Kennith Nichol
Verified Expert in Engineering
WordPress Plugins Developer
Royston, BC, Canada
Toptal member since June 27, 2019
Ken is a diligent developer who undertakes complex projects with a range of technology stacks. He has 20 years of experience in front-end and back-end development using various methodologies. Ken has a solid knowledge base in PHP and WordPress, building custom themes and plugins, and troubleshooting and training. He specializes in WordPress and custom development for both the front end and back-end of applications.
Portfolio
Experience
- SQL - 14 years
- WordPress Plugins - 13 years
- PHP - 13 years
- WordPress - 13 years
- Linux - 12 years
- JavaScript - 11 years
- Revamps - 8 years
- React - 4 years
Availability
Preferred Environment
Terminal, Vim Text Editor, Linux, PHP, Trello, Jira, React, SQL, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
The most amazing...
...project I've built was a large non-multisite network of related WordPress sites with a common plugin and theme environment.
Work Experience
WooCommerce Developer
Training Solutions International
- Developed a customization to allow multi-day events to recur (via FooEvents). The plugin required modifications, so a second script was created to alter the plugin files after an update (added a filter call on the JSON output).
- Repaired the theme so that it worked properly with Elementor templates and WooCommerce.
- Tested several event plugins to establish the functionality required by the project. Chose the plugin with the closest functionality and added some customizations on top.
Full-stack Developer | WordPress Consultant
Nichol Consulting
- Built, troubleshot, and maintained software and websites.
- Provided web development, web hosting, and consulting for the development of web services and applications.
- Maintained and hosted WordPress websites for local nonprofits and small businesses.
WordPress Developer
FlowPress
- Started work on a custom reporting tool that would extract data from APIs and inject them into reports. The goal was to distribute KPIs and usable statistics into automated reports for clients to reduce the burden of reporting on staff.
- Performed regular maintenance of client websites (updates, security fixes, and content changes).
- Developed a client reskin/redesign from a provided design into a beaver builder block-based theme (customized blocks).
PHP & React Developer
Improve the News Foundation
- Developed a React-based, user-friendly GUI to allow data analysts to sort data clusters more rapidly. This required the re-development of the back-end API as well.
- Implemented a new feature to allow data curators to add and remove information regarding public figures. This was a full-stack application with a React and Next.js front end and a PHP and MySQL back end.
- Worked with the lead engineer to resolve bugs in the APIs from a steady list of Jira tickets.
WordPress Developer
Three Five Two
- Improved the performance of an older WordPress site that was heavily customized to migrate from s2Member to MemberPress. The site required an extensive review of the custom functionality to determine what could be safely removed.
- Maintained and updated a three-part product with a WordPress marketing site, a React client app, and a Heroku-hosted Node.js API. Issues are handled via Jira and weekly spring planning.
- Participated in the restructuring and redesigning of the application with a new design provided via Adobe XD.
WordPress Developer
Altus Solutions, Inc.
- Aided in the set up and improved performance of a multisite WordPress network, which consisted of interconnecting standalone marketing WordPress sites with the network.
- Implemented automated tagging, automation, and integration between LearnDash and ActiveCampaign. Worked with the marketing team to devise a practical approach to labeling, lists, and segmentation.
- Investigated and resolved tickets, bugs, and other issues as they appeared. Aided in the Zoho Desk set up to help manage support tickets.
WordPress Developer
YouTurn, Inc
- Developed an out of the box WordPress system with LearnDash. This project required as little custom code as possible, which has been challenging to reconcile with its unique requirements.
- Debugged unique edge cases with LearnDash, Uncanny Owl, and Uncanny groups, including login and register redirection via a referrer.
- Implemented multi-site usage via a broadcast plugin, which is used to clone the central learning platform and customize it for access and branding purposes.
WordPress Developer
iSpot Interactive
- Developed custom WordPress plugins and themes for an enterprise multisite WordPress installation.
- Implemented WordPress REST API customizations and Ajax-powered front-end development with a modular theme and plugin integrations.
- Worked as part of a variable-sized enterprise team that is part of a larger enterprise structure. Several development teams were working on the production product in different geographic areas.
Website Administrator
Vista Radio, Ltd.
- Created and deployed more than 36 community websites as a source of local news, events, and contests.
- Developed custom themes and plugins with core customizations to facilitate various radio station promotions and functionality.
- Provided internal technical support and troubleshooting.
Front-end Developer
Noble, Inc.
- Built the initial landing page and lead capture forms with an API integration to Twilio and Mailchimp.
- Created a custom WordPress theme based on the designer's files in InVision.
- Worked with a prior version of this project that involved similar technologies but focused on skipping the line at bars and pubs.
Campaign Manager
Love Clients, Inc.
- Executed and managed numerous SEO and PPC campaigns for clients around the world.
- Built internal project management tools to replace paid platforms like Basecamp to reduce costs.
- Implemented various server-side and on-page optimizations on a variety of client websites.
Advanced Link Builder
Beanstalk SEO
- Researched a variety of advanced link-building techniques.
- Automated link scraping and page rank analysis for reporting and research.
- Built manual links for many clients via forums, blogs, and other means.
Experience
Improve the News
https://www.improvethenews.org/Learn with Justice U
https://www.learnwithjusticeu.com/Planning Poker
http://www.planningpoker.comGet Noble Landing Page and Lead Collection
JDM-Roofing
https://www.jdm-roofing.ca/Apartment Listing Application
The front-end application is a React application that uses React Router to facilitate navigation. A map is presented with pins for listings using Mapbox's free API.
User authentication is done via tokens and local storage, which Laravel Sanctum processes. Users can register as normal or realtor users. Realtors can add/edit their own listings.
Certifications
Master the Coding Interview: Data Structures + Algorithms
Udemy
The Complete Web Developer
Udemy
The Complete Junior to Senior Web Developer
Udemy
JavaScript: Understanding the Weird Parts
Udemy
Skills
Libraries/APIs
WordPress API, jQuery, React, Node.js, React Redux, React Query, PubNub, React Redux Form, Twilio API, Google Maps API, REST APIs, React Router, Mapbox GL, Google Geocoding API
Tools
Terminal, Git, GitHub, NPM, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), Adobe Photoshop, Bitbucket, LearnDash, Google Analytics, Vim Text Editor, Trello, Jira, AWS CLI, NGINX, Mailchimp, Recurly, Webpack, PM2, Figma, Zoom, CircleCI, Gulp
Languages
CSS, HTML, PHP, JavaScript, SQL, CSS3, HTML5, TypeScript
Platforms
Visual Studio Code (VS Code), WordPress, Linux, Heroku, Docker, Amazon EC2, Twilio, Google Ads, Joomla, AWS Lambda, Amazon Web Services (AWS), WooCommerce, LAMP
Frameworks
Redux, Next.js, Material UI, Tailwind CSS, JSON Web Tokens (JWT), Express.js, Laravel, Bootstrap, Eloquent, MUI CSS
Paradigms
Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Agile, Testing
Storage
MySQL, PostgreSQL, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), MongoDB, Redis, PostgreSQL 10, WP Engine
Other
WordPress Plugins, WordPress Themes, PSD to WordPress, PSD to HTML, Website Setup, SSH, Website Performance, APIs, Revamps, WordPress Multisite, Web Development, Full-stack, Full-stack Development, Search Engine Marketing (SEM), MemberPress, Data Structures, Algorithms, SEO Tools, User Experience (UX), Axios, ActiveCampaign, Web Analytics, Learning Management Systems (LMS), Web Security, CI/CD Pipelines, Broadcasting, Microsoft Clarity, Elementor, Google Analytics 4, Beaver Builder
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