Rob Kendal

Working in a product-first environment as part of a cross-functional team within the Scheduling department, as part of a huge project to migrate the current legacy VB6 Scheduling system to a brand new web-based app. The new system is based in React using React-Query (Tan Stack) for service calls, with Jenkins and GitHub Actions on the CI/CD side (deployed on an AWS foundation).

Taking on feature lead responsibilities across the development lifecycle including:

• Leading user sessions to understand feature needs,
• Design and UX work with wireframing to flesh out more complex ideas,
• Documenting work tickets and presenting back to the team and wider stakeholders,
• Running user demos and training sessions,
• Heavy focus on developing for performance and accessibility,
• Thoroughly testing the application via unit and integration tests, and currently working towards contract test roll out,
• Developed feature flagging integration for future in-progress dev work,
• Building further full stack skills with regular exposure to database technologies such as SQL and Postgres, and assisting in development work on service side using Kotlin. 

Single-handedly built out a Svelte 5 front-end to complement an existing API layer producing a price-comparison web app. Worked with Azure SDKs, Azure infrastructure, and third-party API endpoints complete with loading states, transitions, Svelte hooks, and complex form validation build from the ground up to the clients' needs.

Working as a dedicated UI engineer as part of an AI start up in the energy sector. Building out several features including data visualisation and prediction analysis, using Svelte and Sveltekit coupled with Tailwind CSS. Backend work involving Python and Fast API to support frontend interfaces. Infrastructure provisioned via Docker containers and compose.

Working on the Foundry app (product) within a large UI/UX team, I help deliver meaningful changes to the user experience and interface. Working with product owners, UX designers and QA teams to ship product updates in quarterly releases. 

Primarily developing with the Ember.js framework, built with TypeScript.

A member of the strategic leadership team within the internal startup-like CS&D department. I oversee a diverse group of dev teams, each responsible for one of a suite of internal-facing web apps based in React.

The role is a mix of strategic and architectural decisions, and hands-on coding, acting as a floating resource that can embed within a team where extra development aid and guidance is needed. 

Some of my duties include:

• Working with head of engineering and other members of the management team to set engineering objectives,
• Helping to create and define new technical initiatives, such as improving observability across the technology stacks in our teams,
• Embedding into teams to help lead particular feature development or to bolster dev teams where resource is lighter,
• Mentoring other team members to help them meet their learning and development goals,
• Shaping and taking part in hiring practices and processes,
• Defining, researching, and documenting engineering best practices, then championing their adoption across the engineering teams, helping to implement where needed,
• Leading regular UI forums to help bring the wider development community together and discuss shared work,
• Responsible for leading 25 developers across 7 teams,
• Building out a range of UI products using a combination of React, Next, React-Query, Redux
• Maintaining a centralised design system built with Material UI and showcased via Storybook.
• Working with the product design team to create feature UIs with Figma, Miro, and using MUI component plugins.

One of a small team of UI development leads, working across many departments of the business with key stakeholders of all levels to rebuild the internal UI component library from the ground up. Functioned like an internal start-up team to experiment, iterate, and introduce code changes regularly, presenting new work to large audiences.

Varied role dealing with UX/UI designers, micro frontend teams, and other internal development squads. Key position in documentation, education and implementation of the new web-component UI library into various projects built on multiple technologies, such as Node, React, Vanilla HTML/JS, and Vue, based in vanilla TypeScript, with educational and documentation sites built using Storybook.js.

I mentor students across the globe to help them achieve their goal of learning front end development. I offer a range of educational advice and material covering major front-end technologies and students work with me to set assignments, review projects and provide feedback, as well as offering job-seeking advice and support.

Building and deploying bespoke React software solutions for clients, migrating clients' call centre systems to Amazon Connect cloud-based telecommunications platform. Working within a small team to architect AWS services, such as Lambda, Dynamo DB, Amplify framework, CloudFront, AppSync and more. Solutions built on Node.js using TypeScript. Infrastructure provisioning via Terraform and code-first configuration.

Part of the role involved embedding into client and third-party teams as part of a software consultancy offering.

