Kevin is available for hire
Hire KevinKevin Howard
Verified Expert in Engineering
Software Developer
Franklin, TN, United States
Toptal member since May 25, 2021
Bio
Kevin is a software engineer with 25 years of experience focusing on mobile applications, cloud computing, operating system design, and server management. He's proud of his proven track record of building and leading engineering teams in full-stack mobile and web products in multiple industries. At work, Kevin is recognized for his ability to deliver winning cross-platform solutions in cutting-edge technology areas across geographically dispersed project teams.
Portfolio
William Blair
C#, C#.NET, Entity Framework, Entity Framework Core, Azure, Azure SQL...
Trilogy
Java, Node.js, C#, C#.NET, Azure, AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, .NET Core...
Ramsey Solutions
C#, C#.NET, Xamarin, Azure, Node.js, React, Kotlin, Swift, Mobile, Mobile Apps...
Experience
- Engineering Design - 20 years
- Architecture - 20 years
- C# - 15 years
- Cloud Computing - 10 years
- Mobile - 9 years
- Android SDK - 8 years
- Android - 8 years
- Kotlin - 3 years
Work Experience
Senior Lead Engineer
2022 - 2023
William Blair
- Directed engineering for William Blair's Summit research platform, doubling the rate of Summit deliveries and dramatically improving automated test coverage across teams managing billions of dollars in portfolio assets.
- Acted as technical owner across our investment research products, guiding teams to deliver robust new features using C# .Net, TypeScript, Vue3, Python, Synapse/ADF, Azure Functions, Static Web Apps, Azure Storage, Cosmos DB, and SQL Server.
- Shipped a new serverless emerging market debt research platform in less than a year, described by one 3rd-party reviewer as "more capable than firms 10x our size".
Technologies: C#, C#.NET, Entity Framework, Entity Framework Core, Azure, Azure SQL, Azure SQL Databases, .NET Core, Azure Functions, Azure Cosmos DB, Vue, TypeScript, Azure Blob Storage API, Azure Data Lake, Azure Data Factory (ADF), Microsoft Azure, Azure PaaS, NoSQL, JSON REST APIs, Fintech, API Integration, Solution Architecture, Technical Leadership
VP of Software Engineering
2021 - 2022
Trilogy
- Acted as the engineering lead for over a dozen enterprise products hosting hundreds of companies and millions of users daily.
- Designed and led division-wide engineering initiatives, achieving cost level reductions of more than $1.5M per year in one product alone using serverless re-platforming and cloud optimization initiatives.
- Led and mentored worldwide engineering development teams working in mixed technical stacks spanning AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure with implementations in Java, C# .NET, Python, Node.js/TypeScript, and Swift/Objective C.
- Oversaw the core engineering design, setting and then achieving team milestones, building strategies for operations and efficiency, and for quality standards across the product portfolio.
Technologies: Java, Node.js, C#, C#.NET, Azure, AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, .NET Core, Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS), JSON, REST APIs, Software Design, CI/CD Pipelines, GitHub, AWS Step Functions, Amazon Athena, APIs, .NET, Windows API, Windows Forms (WinForms), Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), TypeScript, Kafka Streams, Confluence, Software Architecture, CTO, Leadership, Full-stack, RESTful Services, RESTful Web Services, Microsoft Azure, NoSQL, JSON REST APIs, PostgreSQL, API Integration, Solution Architecture, Technical Leadership, Payment APIs, Mobile Development, Cross-platform
Senior Director of Software Engineering
2018 - 2021
Ramsey Solutions
- Led engineering managers and architects across several digital product teams in our mobile and browser stack, including native iOS/Android development, front-end browser frameworks, cloud services, and databases.
- Created products and redesigned legacy software in diverse technologies, including Kotlin, Swift, React, Xamarin, Rails, Node.js, Java, .NET, and AWS/Azure services.
- Partnered with business executives and a cross-functional leadership team on product development, budgets, vendor selection, customer support, organizational structure, hiring, and employee development plans.
- Mentored engineers across the company in customer-centered development and software engineering best practices.
- Coached and developed engineering team leaders within one of the world's top business coaching companies.
Technologies: C#, C#.NET, Xamarin, Azure, Node.js, React, Kotlin, Swift, Mobile, Mobile Apps, Android, Android SDK, iOS, iOS SDK, IAP SDK, In-app Purchases, REST, Spring, Apache Maven, Java, App Store, App Store Acceptance Process, Ruby on Rails API, Windows, Cloud Computing, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Firebase, JSON, REST APIs, Google Cloud, Google Cloud Functions, CI/CD Pipelines, Software Design, APIs, .NET, TypeScript, Confluence, Software Architecture, Leadership, Full-stack, RESTful Services, AWS Lambda, RESTful Web Services, Microsoft Azure, NoSQL, JSON REST APIs, Plaid, PostgreSQL, Fintech, API Integration, Solution Architecture, Technical Leadership, Payment APIs, Mobile Development, Cross-platform
Senior Software Engineer
2017 - 2018
GoFormz
- Worked with a talented, experienced team to establish mobile design patterns, development workflow, and code solutions for GoFormz native mobile apps for Android and iOS.
