Neil Zhao, Developer in Toronto, ON, Canada
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Neil Zhao

Verified Expert  in Engineering

Software Developer

Location
Toronto, ON, Canada
Toptal Member Since
March 4, 2019

Neil is a full-stack SDE with both front-end and back-end skills. He's adept at an assortment of languages such as Ruby, JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Scala, and SQL and tools like Git, AWS, Rails, Node.js, Terraform, and Elasticsearch. All in all, Neil would characterize himself as a robust functional programmer with proficiency in algorithm optimization. He also possesses reliable concurrency and asynchronous skills with proper utilities under modern theories.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)PythonTypeScriptReactDjangoAWS LambdaSalesforce APIRuby on Rails 5RubyNode.jsJestRSpecElasticsearchScalaFlask

Portfolio

Toptal Client
Amazon Web Services (AWS), Git, Enzyme, Jest, React, Python 3, Django, Flask...
Miovision
Amazon Web Services (AWS), Git, RSpec, TypeScript, Ruby, Elasticsearch...
Meri.co
Git, TypeScript, Jest, Web3.js, Node.js, Object-oriented Programming (OOP)

Experience

Django - 6 yearsPython - 6 yearsAmazon Web Services (AWS) - 6 yearsTypeScript - 6 yearsReact - 6 yearsSalesforce API - 5 yearsRuby on Rails 5 - 5 yearsScala - 4 years

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

Amazon Web Services (AWS), Slack, Git, Ubuntu, MacOS, JetBrains

The most amazing...

...web application I've created has a modern, seamless, and data-intensive design under a highly stable architecture for the front end, back end, and cloud hosts.

Work Experience

Senior Software Engineer

2019 - 2022
Toptal Client
  • Worked on a React web application and created a UI system to standardize components.
  • Exported core APIs from internal back-end services to the public and designed service layers.
  • Created new APIs on Django and Flask services and improved unit testing coverage to 80%.
  • Collaborated with teams to release the beta version of a new milestone feature.
Technologies: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Git, Enzyme, Jest, React, Python 3, Django, Flask, Scala, Functional Programming, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), PostgreSQL

Senior Software Developer

2018 - 2020
Miovision
  • Developed a data-intensive web application using RoR 5 with well-known gems.
  • Built a single-page web app through React and related development tools.
  • Combined Elasticsearch and Node.js to seamlessly pipe data streaming.
  • Applied Terraform to automate back-end infrastructures on AWS.
Technologies: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Git, RSpec, TypeScript, Ruby, Elasticsearch, Terraform, Redux, React, Node.js, Ruby on Rails 5, Functional Programming, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), PostgreSQL, Capybara

Blockchain Developer (Smart Contract)

2018 - 2019
Meri.co
  • Developed a smart contract on Ethereum to implement a decentralized permission system.
  • Combined Web3.js and Node.js to encapsulate a module to interact with a smart contract.
  • Created unit tests under Node.js for smart contracts through Web3.js, Ganache CLI, and Jest.
  • Integrated APIs from Infura to create a testing workflow of smart contracts on the Rinkeby Network.
Technologies: Git, TypeScript, Jest, Web3.js, Node.js, Object-oriented Programming (OOP)

Senior Software Developer

2017 - 2018
Toptal Client
  • Developed multiple services on Ruby on Rails 5 and integrated them with Salesforce and AWS.
  • Created a back-end service for admin using Scala, Cats, and Play 2 framework.
  • Implemented unit and E2E tests for Rails and Scala services to raise testing coverage.
  • Worked on Heroku pipeline to deploy a few services under the existing CI/CD process.
Technologies: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Redux, Git, RSpec, Ruby on Rails 5, Salesforce, React, Node.js, Ruby, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), PostgreSQL, Play 2, Capybara

High-speed Message and Email Automation System

Designed and created a message and email automation system for the marketing team to develop agents' work processes for leads and opportunities.

Features:
• Message and email automation and scheduler.
• High-speed SMS pipeline for about 2,000,000 outbound messages per day.
• Salesforce, Eloqua, and other marketing tools integration.

SAML2.0 Authentication Integration Support for a Web App

Implemented the SAML2.0 authentication integration in a Django back-end app to make the client's back-end service work as an SAML service provider (SAML SP) via python3-saml—a free python SAML library developed by OneLogin—, which will support any SAML identity provider that follows the SAML 2.0 standard.

Customized Map Product

The project introduced our game-changing customized map web app for real estate investors. The app supports automatic property classification for distinct valuation modeling. Besides that, the app also revolutionizes real estate investment with its live data, GIS integration, ranking, valuation, classification, and visualization tools.

Languages

Python, TypeScript, Ruby, Scala, SAML, Python 3

Frameworks

Ruby on Rails 5, Jest, Django, Flask, Play 2, Redux, Capybara

Libraries/APIs

Salesforce API, Node.js, React, Web3.js, Mapbox GL

Tools

RSpec, Git, Terraform, Geocoding

Paradigms

Functional Programming, Object-oriented Programming (OOP)

Platforms

Amazon Web Services (AWS), AWS Lambda, Salesforce

Storage

Elasticsearch, PostgreSQL, Redis

Industry Expertise

Security

Other

Enzyme, Single Sign-on (SSO), SIEM, SAML-auth

2013 - 2017

Bachelor's Degree with Honors in Computer Science

University of Waterloo - Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

DECEMBER 2019 - DECEMBER 2021

Google Cloud Certified — Associate Cloud Engineer

Google Cloud Platform

AUGUST 2017 - AUGUST 2020

AWS Certified Developer — Associate (DVA)

AWS | Amazon Web Services