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Rodrigo Varela, Software Developer in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Rodrigo Varela

Software Developer in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Member since November 27, 2020
Rodrigo is a software engineer, specializing in Android, Kotlin, Java, PHP, APIs, Bash, and databases. With over a decade of experience, he has led many teams, managed entire full-stack development projects, and excelled as a collaborative individual contributor. Rodrigo is a focused, organized, and productive developer, backed by a computer science degree from Buenos Aires University.
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Portfolio

  • NSExtensions (via Toptal)
    React, Node.js, Progressive Web Applications (PWA), PWA, Firebase...
  • Bilue
    Java, Kotlin, Android, CI/CD Pipelines, Linux, JSON, Firebase Cloud Functions...
  • Moment
    OpenGL, RenderScript, Java, Android, Kotlin, CI/CD Pipelines, Linux, JSON...

Experience

Location

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

Trello, Slack, GitHub, MacOS

The most amazing...

...app I developed is the official companion Android app for Moment mobile lenses. It ranked top-five in the camera app category on Google Play for three years.

Employment

  • Firebase Engineer

    2021 - PRESENT
    NSExtensions (via Toptal)
    • Built a cloud-based, serverless solution, from scratch, based on Google Cloud Run and Firebase functions as the main architecture for the shipping solution the company is building.
    • Developed a React PWA app to consume the services provided by the architecture mentioned above. Deployed in production for their main corporate client.
    • Set up environments to handle corporate clients and a mass consumption app to be released soon.
    • Developed a simple back office for data analysis based on React-admin.
    Technologies: React, Node.js, Progressive Web Applications (PWA), PWA, Firebase, Firebase Hosting, Bash, TypeScript, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Serverless, CI/CD Pipelines, Linux, Docker, JSON, Firebase Cloud Functions, Full-stack, CircleCI, Stripe, QA Automation, Continuous Integration (CI), Release Management

  • Principal Software Engineer

    2020 - 2020
    Bilue
    • Worked on Android projects for one of Australia's leading health insurance providers.
    • Integrated with a company team to help the main developer transition to another project and helped build a new team.
    • Tackled main screen tech-debt refactoring, app stabilization (from an approximate 94% crash-free session rate to over 99.6%), biometrics login, PDF claiming, and digital payments (Braintree integration and NFC EFTPOS device communications).
    Technologies: Java, Kotlin, Android, CI/CD Pipelines, Linux, JSON, Firebase Cloud Functions, Android Studio, Android SDK, Buildkite, BrainTree, QA Automation, Continuous Integration (CI), Release Management, Software Architecture

  • Android Lead Engineer

    2018 - 2020
    Moment
    • Built the Moment Android photography app to make the most out of Moment's adaptable lenses. I built the base level from scratch as the sole developer.
    • Forged a team of remote developers across the globe, collaborating remotely on the product features. At the peak time, we were four developers across three time zones.
    • Developed live image processing features, such as histogram, waveform, video bitrate setup, anamorphic de-squeezing, focus peaking, highlight clipping, shadow clipping, FPS, bitrate, and resolution configs based on device capabilities.
    Technologies: OpenGL, RenderScript, Java, Android, Kotlin, CI/CD Pipelines, Linux, JSON, Android Studio, Android SDK, QA Automation, Continuous Integration (CI), Release Management, Software Architecture

  • Senior Android Developer

    2017 - 2018
    UBank
    • Implemented Firebase as the main tracking tool for crashes, allowing us to gather production information to fix complex, device-specific bugs.
    • Maintained the application while developing the architecture for the app redesign and helped the company set up a team.
    • Managed and implemented a security code compliance project on the underlying technology for VISA mobile payments.
    Technologies: Android, Java, Kotlin, Firebase, CI/CD Pipelines, JSON, Android Studio, Android SDK, BrainTree, Continuous Integration (CI), Release Management, Software Architecture

