Rod is available for hire

Rod Waldhoff

Verified Expert in Engineering

Full-stack Engineer and Developer

Roanoke, VA, United States

Toptal member since May 12, 2026

Expertise

Full-stack SSO Engineering Back-end Developers Front End API Artificial Intelligence Java Linux JSON REST API PostgreSQL JavaScript Node.js SQL

Bio

Rod is a staff-level full-stack engineer with decades of experience in distributed systems, cloud infra, and web/mobile/desktop apps. An expert in front end, back end, data, APIs, DevEx, and DevOps, he has led architecture and delivery for data-intensive SaaS platforms, real-time communications, and rich-media edtech apps. Known for balancing technical depth with pragmatic execution, Rod has a track record of delivering reliable software at scale.

Portfolio

Tutor Chat AI

Python, TypeScript, React, Meta Llama, Claude, PostgreSQL...

Crucial Learning

TypeScript, Node.js, Java, MongoDB, React, REST, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Vue...

DRAIVER

Java, MongoDB, MySQL, CI/CD Pipelines, Docker, Amazon Web Services (AWS)...

Experience

Java - 15 years
DevOps - 12 years
Amazon Web Services (AWS) - 12 years
JavaScript - 12 years
TypeScript - 8 years
React - 5 years
Python - 4 years
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) - 4 years

Preferred Environment

REST, Node.js, TypeScript, Python, Java, JavaScript, Event-driven Architecture, PostgreSQL

The most amazing...

...team I've led developed a UCaaS product that underwent 2 successful exits by acquisition.

Work Experience

Founding Engineer

2025 - PRESENT

Tutor Chat AI

Developed a secure, multi-tenant platform for undergrad-level tutoring featuring retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) of course materials via integration with D2L, Canvas, Blackboard, and other learning management systems (LMS).
Recruited, on-boarded, and mentored the engineering team. Established GenAI usage policies and practices, branching strategy, development workflow, and other engineering standards.
Developed cloud infrastructure, build automation, CI/CD pipeline, and deployment process.

Technologies: Python, TypeScript, React, Meta Llama, Claude, PostgreSQL, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), RAG Pipelines, Docker, Redis, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), JSON, Machine Learning, API Integration, APIs, Cloud Infrastructure, Full-stack, Full-stack Development, Infrastructure, FastAPI, SQLAlchemy, REST APIs, Linux, SSH, Mobile App Development, React Native, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Front-end, Single Sign-on (SSO), User Experience (UX), Security, Dashboards, Reporting, Back-end, Billing, Billing Systems, Technical Leadership, Solution Architecture, SQL, CSS, ChatGPT

Lead Software Engineer

2024 - 2025

Crucial Learning

Delivered a MongoDB-based analytics dashboard, optimizing queries, fixing errors, and adding KPIs to transform a provisional report into a reliable stakeholder tool.
Built a real-time, interactive diagnostic tool for WebRTC/WebAudio streaming media experiments to troubleshoot cross-browser audio quality issues.
Set up an Electron.js build pipeline generating certified, cross-platform release artifacts. Improved reliability and reduced manual build errors.
Engineered offline media caching, telemetry, and native UI features for an Electron app, including robust logging, incremental auto-update support, and analytics.
Created framework-agnostic static asset repository supporting sharing of common design resources across React, Vue, Angular, and vanilla-JS import idioms.
Introduced unit testing to multiple web apps using Jest, jsdom, Vite, and CodeBuild, increasing coverage, uncovering issues, and raising confidence in UI refactorings.

Technologies: TypeScript, Node.js, Java, MongoDB, React, REST, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Vue, Vuex, WebSockets, WebRTC, JSON API, Docker, Kubernetes, DevOps, Electron, Audio Processing, JSON, Audio, API Integration, APIs, Cloud Infrastructure, Full-stack, Full-stack Development, Infrastructure, PostgreSQL, Next.js, Vercel, REST APIs, Linux, SSH, Front-end, Single Sign-on (SSO), User Experience (UX), Security, Dashboards, Reporting, Back-end, Billing, Billing Systems, Technical Leadership, Solution Architecture, NestJS, SQL, CSS, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)

Lead Back-end Architect

2023 - 2024

DRAIVER

Stabilized back-end engineering function in the wake of abrupt leadership exits, personally maintaining 33+ production microservices during transition.
Instituted root cause analysis (RCA) process for production incidents, reducing mean time-to-repair (MTTR), improving internal and external communication, and enabling systemic improvements.
Developed a service partitioning strategy using structural/semantic analysis and domain-driven development (DDD) principles, aligning architecture with business needs and improving maintainability.
Advised CIO/CTO on engineering organization build-out, including final candidate evaluation and onboarding.

Technologies: Java, MongoDB, MySQL, CI/CD Pipelines, Docker, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Event-driven Architecture, Apache Kafka, REST, SOAP, GraphQL, WebSockets, Webhooks, Redis, Machine Learning, DevOps, JSON, API Integration, APIs, Cloud Infrastructure, Full-stack, Full-stack Development, Google Maps, Infrastructure, Mapbox, PostgreSQL, Next.js, Vercel, Google Maps API, REST APIs, XML, Linux, API Backwards Compatibility, SSH, Mobile App Development, React Native, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Single Sign-on (SSO), Security, Dashboards, Reporting, Back-end, Billing, Billing Systems, Technical Leadership, Solution Architecture, NestJS, SQL, ChatGPT, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)

Technical Lead

2021 - 2023

Cisco

Automated telephony sandbox provisioning via developer portal APIs.
Audited public-facing and internal APIs to improve security and usability.
Re-engineered an API documentation pipeline in advance of a key Partner Summit.
Delivered control-flow versioning features in the web-based admin portal.

