

Andrew Hughes
Verified Expert in Engineering
Software Developer
Portland, OR, United States
Toptal member since April 6, 2015
Andrew is a senior web app developer with 15+ years of experience and solid expertise in React, Node.js, and React Native, as well as extensive SQL/NoSQL knowledge. He has performed complicated back-end API integrations for clients, including payment platforms like Stripe and PayPal, along with InfusionSoft and WordPress. His extensive professional background also includes work with PHP, Laravel, Java, and Swift/iOS.
Portfolio
Experience
- Java - 12 years
- iOS - 8 years
- PHP - 8 years
- Node.js - 6 years
- React - 5 years
- Swift - 5 years
- React Native - 4 years
Preferred Environment
PhpStorm, WebStorm, IntelliJ IDEA, Linux, OS X, GitHub
The most amazing...
...contribution I've made to free software is developing a dictionary and collaboration tools being used by professional translators today.
Work Experience
Experienced Java Software Developer and Technical Writer
Okta - Content Marketing
- Developed 40+ example projects and authored technical blog posts for the Okta Developer Blog.
- Requested by name from clients such as Zendesk and Split based on this work.
- Was invited by Okta to Oktane22, all expenses paid, to thank me for my work (I was one of two contractors for whom they did this).
Freelance Software Engineer
TulsaIO
- Built a React Native mobile video chat application with a Node.js server back end.
- Developed Auth0-based password-less authentication.
- Integrated with Stripe, Dwolla, Twiliio, and Auth0.
Freelance Mobile Developer
Colorado University (via Toptal)
- Built a React Native mobile application that retrieved data from Tableau data servers and presented visualizations.
Freelance Software Engineer
FirstImage (via Toptal)
- Rewrote and maintained a Laravel PHP back-end with heavy custom integration with WordPress, Stripe, Memberium, InfusonSoft, and PayPal.
Freelance Software Engineer
Traveltar (via Toptal)
- Built an iOS/Swift location aware mobile app.
Senior PHP Developer
Sound Web Solutions
- Migrated and maintained a website using Docker, Node, and WordPress Headless.
- Debugged production PHP systems as needed.
- Created WordPress plugins to customize GravityForms + PayPal checkout procedures.
Owner | Software Engineer
MoksaMedia
- Developed a Tibetan dictionary, a web application (Vue and Node.js) with improved full-text search features.
- Built Call2Power, a ReactNative web application that uses location services and Google Civics API to help people contact their elected representatives.
- Created Piano Tuner Assistant, a ReactNative web application that has a custom graphical interface and audio feedback to help people learn to tune pianos by ear.
- Built StoryWriter, a custom word processing application that has an intuitive, tree-based project layout similar to a programming IDE, while writing my first book. I have written two books with it.
- Created MixMaster, a Mac/OS X utility designed to be used with Native Instrument’s Traktor that uses a custom algorithm to sort songs by key and BPM.
- Developed a Tibetan pronunciation application, which helps people learning the Tibetan language learn to pronounce the consonants and vowels.
Senior Java Engineer | Java Server Engineer
Younity/Entangled Media
- Created a Pub/Sub messaging system on Amazon AWS using Vertx.io with a Hazelcast back-end.
- Assisted in managing a complex AWS server environment.
- Refactored various older Spring API functions to more modern Spring.
Web Developer | Software Engineer
PepPod
- Took over development of the Magento eCommerce website. Created a test server and a development Git branch to allow for a modern, professional workflow.
- Created a completely custom sub-theme based on their design.
- Wrote custom modules to integrate with other technologies including Capsule CRM.
- Worked remotely by contract/hourly, communicating via email and phone and using Assembla to manage tickets and releases.
- Managed Amazon AWS EC2 instances using Route53, a load balancer, and various RDS instances.
Freelance Developer
Abaris (via Toptal)
- Created a REST interface for a custom application API according to supplied specifications using Spring MVC and Jersey.
- Extensively unit-tested and integration tested using test-driven development.