  • Android Developer

    2015 - 2016
    Love Agency
    • Contributed to the development, codebase maintenance, and improvements for Australia's number one Android betting app—the agency's most important client.
    • Developed an Android smartwatch and companion app, from scratch, for fall and seizure detection.
    • Oversaw a quality assurance process, thereby increasing code coverage from 0% to 50%.
    Technologies: Android Wear, API Design, Android, Java, JSON, Android Studio, Android SDK, Continuous Integration (CI), Software Architecture

  • Android Head Developer

    2014 - 2015
    Tachanfil
    • Extracted newspaper information from the app and moved it into a back-end API service.
    • Converted the app layout function from static to dynamic in order to resize layouts automatically when adding, removing, and updating newspaper content.
    • Developed features such as content sharing, newspaper sortings per category based on users, and back-end selections.
    • Set up and configured GitHub for code management and designed policies for the developers to come.
    Technologies: JavaScript, Android, PHP, Java, JSON, Full-stack, Android Studio, Android SDK, Continuous Integration (CI), Release Management, Software Architecture

  • Senior Software Engineer

    2013 - 2015
    Freelance
    • Connected SIGRES, a ship residual and waste management system, to an Oracle database, using Hibernate, before going live on Argentina's national maritime ports.
    • Configured dependency injection, using Spring, and introduced the first tests to the project. Established a TDD process, enabling developers to continue improving on this.
    • Implemented an AFIP system integration for the Argentine Taxation Office, enabling login in with special privileges.
    Technologies: Apache Struts, Oracle, Hibernate, Spring, Apache Struts 2, Java, XML, JSON, Full-stack, Android SDK, MySQL, CircleCI, Release Management, Software Architecture

  • Support Manager

    2013 - 2014
    FDV Solutions
    • Assisted with building a support area to handle all the projects related to legacy support and establish best practices to tackle them.
    • Built an internal team of developers willing to tackle this.
    • Documented processes for onboarding, conflict resolution, project documentation, and Agile project tracking.
    Technologies: Agile, Gantt Charts, Project Management, CI/CD Pipelines, JSON, Jenkins, Release Management

  • Project Leader

    2012 - 2013
    FDV Solutions
    • Implemented Scrum processes, incorporating the client into team meetings and discussions, which resulted in a very successful engagement.
    • Incorporated showcases for clients as a way to demonstrate completed work prior to conducting retrospectives.
    • Unified the project information in Jira as a single point of failure (SPOF) for the project.
    Technologies: Jira, Project Management, Scrum, JSON, Jenkins

  • Senior Java Developer

    2011 - 2012
    FDV Solutions
    • Created a graph to visualize time of day and drinks inputs for ENDWI, an alcohol consumption tracking app endorsed by the Texas government in the United States.
    • Developed a Play Framework web back-end application for GSM geolocation used by Colombian post nets.
    • Tracked and fixed bugs, using Jira as a reporting tool.
    Technologies: Web, Oracle, Hibernate, Play, Java, XML, JSON, Jenkins, Software Architecture

  • Technical Leader

    2010 - 2011
    Odea srl.
    • Helped organize a remote team for YPF, a petrol company and Odea's main client, covering the main product for gas and petrol delivery tracking.
    • Played a key role in the analysis, design, and development of the GasTracker system to identify the origins of gas for sale. Provided infrastructure consulting and configuration management.
    • Conducted pulse meetings to manage projects related to maintenance, upgrades, and architectural improvements.
    Technologies: JSF, Oracle, Java, XML, Linux, Full-stack, Jenkins, Software Architecture

  • Developer Analyst

    2009 - 2010
    MercadoLibre
    • Accomplished a long-overdue points migration (v2 to v3) over the MercadoPago (LATAM payments solution) platform, using PL/SQL scripts running at night, monitoring results every morning, and tweaking the process as needed.
    • Implemented a search algorithm based on query matches against a category tree, using a weight-algorithm solution for the MercadoClics platform.
    • Assisted with the company's transition from Waterfall to Agile project management methodologies.
    Technologies: SQL, Oracle, Oracle PL/SQL, Java, XML, Linux, Full-stack, MySQL, Software Architecture

