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John Rhoads
Verified Expert in Engineering
Back-end Developer
Denver, CO, United States
Toptal member since February 14, 2022
Bio
John is a software developer with over a decade of experience in tech-related projects, performing various roles. Most recently, he worked at a job board that was acquired by a strategic partner. John has experience as both an individual contributor as well as managing teams. His direct responsibilities include writing code, reviewing code, and helping refine what should be built.
Portfolio
AvionTeq
ChatGPT Prompts, ChatGPT API, AI Integration, AI Model Training...
MagicMPG
JavaScript, Docker, Railway, Express.js, Bootstrap, Android, Azure Maps...
Physician Side Gigs
Next.js, PostgreSQL, APIs, CSS, HTML5, SQL, Web Scraping, Chrome Extensions...
Experience
- Ruby - 7 years
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) - 5 years
- Linux - 5 years
- APIs - 5 years
- CI/CD Pipelines - 4 years
- JavaScript - 4 years
- Python - 3 years
- Docker - 2 years
Preferred Environment
Linux, Ruby, Python, JavaScript, Docker, Amazon Web Services (AWS), PostgreSQL, MySQL, Railway
The most amazing...
...project I've created is a mortgage pricing engine that processes 10,000+ requests and generates thousands of dollars of incremental revenue each day.
Work Experience
AI Consultant
2025 - PRESENT
AvionTeq
- Guided the implementation of AI tools to improve back-office processes, sales processes, and web development.
- Provided guidance and stood up a proof-of-concept (POC) sales chatbot that helped customers find the correct parts.
- Gave guidance on building an AI-integrated email automation system to escalate priority issues and automate common low-value tasks.
Technologies: ChatGPT Prompts, ChatGPT API, AI Integration, AI Model Training, Technical Documentation, Technical Writing, GitHub, Codebase Development, Cursor AI, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Automation, AI Agents, AI Automation, Integration, n8n, Gmail API
CTO
2025 - PRESENT
MagicMPG
- Created a truck-specific routing algorithm and application that saves long-haul and super regional drivers between $300-$1,000 per month.
- Worked as the sole developer and owned the entire stack and architecture. Handled Android apps and web apps.
- Oversaw the launch with core customers, including the vendor evaluation process and security hardening in response to the evaluation process.
Technologies: JavaScript, Docker, Railway, Express.js, Bootstrap, Android, Azure Maps, PostgreSQL, HTML5, Node.js, Next.js, CSS, React, Kotlin, Android SDK, iOS, TypeScript, Leaflet, Technical Documentation, Technical Writing, GitHub, Codebase Development, React Native, Cursor AI, UI Design, Database Design, auth/rbac, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Application State Management, Data Visualization, Front-end Development, Interactive Dashboards, Real-time Data, Responsive UI, Serverless, Monitoring, Data Engineering, Code Refactoring, API Integration, Business Process Automation, Full-stack Development, Geolocation Detection, Redis, Dashboards, Google Maps API (GeoJSON), Business to Business (B2B), AI Automation, Integration, Gmail, Technical Architecture, Stripe API, Security, Stripe, CTO, SMS, OTP, Front-end, UI Components
Software Developer/Consultant
2025 - 2025
Physician Side Gigs
- Created Moderation AI for a physician Facebook group.
- Developed extraction, data pipeline, vectorized similarity search, continuous model eval framework, and Chrome extension to embed AI into the Facebook moderation area. Initial results show that over 80% of moderation is automated.
- Created a job board platform that connected community members with opportunities.
- Exposed private data held in Google Sheets through APIs programmed in Google Scripts. Created custom hashing functions to anonymize PII data using Google Scripts.
Technologies: Next.js, PostgreSQL, APIs, CSS, HTML5, SQL, Web Scraping, Chrome Extensions, ChatGPT, GitHub, Codebase Development, TypeScript, Cursor AI, Node.js, Database Design, File handling, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Automation, Application State Management, Front-end Development, Redux, Data Quality, Data Engineering, API Integration, Business Process Automation, Full-stack Development, AI Agents, OpenAI, Geolocation Detection, Dashboards, AI Automation, Integration, Gmail, Google Apps Script, Technical Architecture, Supabase, Security, Front-end
Staff Engineer
2022 - 2025
FlexJobs
- Involved in the transition of the technical properties and knowledge after FlexJobs was acquired by a strategic partner.
