JAMIE HOUSTON

St Louis, MO 63122 • 206.852.2852 • foresterh@gmail.com

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY:

Experienced software developer and architect that enjoys working on web and mobile projects.  On the web side, comfortably works from the browser to the database, and everything in between.  Has successfully carried several enterprise applications from conception to release.  Enjoys challenging roles that provide the ability to continually learn and evolve and make sure the brain doesn’t get too bored.

Highlights

• Created web & handheld sales platform for real-time ticketing and inventory management system.  Tasked as Architect, DBA, Project Manager & Lead Developer during project.
• Worked with product manager on nine month project to release 1.0 website utilizing new technology and incorporating multiple websites into one while not losing any customers.
• Created cross platform app using Xamarin that scans barcodes and displays gluten allergen information. Written to fill personal need and then put in app stores when others asked for it.  Backend written in python/app engine originally and then ported to .Net/Azure
• Manage job responsibilities for 3 application developers, 2 web developers and a software tester. Included putting together requirements, delegating work, communicating with senior staff on current status, and ensuring delivery.
• Ported major in-house application from VB6 to .Net 2.0 with other developers. Responsibilities included writing specifications as well as coding modules.
• Work with sales and operations to maintain prioritized lists of current enhancement requests. Gather requirements for projects on the lists and assign them to build plans as well as developers.

TECHNICAL SKILLS:

Web Technologies: AngularJS, Backbone, ASP.NET MVC4, HTML5, CSS3, jQuery, Django, XML, AJAX, JSON, Bootstrap, ServiceStack, OAUTH, XSL, Web Services, APIs, SOAP, REST, SaaS, SOA, Xamarin (Forms, Android, and iOS)

Programming Languages: C#, JavaScript, Java (Android), Objective C (iOS), Python, Ruby, VB.Net

APIs: Authorize.Net, Facebook, Paypal, Google, Twitter, Parse, Mailchimp, Mandrill

IDEs: XCode, Eclipse, IntelliJ, Visual Studio 2015, Xamarin Studio, Sublime Text 3, Vim, Android Studio

Relational Databases: MS SQL Server 2000-2012, MySQL, SQLite, AS400

NoSQL Databases: Redis, CouchDB, MongoDB, AppEngine (Google) Datastore, (MS Azure) Mobile Services

Platforms: Windows XP, 7, 8, Server 2003-2012, Linux, OSX, Azure, Amazon EC2, Rackspace

Testing: NUnit, SpecFlow, Cucumber, MSpec, Load Testing, Integration Testing, Unit Testing

Source Control: Git, Svn, Mercurial, TFS, SourceSafe

Methodologies: Agile/Scrum/XP, TDD/BDD, Kanban

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Lead Member of Technical Staff                                                         2/16 - Current

Salesforce (remote)

Work of Windows team to create app for Surface and Desktop (and Windows Phone for a hot minute) to integrate with Salesforce.

Sr Mobile Developer (contract)                                                         6/15 – 2/16

Projekt202, LLC, Seattle, WA (based in Dallas, TX)

Created an app for Android and iOS using Xamarin and C# to communicate via Wi-Fi and USB to a hardware device. Intensely optimized to squeeze every last clock cycle out of the CPU and GPU to handle 20,000 KB/sec data transfer from device to mobile app.  Incoming data was plotted on Shinobi Charts and statistical analysis was displayed, both in real time as data was streaming.  USB communication layer was written in C++ to reduce any overhead.

Dev Lead, .Net Developer                                                         10/13 – 6/15

Daptiv, Inc, Seattle, WA

In charge of a team of 6 developers and 2 QA on enhancements and new features on a .Net stack with a REST API and AngularJS client side framework.  Used Kanban to manage project.

Dev Lead, .Net Developer (contract)                                                 3/13 – 8/13

Smashing Ideas, Seattle, WA

EverAfterHigh.com, MonsterHigh.com – Brought in to assist with a project for Mattel, to integrate a CMS system (Tridion) into an MVC4 website for a new product offering (Ever After High dolls).  Contract was extended several times to help with maintenance and then next project, Monster High.

• Brought in as developer but quickly morphed to lead front and back end development effort as well as development.
• Created API for front end developers to interact with to create more fluid experience.
• Interfaced with multiple 3rd parties, including BunchBall, JanRain, and Mirror Image.
• Site included gamification, such as awarding points for watching videos, that could then be used to buy outfits for avatar.
• Suggested and changed processes to reduce chances of issues with builds/releases.