Working within a small, close-knit team of developers in a 100% remote environment. As the lead frontend developer, I have an architectural responsibility to plan out and develop new UI layers for our core products. We work in an agile environment across a Microsoft technology stack. At the frontend we develop in React, using modern, ES6 JavaScript/TypeScript, to build application management portals and responsive query builders used by millions of people each week.

Duties include:

• Planning sprint work
• Working with the leadership team to create the product vision and drive development roadmaps
• Writing clean, maintainable JS/TS code using React and Webpack, testing using Jest and enzyme.
• Contributing to open-source projects and releasing in-house utilities to the open-source community
• Developing brand guidelines and branded design system for frontend components
• Writing blog content alongside the marketing team
• Conduct code reviews and collaborative coding sessions
• Contribute to product architecture and development alongside the senior director team
• Bug hunting and troubleshooting across the application suite
• Ownership of the frontend area of our products; making technical decisions where necessary, based on team input and feedback

Working alongside a close-knit development team in an AGILE delivery process to build out a number of web applications. We use React and Angular to build internal customer account management platforms, as well as external hosting panels and management consoles.

Duties include:

• Planning and prioritising sprint work
• Writing lean, modern JavaScript/TypeScript code in frameworks such as React and Angular
  
• Writing unit tests to meet code coverage targets - we use Cucumber and Protractor for Angular, and Jest and Enzyme for React
• Creating UI/UX designs using Sketch and Balsamiq
• Reviewing other dev team work via GitLab merge requests
• Contributing to the maintenance and development of our in-house, branded UI design system built on the Bulma CSS framework
• Contributing to the marketing blog (available at blog.bytemark.co.uk)
• Mentoring junior members of the development team

Responsible for the frontend delivery of marketing projects. As part of the Digital Platforms team, I plan sprint work, manage the frontend team and have spent a great deal of time modernising development habits and processes, as well as overhauling the frontend code base from legacy platforms to more modern web apps.

Duties include:

• Managing junior frontend developers
  • Holding regular 1:1 meetings
  • Planning and coordinating work between our team and external teams
    
  • Reviewing and implementing improvements to working habits and processes
  • Conducting code reviews
  • Leading personal development review meetings
  • Handling complaints and personal difficulties of team members to help them achieve their best
• Planning and prioritising sprint work
• Coordinating with external teams
  
• Implementing QA processes such as peer code reviews and coding standards automation (e.g. Codacy)
• Implementing CI/CD practices using GitHub and Semaphore CI (our build server of choice)
• Documentation - both technical and non-technical
• Using modern JavaScript development habits, environments, and frameworks with Webpack, Babel, Node.js, and Yarn.
• Visual regression testing
• Migrating legacy code projects, such as Grunt.js-based apps
• Redeveloping the entire campus map project using Google Maps API
• Development against sprint objectives to enhance a highly trafficked website
• Planning and carrying out regular/scheduled code releases

Taking responsibility for the technical planning, implementation and marketing delivery side of the business, my responsibilities included:

• Leading personal development reviews
• Coaching and mentoring junior employees, aiding with apprenticeship program
• Design and architecture of client web solutions (marketing and e-commerce websites)
  
• Undertaking detailed project research depending on client/project needs - e.g. Keyword analysis, buyer persona development, campaign planning, content analysis, user journey mapping.
  
• Liaising and coordinating with multiple internal and external teams to ensure smooth scheduling and delivery of projects
  
• Communicating technical requirements to non-technical clients and stakeholders
  
• Introducing and reviewing development and working practices that support inter-team and inter-business collaboration - e.g. in-house departments, third-party developers/suppliers/platforms, occasionally on behalf of clients
  
• Maintain and enhance the current Software Development Life-cycle (SDLC)
  
• Compile and supply regular status reports to internal stakeholders and external clients on projects
  
• Assist in the planning & coordination of monthly project work (hot-fixes, content creation, campaign monitoring, etc.)
  
• Reviewing and improving project pipeline, reducing scope creep and business risk whilst delivering on client/project requirements, ensuring that projects are completed on time, within budget and to high-quality standards
• Oversee new product and content releases
  
• Writing creative and engaging briefs for clients and external agents
• MAMP tech stack with large frontend component including Vue.js, jQuery, native JavaScript, built upon WordPress foundation
• Managing small team of employees across digital marketing and business development functions, including senior and apprentice level