- Improved internal tools that are used to identify when jobs listed on the site have expired. Saved 1,000 person-hours per week.
- Overhauled job submission, review, and approval workflows to improve job quality and reduce the number of administrative actions required per job.
- Led the migration to a new email CMS, migrating 100+ emails in a month. Efforts included writing libraries to handle production situations, such as network outages and service provider outages, to ensure the timely sending of legally required emails.
- Made various enhancements to improve SEO and SEM. The improvements include keyword and metadata updates, content revisions, and the development of landing pages.
- Implemented webhook endpoints inside the main application to receive and process event-driven architectures.
- Refactored a significant amount of legacy code and added RuboCop and RSpec test coverage to the existing codebase. This was done to improve build quality and increase purchase potential for potential buyers.
Technologies: Ruby on Rails (RoR), Elasticsearch, Docker, JavaScript, Vue, Linux, Amazon Web Services (AWS), APIs, Webhooks, Vanilla JS, jQuery, HTML5, Next.js, CSS, User Documentation, GitHub, Codebase Development, Confluence, Cursor AI, UI Design, Database Design, File handling, auth/rbac, Automation, Application State Management, Front-end Development, Responsive UI, Monitoring, Data Engineering, Code Refactoring, API Integration, Full-stack Development, OAuth, Redis, Dashboards, AI Automation, Integration, Gmail, Technical Architecture, Security, Front-end, UI Components
Shopify Developer
2022 - 2024
Leckerlee Lebkuchen
- Added custom code to place and format discount tables on a volume and discounted pricing app on product pages.
- Tracked down and fixed bugs related to interactions between various apps on the cart page that were causing missing functionality.
- Investigated and improved online store speed to improve load times for site visitors.
- Created custom code to allow for improved user experience when purchasing a gift for someone else, like gift notes, delivery date, and relevant metadata to feed downstream operations to hide pricing and package appropriately.
Technologies: Liquid, Shopify, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, Vanilla JS, jQuery, HTML5, UI Design, Front-end Development, Responsive UI, API Integration, Front-end
Business Intelligence Developer
2022 - 2022
SafeSmart
- Created BI dashboards for executives and sales staff that would show monthly sell-through and progress on Klipfolio.
- Developed ETL processes from NetSuite and HubSpot into Klipfolio to support the development of the BI dashboards mentioned above.
- Created reports in NetSuite and Google Sheets to help prepare needed data for the BI dashboards mentioned above.
Technologies: Klipfolio, HubSpot CRM, HubSpot, NetSuite, Google Sheets, HTML5, Data Visualization, Front-end Development, Interactive Dashboards, HubSpot API, Dashboards
Shopify Developer
2022 - 2022
YouTube
- Created a highly specialized website for a marketing promotion that delivered custom gifts to VIP YouTube creators worldwide.
- Implemented custom fields and prepopulated URLs to capture user information and make it easy for back-end operations to identify invalid orders on the website.
- Coordinated the feedback and adhered to YouTube's strict branding and legal guidelines, delivering the project in less than six weeks.
Technologies: Shopify, Shopify Plus, Vanilla JS, JavaScript, jQuery, HTML5, CSS, UI Design, Front-end Development, API Integration, Integration
Full-stack Developer
2022 - 2022
Stealth Startup
- Developed GitHub CI/CD pipelines that deployed staging and production code to AWS Fargate tasks/services.
- Developed GitHub CI/CD pipelines for linting using RuboCop, security vulnerability (bundle audit), and RSpec test suite.
- Created an authentication and authorization layer using the Sorcery gem.
- Created login pages, profile pages, and other user management UIs using React.
Technologies: React, Ruby, APIs, GitHub Actions, GitHub, CI/CD Pipelines, Amazon Web Services (AWS), PostgreSQL, SQL, HTML5, CSS, Codebase Development, UI Design, Database Design, auth/rbac, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Application State Management, Front-end Development, Redux, API Integration, Full-stack Development, Integration, Stripe API, Stripe, Front-end, UI Components
Full-stack Developer
2022 - 2022
Stagetime Inc.
- Implemented a real-time chat functionality using Action Cable and Redis that supports mentions, file uploads, and feedback when other chat members are typing.
