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David Baumgold, Open Source Developer in Amsterdam, Netherlands
David Baumgold

Open Source Developer in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Member since July 23, 2017
David is a web developer who is truly full-stack. Front-end JavaScript, API integration, web application programming, databases, server administration, security, and automated testing fall into his wheelhouse. He prefers to work in Python when possible and has extensive experience with Django and Flask on the back end. On the front-end, he's a React wiz and uses Redux and GraphQL to build complex, dynamic browser-based applications.
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Portfolio

  • Ribbon Home
    Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Django, Amazon Web Services (AWS), GraphQL
  • Nylas
    GitHub Actions, GitHub, APIs, Flask, Python
  • Impraise
    Apollo, GraphQL, Redux, React

Experience

Location

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Availability

Full-time

Preferred Environment

GitLab, GitHub, VS Code, MacOS

The most amazing...

...project I've worked on is an extension for the Flask web framework which makes OAuth a snap—what usually takes 200+ lines of code can be done in ten.

Employment

  • Senior Full-stack Developer

    2021 - 2022
    Ribbon Home
    • Converted a homegrown front-end component library to an open-source Chakra UI component library.
    • Refactored a database representation of core data to improve the consistency and reliability of database queries.
    • Mentored junior developers to help them learn how to write reliable code with automated tests.
    Technologies: Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Django, Amazon Web Services (AWS), GraphQL

  • Senior Software Developer

    2017 - 2021
    Nylas
    • Shipped products that earned millions of dollars in ARR.
    • Migrated a large codebase from Python 2 to Python 3.
    • Mentored other junior developers on my team by reviewing their code and answering questions.
    • Demonstrated and presented best practices for faster, high-quality development.
    Technologies: GitHub Actions, GitHub, APIs, Flask, Python

  • Senior Front-end Developer

    2017 - 2018
    Impraise
    • Led a small team to develop a dynamic React-based front-end for the Impraise web application.
    • Assisted in migrating from a legacy REST-based backend to one based on GraphQL.
    • Mentored other developers in how to properly use GraphQL.
    Technologies: Apollo, GraphQL, Redux, React

  • Web Developer

    2017 - 2017
    MIT Office of Digital Learning
    • Worked in a team to develop an interactive website where MOOC learners could find information about their courses.
    • Created a new code base to replace a legacy website for hosting video files. The new code base used AWS for hosting and transcoding video files.
    • Wrote automated tests in Python (pytest framework) and React (Enzyme framework).
    • Assisted in prioritizing features, based on feedback from users and past experience.
    • Assisted in running Scrum meetings and increased team productivity.
    Technologies: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Open edX, Redux, React, Django

  • Software Developer | Developer Advocate

    2013 - 2016
    edX
    • Led the development of major components of the Open edX course management system.
    • Organized the open source community around Open edX and facilitated communication and collaboration among community members.
    • Created automated tools to increase visibility and efficiency in planning and executing development work.
    • Assisted in planning and architecting components of the Open edX system.
    • Ran the release process for the Open edX software—testing the release candidates and organizing bug fixes as necessary.
    Technologies: GitHub, Node.js, Django, Python, Open edX

  • Software Engineer

    2011 - 2013
    CloudLock
    • Assisted with a major architectural restructuring to work with App Engine’s eventually-consistent data store.
    • Increased developer productivity through communication, education, tooling, and automated testing.
    • Advocated for more reliable development techniques, such as automated testing.
    • Provided constructive criticism to help my coworkers improve the quality of their code.
    • Refactored major components of the application to be more maintainable and performant.
    Technologies: Google App Engine, Django, Python

  • Software Engineer

    2010 - 2011
    TripAdvisor
    • Fixed UI bugs as reported by customers.
    • Wrote and debugged data loaders for various airlines.
    • Implemented features based on data-driven prioritization.
    • Manually tested and verified changes, both for myself and my coworkers.
    Technologies: Java, JavaScript, PHP

  • Junior Systems Administrator (Guru)

    2007 - 2010
    Brandeis University Computer Science Department
    • Handled the installation and updates for all servers and desktop workstations owned by the computer science department.
    • Assisted students and faculty with routine account maintenance, such as password resets.
    • Created RPM packages for existing software for the ease of installation and management.
    • Tracked, prioritized, and resolved support requests from the faculty.
    • Scripted and automated many routine tasks associated with server management, including patching security vulnerabilities.
    Technologies: Security, Bash Script, Linux Server Administration

Experience

  • Flask-Dance
    https://github.com/singingwolfboy/flask-dance

    An open source project for setting up OAuth authentication with the Flask web framework.

    This allows you to build a website that allows logging in with Facebook, Google, Twitter, GitHub, and many other websites—all in about 20 lines of code.

  • Bot for Integrating GitHub and JIRA
    https://github.com/edx/openedx-webhooks

    At edX, project management spans two different websites: JIRA for planning and reporting work, and GitHub for writing and reviewing code to execute the work.

    Many people spent many tedious hours keeping these two websites in sync, so I wrote a bot to do so automatically. This bot listens for activity on GitHub pull requests and records it in linked JIRA issues. It also listens for when JIRA issues change state and updates the state on linked GitHub pull requests.

Skills

  • Languages

    TypeScript, CSS, HTML, ECMAScript (ES6), JavaScript, Python 3, Python, PHP, SQL, Java, Bash Script, GraphQL

  • Frameworks

    Nose, Flask, Django, Django REST Framework, Bootstrap 3, Redux, Sphinx Documentation Generator, Bootstrap, Jasmine

  • Libraries/APIs

    Moment.js, SQLAlchemy, REST APIs, jQuery, Backbone.js, React, Node.js, Lodash

  • Tools

    GitHub, Git, Pytest, Apt-get, Travis CI, Docker Compose, NGINX, GitLab, VS Code, React Apollo, Vim Text Editor, Babel, Webpack

  • Paradigms

    Automated Testing, Scrum, Functional Programming

  • Platforms

    Linux, Open edX, MacOS, Google App Engine, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Docker, Amazon EC2

  • Storage

    Amazon S3 (AWS S3), PostgreSQL, MySQL

  • Other

    Code Review, Python Mockups, Web App Security, Regular Expressions, SSH, Homebrew, Tech Conferences, Open Source, Technical Documentation, Conference Speaking, APIs, Back-end Development, Server Security, Server Administration, Enzyme, EdX, Wagtail CMS, Developer Relations, Technical Training, Front-end Development, Web Applications, Linux Server Administration, GitHub Actions, Apollo

  • Industry Expertise

    Security

Education

  • Bachelor's Degree in Psychology
    2006 - 2010
    Brandeis University - Waltham, MA, USA
  • Master's Degree in Computer Science
    2006 - 2010
    Brandeis University - Waltham, MA, USA

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