Senior PHP Architect and Designer
Bar-o
- Modernized an existing CodeIgniter web application, taking over from a previous developer. Cleaned up numerous aspects of the application, applying OO and functional design paradigms as appropriate.
- Refactored the Authorize.net payment system to use a custom-built Braintree payment library.
- Designed and managed Amazon AWS server instances.
Web Developer | Software Engineer
Pulsar Web Works
- Worked with HTML, CSS, PHP, and JavaScript in a web-application environment to assist in the delivery of client websites and applications.
- Rewrote, in less than a week, a CodeIgniter codebase to be object-oriented, which to allowed for the proper integration of an Authorize.net payment system. Later, this refactoring paid off when the client asked us to change the payment system to Braintree—now that it was properly designed, the switch was easy.
- Created an inventory update system that linked a windows XP machine running unsupported POS software to a Magento store by creating a Visual Basic script that read the database on the client side and pushed it to a custom Magento extension on the server side, where the inventory data was parsed and translated into Magneto objects, creating any new items on the fly, as necessary, as well as updating stock and price.
- Updated and managed various Magento eCommerce stores.
Software Engineer
University of Texas
- Worked as a major contributor to build a Groovy mainframe to a UNIX interface processing a million transactions per month.
- Migrated a build server running Jenkins, Nexus, Crucible, and Sonar from a failed hard disk to a new VM in three days.
- Refactored the university’s self-service application, a proprietary legacy web application using a non-standard procedural technology, to use an OpenAM-based authentication system.
- Designed and developed a custom library that interfaced a BonitaSoft webform application with UT’s business process layer, LDAP server, and Active Directory servers.
- Developed a Groovy script to be run regularly that searched the University of Texas' various identity systems for user accounts that have not authenticated within the previous 15 months. The script included accessing Splunk records via a REST interface; directly querying the school's Active Directory domain via a Spring template; querying an REST interface for UT's implementation of OpenAM called UTLogin; as well as making broker calls to a mainframe module via a Java API.
Experience
SmileMore React Native Cross-Platform Mobile App
Stripe/Laravel App Rebuild and WordPress Integration for FirstImage
Traveltar iOS Mobile App
Call2Power React Native iPhone App
Piano Temperament Assistant iOS Native iPhone App
MKFormAssistant
Sonos Commuting Optimization Project
Custom WordPress Plugin for GravityForms + PayPal
Revamped Velocitek Control Center
Publish-Subscribe Messaging System
Custom Magento Module for PR Office Solutions
Magento CRM Integration
PepPod Site Rebuild
Mac OS X Word Processing Application
Teensy/Arduino 16-bit Arduino Controller with Delta-sigma Modulation
Process Request Interface
Arduino-based Matrix LED Display/DJ Stand
BonitaSoft Web Form Integration
Education
Certificate in SEC 401: Computer Security Essentials
Sans.org - http://www.sans.org
None in Compter Science
Rice University - Houston, TX
BA Degree in Biochemistry
Rice University - Houston, TX
Certifications
GIAC Security Essentials
GIAC
Skills
Libraries/APIs
Stripe, Node.js, React, Google Geocoding API, Vue 3, Vue
Tools
Git, Jenkins, Apache Maven, Gradle, GitHub, IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, PhpStorm, Infusionsoft, WishList Member, Auth0, Adobe Photoshop, JHipster
Languages
Java, JavaScript, Objective-C, PHP, Groovy, Swift
Paradigms
Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Continuous Integration (CI), Functional Programming, Unit Testing, REST, Object-oriented Design (OOD)
Platforms
Magento, iOS, Nexus, Amazon Web Services (AWS), OS X, WordPress, Amazon, Twilio, Linux, Kubernetes
Storage
MySQL, Oracle SQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Spring Data, Elasticsearch
Frameworks
Laravel, React Native, Jersey, CodeIgniter, Symfony, Cocoa, Redux, Vert.x, Spring, OAuth 2, Spring Boot
Other
Location Services, Word Processing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Writing & Editing, Single Sign-on (SSO)
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