- Led the implementation of automated testing and "test-centric" development for our mobile engineering and QA teams. I also supported Azure micro-services development for our mobile REST endpoints, supporting authentication and single sign-on features.
- Provided mobile architecture leadership and cross-platform coding expertise for GoFormz products on Android, iOS, and Windows 10.
Technologies: C#, C#.NET, Azure, ASP.NET, Android, iOS, Windows 10, Universal Windows Platform (UWP), Windows, Cloud Computing, Java, APIs, .NET, Confluence, Software Architecture, Full-stack, HIPAA Compliance, RESTful Services, RESTful Web Services, NoSQL, JSON REST APIs, API Integration, Solution Architecture, Technical Leadership, Mobile Development, Cross-platform
Senior Software Engineer
2015 - 2017
Disney
- Provided technical leadership for Disney Enchanted Tales, an iOS and Android city builder with extensive character animation. It reached the top 10 in the Apple iTunes family game category in September 2016.
- Designed and delivered numerous core systems in Unity3D. These included an optimized character animation controller and tasking system, a cross-platform in-app purchase engine, and a prioritized background loader that improved load times by 300%.
- Implemented server features in Google App Engine, including a customer service dashboard for guest experience personnel and a "snapshot" player data backup system.
Technologies: Unity, Unity3D, C#, C#.NET, 3D Character Animation, Character Rigging, 3D Games, Android, iOS, Mobile Games, Google Cloud, REST, Java, Spring, Apache Maven, Windows, Urban Airship, Firebase, APIs, .NET, RESTful Services, RESTful Web Services, JSON REST APIs, API Integration, Gaming, Technical Leadership, Payment APIs, Mobile Development, Cross-platform
Chief Technology Officer
2014 - 2015
Coded Velocity
- Led the design and development of mobile and console games, delivering more than a dozen titles to market in two years.
- Contributed to our product success in the US which included several accolades on Apple Store, Google Play, Amazon, and Kongregate.
- Earned spots in the Top 10 Monthly Games list on Kongregate for King of Battle (9/2015), the Top 20 Google Play Family Games for Police Car Race Chase Sim 911 (5/2015), and the Top 30 iTunes Education for Construction Build & Play! (12/2014).
- Contributed to full-stack and cross-platform development in mobile native for Android and iOS, Xbox, Windows 8/10/Phone, WebGL, and Unity Web Player with RESTful APIs.
Technologies: Unity, Unity3D, Google Cloud, C#, C#.NET, Mobile, Mobile Games, Android, 3D Character Animation, iOS, Monogame, Java, Objective-C++, C++, Xbox, XNA, WebGL, Windows, Games, Game Development, 2D Games, 3D Games, .NET, Software Architecture, CTO, Leadership, Gaming, Solution Architecture, Technical Leadership, Mobile Development, Cross-platform
Software Architect
1996 - 2014
HP Inc.
- Provided Windows expertise for "big iron" large-scale x86 server initiative within HP Business Critical Servers (BCS).
- Led experienced technical teams at several West Coast locations in the enablement of platform error handling, power management, cloud computing, and scale-up features.
- Conducted a competitive analysis, implemented a requirements specification, and oversaw the design and technical implementation of Windows 64-bit server management portfolio from 2-socket servers to the massive HP 64-socket SX2000 “Superdome.”.
- Hosted planning meetings with Microsoft directors and engineers to establish OS features from market requirements and contributed to standards such as ACPI, UEFI, IPMI, and MS WHEA.
- Represented HP BCS at events, project collaboration, and field training activities with customers, third-party partners, HP teams, and customers across the United States, Europe, and South America.
- Contributed to several software deliveries, including the Itanium version of Insight Management WBEM Providers for Windows and an integration package for HP Systems Insight Manager and HP-SMH.
Technologies: C, C++, C#, Operating Systems, Kernel, Device Drivers, Windows Kernel Drivers, Windows Driver Kit (WDK), Enterprise Systems, Hyper-V, Azure, HP-UX, Windows Server, BIOS, Firmware, Storage Area Networks (SAN), Clustering, Windows, Cloud Computing, .NET, Windows API, Software Architecture, HIPAA Compliance, Microsoft Azure, Solution Architecture, Technical Leadership
Project History
EveryDollar Browser and Mobile Apps
http://www.everydollar.comAn iOS and Android native mobile app as well as a browser app for budgeting and personal finance.
I was the engineering director on this project, leading several teams of mobile, browser, and back-end REST API and database developers. I led the architecture and migration to smaller, simpler, shared mobile code on our clients and serverless APIs, scaling to millions of users per month on the back end.