Lead Developer, Architect                                                         6/12 – 2/13

Gratafy, Seattle, WA

Website (mobile and desktop), native app (Android and IOS), and integrated point of sale (POS) software that allows users to send gifts to local restaurants using a social network and redeem with 3 digit code directly through POS, requiring no printing, scanning, or long numbers. ASP.Net MVC4, SQL Server 2012, Redis, Azure,C#5, Social Media APIs (i.e., facebook integration)

• As sole developer, ported legacy mobile website and API while ensuring everything, including Android and IOS apps, had no downtime.
• Sped up first time mobile app load from 90+ seconds to under 5 seconds.
• Converted synchronous services to asynchronous queued tasks.
• Optimized and improved database tables to store transactional data such as sales and pricing.

Senior Developer                                                                3/11 – 6/12

Corbis Corporation, Seattle, WA

Marvin (2011) - IRC bot (inspired by Phenny and Hubot and Marvin) to perform work and keep IRC channel interesting.  Performed tasks such as building and deploying projects, imitating others (using markov chain), and checking on uptime/server status.  All with a pessimistically sarcastic attitude. Python, MSBuild, Powershell, Redis

• Updated front-end Javascript framework to be more modular, reusable, and responsive, including pulling search filters and display options into separate independent plugins.
• Implemented Solr backed faceted navigation to filter images by aspects such as number of people, time of day, etc.
• Reduced load time of Internet Explorer results pages by 75% by manipulating detached dom elements, optimizing algorithms, and other techniques.
• Reduced build time of .net solutions by half by optimizing project files and cleaning dependencies.
• Created a script to automate everything from getting projects setup on a users machine, to building/cleaning/publishing to mapping IIS to different branches.

Web Developer (contract)                                                          10/10– 3/11

Quorum Review, Inc, Seattle, WA

• Brought in to finish ASP.Net MVC project behind schedule and brought it back on schedule.
• Kicked off implementation of proprietary survey/questionnaire technology.

Developer, Architect (contract)                                                         4/10– 10/10

Eat Your Books, Seattle, WA

http://www.eatyourbooks.com – A system to catalog ingredients and titles of your personal cookbooks.  Entering the title or isbn allows users to search by type, ingredient, occasion, etc. ASP.Net MVC3, C# 3.5, SQL Server2008 R2, Lucene, Javascript, jQuery

• Ported WebForms site to ASP.Net MVC with one other developer.
• Designed scalable backend for searching /displaying book and recipe data using Solr/Lucene
• Contributed bug fixes and improvements to open source Lucene.Net project.

Senior Developer, Architect, Dev Lead                                                 9/08 – 4/10

Meridian Group, Inc, Seattle, WA

SmartStubs (2010/2012) – http://www.smartstubs.com Realtime mobile (Android) and web (desktop) solution for selling tickets and managing inventory for tourism and travel products. Customizable reporting engine that can send reports on recurring basis.  Customizable commission engine that can show effect of applying dollar or percentage to products/dates. Flexible pricing based on location, date, and combination of products purchased, with optional included costs (such as gas fee) and additional (such as tax). ASP.Net Webforms/MVC4, C# 4, SQL Server 2008/2012, Authorize.Net

• Validated in real-time validity of tour bus tickets and capacity of bus seats, using native Windows Mobile application.
• Created Windows Mobile application to validate and sell tickets and update orders.
• Trained users of system.
• Created completely customizable reporting engine for filtering on any aspect of an order or product and displaying any attribute or summary of values.

Developer, Business Analyst. SpecTec., Issaquah, WA, 9/07 – 9/08 (FTE)

• Worked as liaison between Austrian business owner and Seattle based Holland America to enhance and begin porting Delphi cruise administration application.

Developer, Dev Lead                                                                 9/01 – 9/07

Diligenz, Inc., Mukilteo, WA

AutoSender (2006) - A system for queueing and automatically sending outgoing messages. Included faxing and emailing with or without attachments. Put together system to queue up messages and log success and failures. Also designed UIs to monitor logs of what has or hasn’t been sent.  Sort of like Mandrill, I just realized. C#, SQL Server 2000

Order Manager (2005) - A system to batch together orders. Included system of storing order relationships in database and front end UIs to view and edit batches and orders contained in them. Also included the ability to send orders to customers in batches (using outgoing message system). C#, ASP.Net Webforms

• Led development effort after manager left team.
• Worked with product manager on nine month project to release 1.0 website utilizing new technology and incorporating multiple websites into one while not losing any customers.
• Designed and help port VB6 application and VBScript website to .Net solution.

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS

Technical Support Certification (1999)

A-Plus Certification (1999)

Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) Certified (2004)

Software Development: Practices and Project Management – University of Washington  (2006) Certificate program for Software Project Managers. 

Object Oriented Analysis and Design – University of Washington Certificate (2007)