- Implemented SEO improvement strategies, including the development of the sitemap.
- Implemented NGINX infrastructure in front of Heroku hosted app to allow for reverse proxy of customer domains, allowing paying customers to have myname.com route into a specific page of our application.
- Fixed various bugs and improved site load times by using New Relic and Scout APM. Added code to filter out web crawler errors from Rollbar errors.
- Added versioning history to important database models to be used for KPI reporting.
- Added drag-and-drop sorting capability to various UX elements and pushed an enhancement to the open-source library used to support it.
- Added the photo cropping ability to user profile pictures. Added back-end optimization to photo storage to improve image load times on the mobile app.
Technologies: Ruby on Rails (RoR), React, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Full-stack, Ruby, IT Project Management, APIs, REST APIs, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Heroku, jQuery, Vanilla JS, HTML5, GitHub, Codebase Development, Database Design, auth/rbac, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), WebSockets, Front-end Development, Code Refactoring, Legacy Code, API Integration, Business to Business (B2B), Integration, Technical Architecture, Front-end, UI Components
Assistant Vice President | Software Developer
2018 - 2022
Pennymac
- Managed a four-person team implementing enterprise-focused applications and trading, pricing, and delivering mortgages and mortgage-backed securities.
- Worked with end users, such as traders, to understand their goals, decomposed those goals into actionable work streams, and oversaw and delegated work to direct reports. Managed and coordinated releases. Reviewed and contributed to code daily.
- Launched pricing for several new products. Led the reimplementation of the company's trading system. Worked as one of two lead contributors on the pricing models for bidding and pooling.
- Rearchitected a sclerotic vendor system with internal teams to improve pricing in time-sensitive situations.
- Implemented API integration between Google Forms, Google Sheets, and Smartsheets.
- Developed ETL pipelines for reporting. Created and published Tableau reports for the IT PMO department that made the cost of ownership for the internal applications visible and reported on behind-schedule and over-budget projects.
- Created AWS Lambda ETL pipelines to connect Encompass, the loan origination system, with Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
- Created an integration for the IT PMO team that would automatically update SmartSheet dashboards from a company's Google Sheet, and then consequently feed downstream tax reporting systems using Google AppScript.
Technologies: Ruby, Amazon Web Services (AWS), JavaScript, Docker, Full-stack, CSS, Ruby on Rails (RoR), IT Project Management, APIs, REST APIs, Google Sheets, Smartsheet API, Tableau, Snowflake, SQL, Salesforce API, AWS Lambda, HTML5, Technical Documentation, User Documentation, Codebase Development, Confluence, File handling, auth/rbac, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), PDF Generation, WebSockets, Data Visualization, Front-end Development, Interactive Dashboards, Real-time Data, Serverless, AWS Secrets Manager, Amazon CloudWatch, Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS), Amazon EventBridge, Monitoring, Data Quality, Data Engineering, PostgreSQL, Financial Calculations, Code Refactoring, Legacy Code, API Integration, Business Process Automation, Marketing Automation, Dashboards, Business to Business (B2B), Integration, Gmail, Google Apps Script, Technical Architecture, Security, Amazon Simple Email Service (SES)
Head of Operations
2017 - 2018
Rebel Girls
- Oversaw the Shopify website and integrated our fulfillment with that website.
- Worked with two part-time developers to implement designs in Shopify using Liquid, CSS, themes, and the product page.
- Launched the second edition of the self-published book. It was a New York Times bestseller and grossed millions.
- Integrated site fulfillments with ShipBob and added various apps and customizations per owner requirements to support sales.
- Added landing pages, tracking pixels, etc., to support effective marketing efforts.
- Customized the checkout page to optimize the checkout experience for international customers needing address autocomplete.
- Created executive reports for business owners in Google Sheets, Tableau, and DOMO.
Technologies: Liquid, CSS, JavaScript, APIs, Shopify, Tableau, Domo, Google Sheets, Google Sheets API, Excel VBA, SQL, User Documentation, Codebase Development, Interactive Dashboards, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Integration, Gmail API, Zapier, Gmail
Project Manager | Excel and Google Sheets Dev
2016 - 2017
Company Laboratory
- Developed an application to allow expedited marriage dissolutions.