Technologies: Java, Scala, Spring, TypeScript, React, REST, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, WebSockets, WebRTC, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), XMPP, Grafana, Audio Processing, JSON, Audio, Speech-to-Text (STT), API Integration, APIs, Cloud Infrastructure, Full-stack, Full-stack Development, Infrastructure, Next.js, Vercel, Amazon Web Services (AWS), REST APIs, XML, Linux, API Backwards Compatibility, SSH, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Front-end, Single Sign-on (SSO), Security, Dashboards, Reporting, Back-end, Technical Leadership, Solution Architecture, SQL, CSS

Founder

2020 - 2021

FATpick

Created real-time, polyphonic, pitch and rhythm detection algorithms powered by custom digital signal processing (DSP) and ML techniques using Python, pyAudioAnalysis, TensorFlow, TypeScript, and WebAudio.
Developed a browser-based audio-visual engine synchronizing real-time sample-based audio synthesis (WebAudio) with GPU-accelerated graphics (WebGL/Canvas) at 60+ FPS.
Implemented end-to-end clickstream and behavioral analytics tracking, achieving an 8% conversion rate through organic landing page traffic to in-app signup and strong customer survey and user feedback responses (PMF >50%; NPS 65+).
Drove user acquisition and engagement via SEO, SEM, social media, content marketing, and drip campaigns, acquired 2,500+ user-submitted song transcriptions.

Technologies: JavaScript, TypeScript, Node.js, Python, Electron, React, WebRTC, Web Audio, WebSockets, Machine Learning, Amazon Web Services (AWS), TensorFlow, Docker, DSP, WebGL, DevOps, Drip Email, Audio Processing, JSON, Audio, Speech-to-Text (STT), API Integration, APIs, Cloud Infrastructure, Full-stack, Full-stack Development, Infrastructure, PostgreSQL, FastAPI, SQLAlchemy, REST APIs, Linux, SSH, Mobile App Development, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Front-end, Single Sign-on (SSO), User Experience (UX), Security, Dashboards, Reporting, Back-end, Billing, Billing Systems, Technical Leadership, Solution Architecture, SQL, CSS

Architect | Platform Lead

2014 - 2020

Intellinote (Acquired by BroadSoft and then Cisco)

Served as a founding engineer at Intellinote, a VC-backed unified communications (UC) startup acquired by BroadSoft and subsequently Cisco.
Acted as a hands-on principal engineer leading development of chat, video, telephony, presence, and collaboration features across server, web, mobile, and desktop.
Scaled the team to 24 engineers spanning back end, front end, DevOps, and support.
Migrated monolithic Java service to Node.js-based microservices.
Architected cloud-native Docker/AWS infrastructure featuring single-command, automated full-site provisioning and zero-downtime deployments.
Built 3rd-party developer experience, including REST, WebSocket, Webhook APIs, open source SDKs, and a robust self-service developer portal.

Technologies: Node.js, TypeScript, JavaScript, Java, Spring, REST, WebSockets, Webhooks, XMPP, AMQP, Event-driven Architecture, RabbitMQ, Docker, Kubernetes, PostgreSQL, Redis, Elastic, Electron, Android, Angular, iOS, JSON API, Apache Kafka, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), GraphQL, Grafana, Prometheus, Splunk, JSON, Audio, Speech-to-Text (STT), Machine Learning, API Integration, APIs, Cloud Infrastructure, Full-stack, Full-stack Development, Infrastructure, SQLAlchemy, REST APIs, XML, Linux, API Backwards Compatibility, SSH, Mobile App Development, React Native, Front-end, Single Sign-on (SSO), User Experience (UX), Security, Dashboards, Reporting, Back-end, Billing, Billing Systems, Technical Leadership, Solution Architecture, SQL, CSS

Experience

Apache Software Foundation

https://commons.apache.org/

Served as an elected member of the open-source software community. I co-founded renowned projects under Jakarta/Apache Commons, Incubator, and DB, and authored pivotal components, including DBCP, HttpClient (v2), Codec, and Commons Logging, among other notable contributions.

AxionDB

https://github.com/ahimanikya/axiondb/tree/master/src/main/java/org/axiondb

Served as a founder and principal architect of this open source, Java-based, high-performance, ACID-compliant embedded relational database (RDBMS) that powered customer-facing products from Britannica and Sun Microsystems for over 10 years.

Skills

Libraries/APIs

Node.js, React, REST APIs, Vue, Google Maps, SQLAlchemy, Vuex, WebRTC, JSON API, Web Audio, TensorFlow, WebGL, AMQP, Google Maps API

Tools

Claude, ChatGPT, Grafana, RabbitMQ, Elastic, Splunk, Logging, Apache

Languages

JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, SQL, CSS, XML, Python, GraphQL, Scala

Frameworks

Angular, React Native, Next.js, NestJS, Electron, Spring

Paradigms

REST, DevOps, Event-driven Architecture

Platforms

Amazon Web Services (AWS), Linux, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Vercel, Docker, Kubernetes, Apache Kafka, Android, iOS, Mapbox

Storage

PostgreSQL, JSON, MongoDB, MySQL, Redis

Other

CI/CD Pipelines, WebSockets, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), Audio, API Integration, APIs, Cloud Infrastructure, Full-stack, Full-stack Development, Infrastructure, API Backwards Compatibility, Mobile App Development, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Front-end, Single Sign-on (SSO), Security, Reporting, Back-end, Technical Leadership, Solution Architecture, Machine Learning, Audio Processing, Speech-to-Text (STT), FastAPI, SSH, User Experience (UX), Dashboards, Billing, Billing Systems, Meta Llama, RAG Pipelines, SOAP, Webhooks, XMPP, DSP, Prometheus, Drip Email, Data, Team Collaboration, HTTP, Open Source

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