I also led numerous technical and cultural engineering changes to increase delivery rate, decrease support issues, and dramatically increase app store ratings and revenue (with a 300% growth in 30 months).
I was the engineering director on this project, leading several teams of mobile, browser, and back-end REST API and database developers. I led the architecture and migration to smaller, simpler, shared mobile code on our clients and serverless APIs, scaling to millions of users per month on the back end.
I also led numerous technical and cultural engineering changes to increase delivery rate, decrease support issues, and dramatically increase app store ratings and revenue (with a 300% growth in 30 months).
Enchanted Tales
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O2CGWFgmzgA Unity3D iOS and Android "city builder" game showcasing hundreds of Disney characters and record-breaking amounts of animation.
I designed and delivered numerous core systems in Unity3D. These include an optimized character animation controller and tasking system, a cross-platform in-app purchase engine, and a prioritized background loader that improved load times by 300%.
I also contributed full-stack, implementing REST features in Google App Engine, including a customer service dashboard for guest experience personnel and a “snapshot” player data backup system.
I designed and delivered numerous core systems in Unity3D. These include an optimized character animation controller and tasking system, a cross-platform in-app purchase engine, and a prioritized background loader that improved load times by 300%.
I also contributed full-stack, implementing REST features in Google App Engine, including a customer service dashboard for guest experience personnel and a “snapshot” player data backup system.
GoFormz
http://www.goformz.comThe project involved Xamarin iOS and Android native mobile apps and cloud connections for consumer "paperwork" form automation and B2B enterprise features.
I was the senior engineer on this project, leading Android and iOS architecture and code in Xamarin as well as REST API and database development in C# .NET. Specifically, my team and I implemented Material Design UX on Android, SSO/SAML "single sign-on" for enterprise on iOS and Android, centralized UX navigation with deep-linking on both platforms, threading and graphics improvements, and several other successful capability deliveries to market.
I was the senior engineer on this project, leading Android and iOS architecture and code in Xamarin as well as REST API and database development in C# .NET. Specifically, my team and I implemented Material Design UX on Android, SSO/SAML "single sign-on" for enterprise on iOS and Android, centralized UX navigation with deep-linking on both platforms, threading and graphics improvements, and several other successful capability deliveries to market.
Education
2002 - 2003
Certification in Computer Game Programming
University of Washington - Seattle, WA, United States
1993 - 1998
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Engineering
Texas A&M University - College Station, Texas, United States
Certifications
DECEMBER 2003 - PRESENT
Computer Game Programming
University of Washington
Skills
Libraries/APIs
XNA, WebGL, Windows API, Node.js, React, Ruby on Rails API, REST APIs, Windows Forms (WinForms), Entity Framework, Vue, Azure Blob Storage API
Tools
Hyper-V, Kafka Streams, Confluence, Slack, Apache Maven, Windows Driver Kit (WDK), GitHub, AWS Step Functions, Amazon Athena, Plaid
Languages
C#, C#.NET, C++, Kotlin, C, TypeScript, Swift, Java
Frameworks
Unity, Android SDK, Unity3D, .NET, .NET Core, iOS SDK, ASP.NET, Spring, Monogame, Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Entity Framework Core
Paradigms
Application Architecture, Microservices, Mobile Development, Cross-platform, REST, HIPAA Compliance
Platforms
Windows, Xamarin, Mobile, Android, Azure, iOS, Universal Windows Platform (UWP), Kernel, HP-UX, Windows Server, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), AWS Lambda, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Xbox, Docker, Azure Functions, Firebase, Azure PaaS
Storage
Google Cloud, NoSQL, Storage Area Networks (SAN), JSON, Azure SQL, Azure SQL Databases, Azure Cosmos DB, PostgreSQL
Other
IT Systems Architecture, Programming, 3D Graphics Engines, Games, 3D Games, Character Animation, 3D Character Animation, Mobile Apps, IAP SDK, In-app Purchases, Character Rigging, Mobile Games, Game Programming, Architecture, Engineering Design, Back-end, Front-end, Leadership, Integration, Cloud, Enterprise Architecture, Serverless, APIs, Software Architecture, RESTful Services, RESTful Web Services, Microsoft Azure, JSON REST APIs, API Integration, Gaming, Solution Architecture, Technical Leadership, App Store, App Store Acceptance Process, Windows 10, Operating Systems, Enterprise Systems, Team Leadership, Analytics, Cloud Computing, Data, Cloud Architecture, Program Management, Game Development, CTO, Full-stack, Fintech, Payment APIs, Persistence, Time Management, Game AI, Game Design, Objective-C++, Device Drivers, Windows Kernel Drivers, BIOS, Firmware, Clustering, 2D Games, Urban Airship, Software Design, CI/CD Pipelines, Google Cloud Functions, Azure Data Lake, Azure Data Factory (ADF)
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