- Created an application to allow pharmacies to remain compliant with the U.S. narcotics dispensation laws.
- Developed subscription services for the American comic book writer Stan Lee and several other celebrities.
- Created financial models and forecasts for companies seeking private funding.
Technologies: IT Project Management, JavaScript, Shopify, Excel 2013, Google Sheets, Google Sheets API, Zapier
Experience
CRA Eligibility Engine
A Ruby on Rails and PostGIS engine evaluates addresses and incomes to determine if a given mortgage or potential mortgage would be eligible for the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). These mortgages are commonly understood as the most valuable for regulatory reasons.
Scindo
A JavaScript-based application that allows two consenting parties to enter into a marriage dissolution for absolutely zero legal costs. The product was launched in both California and New York markets in partnership with a law firm.
BattMax
A Java-based Android app that would enable a battery maximizer mode to prolong the remaining charge on your phone. This was wholly developed within a weekend as a small personal project that ended up being launched in the Google Play store.
Box Boulevard
Box Boulevard was a project that created a platform for celebrities and brands to launch a subscription service to their followers. The platform would streamline the generation of a Shopify website, box printing and delivery, a recurring payments processor, and customer support
Movie Location Map Generator
A TypeScript app that generates cartography-style maps for use in the movie/film industry.
Outputs unique maps based on user inputs such as set location, crew parking, production signage, and banner.
Uses MapLibre GL JS for map rendering with vector tiles from various map providers (GeoApify, MapTiler, Mapbox) to allow users to customize the map feel.
Outputs unique maps based on user inputs such as set location, crew parking, production signage, and banner.
Uses MapLibre GL JS for map rendering with vector tiles from various map providers (GeoApify, MapTiler, Mapbox) to allow users to customize the map feel.
Education
2013 - 2015
Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA)
UCLA - Los Angeles, CA, USA
2005 - 2008
Bachelor's Degree in Systems Engineering
Virginia Tech - Blacksburg, VA, USA
Certifications
JULY 2018 - JULY 2021
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate
AWS
Skills
Libraries/APIs
React, Node.js, Google Maps API (GeoJSON), REST APIs, Puppeteer, Gmail API, Stripe, Liquid, Stripe API, Smartsheet API, Google Sheets API, Salesforce API, Vue, jQuery, Leaflet, HubSpot API
Tools
GitHub, ChatGPT, Amazon CloudWatch, Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS), n8n, Zapier, Amazon Simple Email Service (SES), Google Sheets, Tableau, Domo, Excel 2013, Shopify Plus, Klipfolio, Confluence, Geocoding
Languages
Ruby, Python, JavaScript, CSS, HTML5, HTML, TypeScript, Snowflake, Excel VBA, SQL, Kotlin, Google Apps Script
Paradigms
Automation, Code Refactoring, UI Design, Database Design, DevOps
Frameworks
Express.js, Next.js, React Native, Redux, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Vanilla JS, Bootstrap, Android SDK
Platforms
Linux, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Shopify, AWS Lambda, OTP, Docker, Heroku, HubSpot, Android, iOS
Storage
PostgreSQL, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Redis, PostGIS, Elasticsearch, MySQL
Other
Web Scraping, Technical Documentation, User Documentation, Technical Writing, Codebase Development, Cursor AI, File handling, Application State Management, Data Visualization, Front-end Development, Interactive Dashboards, AWS Secrets Manager, Monitoring, Data Engineering, API Integration, Business Process Automation, Full-stack Development, Geolocation Detection, Dashboards, Business to Business (B2B), Integration, Gmail, Technical Architecture, Front-end, APIs, CI/CD Pipelines, Full-stack, auth/rbac, PDF Generation, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), WebSockets, Real-time Data, Responsive UI, Serverless, Data Quality, Financial Calculations, Legacy Code, Marketing Automation, OAuth, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), AI Automation, Supabase, Security, SMS, UI Components, IT Systems Architecture, IT Project Management, Finance, Cost Accounting, Web Marketing, GitHub Actions, HubSpot CRM, NetSuite, Webhooks, Railway, Azure Maps, Chrome Extensions, ChatGPT Prompts, ChatGPT API, AI Integration, AI Model Training, PDF, Maps, MapLibreGL, Amazon EventBridge, AI Agents, OpenAI, CTO
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