussing frontend coding standards and architecture.
  • Lead the frontend development of the second version of the platform’s note taking tool, released to much fanfare.

General

  • Introduced an adapted version of the “Shape up” method of working as an alternative to agile. This excited the whole team and led to a noticeable increase in delivery cadence.
  • Was part of a three person leadership team for the engineering team, primarily responsible for team processes.
  • Mentored two members of the engineering team through the company’s mentor programme.
Hootsuite Campaigns

Hootsuite

2016 — 2017 • Senior Software Developer

Scala, Microservices, MongoDB

  • Designed and implemented backend services in microservices architecture for a large scale app sending thousands of social media messages per second.
  • Provided guidance to junior team members.

Hootsuite Campaigns

2014 — 2016 • Software Developer

PHP, Laravel, MySQL, Python, Redis, Javascript, React, CSS

Backend

  • Led projects for PHP Laravel based app, coaching other team members on best practices.
  • Maintained Python based microservice for interacting with social network APIs.
  • Provided guidance on writing unit tests and set up a structure for writing unit and integration tests.

Frontend

  • Led frontend direction for whole team, delivering new free and pro product offerings.
  • Introduced React into the frontend toolset.
Film Hearts

Pound & Grain

July — November 2014 • Software Developer

PHP, Laravel, MySQL, Javascript, CSS

  • Built a PHP Laravel based web application, delivering on time and under budget.
  • Produced coding standards for the engineering team.

Springload

2011 — 2014 • Web Developer

PHP, MySQL, Javascript, CSS

ANZ National Bank

October 2010 — March 2011 (fixed term) • Frontend Developer

Javascript, CSS

Springload

2008 — 2010 • Web Developer

PHP, MySQL, Javascript, CSS

Education

Victoria University of Wellington

2013 — 2017 (part time)

Graduate Diploma in Science. Major: Computer Science (partially completed)

Natcoll School of Design

2007 — 2008

Diploma of Web Development

Victoria University of Wellington

2001 — 2004

Bachelor of Commerce and Administration. Major: Marketing, Management