  • Developer Analyst

    2008 - 2009
    Syscope
    • Managed web-based projects, end-to-end, communicating directly with clients.
    • Developed an open-source PHP component for a CakePHP framework to add language translations to websites easily (managed from the back end).
    • Advanced rapidly to working on PHP production projects for clients after starting with zero PHP experience.
    Technologies: CSS, JavaScript, HTML, Java, CakePHP, PHP, XML, MySQL

  • Java Developer

    2007 - 2008
    Modhelus
    • Conducted unit tests to improve coverage of the front-end web system while working as a trainee through my university internship program.
    • Joined the back-end team and developed tree structure-based solutions for complex performance problems.
    • Used the same tree-based solution for generating reports in CSV format.
    Technologies: Java

Experience

  • DSLR Professional Camera App for Android
    https://www.shopmoment.com/

    I joined Moment to create the Android version of the existing iOS app from scratch. Later, I helped them build a team of remote developers to implement an exciting and complex roadmap of top-tech image processing features to take the app to the top of the charts.

    Main achievements:
    • Designed and built a fully Android native Camera2 API Kotlin app, from scratch, with core camera and video functionalities, such as flash modes, timers, ISO and shutter speed, white balance, and focus.
    • Built a team of remote developers across the globe to tackle real-time image processing.
    • Incorporated complex features like histograms, photographer analytics, and focus peaking, using low-level RenderScript and OpenGL code embedded in the app.

  • Web App MVP to Reverse Engineer

    I was approached by an architect in Sydney who needed a way to automate real estate property investments based on government information that seemed inaccessible.

    I reverse engineered the state government site to extract the information the architect needed and developed a small Django Python web app to automate the reports as an MVP. This was a short freelance engagement that gave her what she needed for her business.

Skills

  • Languages

    Java, Kotlin, PHP, JavaScript, XML, Bash, HTML, TypeScript, SQL, C++, Python, CSS, Swift, Python 3, C#

  • Frameworks

    Spring, Hibernate, CakePHP 2, Spring Boot, Android SDK, RenderScript, Apache Struts 2, Play, JSF, Django, CakePHP, Apache Struts, Django REST Framework, Flutter, Flask

  • Tools

    Git, Android Studio, Subversion (SVN), Jenkins, CircleCI, Apache, GitHub, Slack, Trello, Jira

  • Paradigms

    Agile, REST, Web Architecture, Back-end Architecture, Continuous Integration (CI), Mobile Development, Testing, Unit Testing, Database Design, Microservices, Scrum

  • Platforms

    Android, Firebase, Linux, Mobile, Buildkite, MacOS, Drupal, Oracle, Web, iOS, Django CMS, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Docker

  • Storage

    MySQL, JSON, PostgreSQL, Oracle PL/SQL, Microsoft SQL Server

  • Other

    Project Analysis, Languages & Storage, Code Architecture, Architecture, Mobile Architecture, APIs, Software Release Management, Release Management, Data Architecture, Requirements, Story Mapping, Google Play Store, Mobile App Development, CI/CD Pipelines, Software Architecture, Project Tracking, Scripting Languages, Scaling, Mobile Apps, HTTP, TCP/IP, UDP, QA Testing, QA Automation, Full-stack, Firebase Cloud Functions, Progressive Web Applications (PWA), Serverless, Square Payment Gateway, Bluetooth, Wearables, CTO, Startups, Software, API Design, Android Wear, Gantt Charts, Reverse Engineering, BrainTree, AWS, PWA, Firebase Hosting, Internet of Things (IoT)

  • Libraries/APIs

    React, Node.js, Square API, OpenGL, Camera2 API, Django ORM, Stripe

  • Industry Expertise

    Security, Project Management

Education

  • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science
    2003 - 2012
    University of Buenos Aires - Buenos Aires, Argentina

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