Ruy Diaz, Developer in North Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Ruy Diaz

Verified Expert  in Engineering

Software Developer

Location
North Vancouver, BC, Canada
Toptal Member Since
September 29, 2020

Ruy is a dedicated full-stack developer with a wealth of experience accumulated over nearly 20 years of web development. He has strong technical chops, a keen eye for UX, and dedication to quality and results. With his expert communication skills, he ensures everyone on the team is on the same page. Along with his experience and competences, Ruy is committed to achieving consistent, top-notch results that directly impact his clients' bottom line.

Portfolio

Lamnidae Consulting
Pusher, Cloudinary, Bootstrap 3, Google Fusion Tables, Handlebars, Ember.js...
TamTon Training, Inc.
Jasmine, JavaScript, RSpec, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Ruby
Partnerpedia
Ajax, RSpec, Git, Sphinx Search Engine, Jasmine, JavaScript, jQuery, Sass...

Experience

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

Heroku, RSpec, Ubuntu Linux, CSS, CoffeeScript, Sass, Google Maps API, jQuery, JavaScript, Solr, PostgreSQL, Vim Text Editor, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Ruby

The most amazing...

...thing I've helped build is a search platform called REW, one of Canada's largest online real estate marketplaces, with more than a million page views per day.

Work Experience

Owner | Full-stack Web Development Consultant

2012 - PRESENT
Lamnidae Consulting
  • Developed both greenfield and brownfield web applications for multiple clients, including Real Estate Wire (REW.ca), Gastown Labs, Sharezen, and HabitStack.
  • Delivered projects on time with reliable estimates, always meeting or exceeding client requirements.
  • Provided guidance and feedback on UX design for optimum user workflows.
  • Delivered code with utmost attention to detail and quality, ensuring its long-term maintainability and extensibility.
  • Ensured solid test coverage and quality of all systems' critical paths.
  • Upgraded systems from Ruby on Rails 3 up to Ruby on Rails 6.
  • Designed and architected end-to-end systems, maintained them, and added new features over time for multiple clients.
Technologies: Pusher, Cloudinary, Bootstrap 3, Google Fusion Tables, Handlebars, Ember.js, AngularJS, PostGIS, Mandrill API, SMACSS, Redis, Git, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Ajax, Solr, Stripe API, Trello, Jira, Agile, Heroku, Google Maps API, jQuery, Vue, Vuex, JavaScript, CoffeeScript, CSS, HTML, PostgreSQL, Ruby on Rails (RoR)

Instructor | Consultant

2013 - 2013
TamTon Training, Inc.
  • Developed the original training materials for the CodeCore Developer Bootcamp, one of the pioneering web development boot camps in Vancouver. Held lessons for the first cohort of CodeCore students.
  • Developed and taught a full day, on-site, advanced testing course for Ruby and JavaScript for a client, with eight on-site and five remote attendees.
  • Assisted a client in the upgrade to Ruby on Rails 3, especially regarding Unobtrusive JavaScript.
Technologies: Jasmine, JavaScript, RSpec, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Ruby

Senior Ruby Developer

2011 - 2012
Partnerpedia
  • Collaborated on a multi-tenant B2B cloud-based web application for enterprise application provisioning, interfacing with Android and iOS devices, which was later acquired by BMC.
  • Contributed to back-end and front-end development in an Agile environment.
  • Introduced Jasmine as a unit testing tool for JavaScript.
  • Reviewed code and championed best practices in test-driven development.
  • Liaised and coordinated activities with the offshore team.
  • Sought out areas for improvement beyond assigned tasks.
  • Promoted the importance of a team-building mindset and creating a healthy work-life balance.
Technologies: Ajax, RSpec, Git, Sphinx Search Engine, Jasmine, JavaScript, jQuery, Sass, Redis, MySQL, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Ruby

Lead Developer

2008 - 2011
Mezine.com
  • Contributed to several phases of the design, development, and implementation of a breakthrough web application framework in Ruby, focusing on scalability, modularity, and rapid application development.
  • Developed front ends for multi-tenant web authoring tools with advanced JavaScript, DHTML, Ajax, and other Web 2.0 technologies.
  • Developed a WYSIWYG template editor communicating with a JavaScript interface and Ruby back end.
Technologies: Ubuntu, Jasmine, CSS, MooTools, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Ajax, Git, Adobe Flex, JavaScript, Ruby

Developer

2006 - 2008
Citymax.com
  • Maintained and expanded one of the most successful online website builders with integrated shopping carts on the market, with over 20,000 paying customers.
  • Contributed to design decisions, system optimization, and third-party integrations such as payment gateways, drop shippers, and online auction services.
  • Implemented a version control system across the team, providing ongoing mentoring and support for all team members.
Technologies: PayPal, Authorize.net, Subversion (SVN), Perforce, jQuery, HTML, JavaScript, MySQL, Adobe ColdFusion, Java

Solution Architect

2004 - 2006
Ericsson Telecom
  • Designed and implemented an in-house content management system for Ericsson Mexico as part of a local initiative to approach media companies and distribute their content via SMS as a hosted service.
  • Established a relationship with clients for the CMS, delivered on-site demonstrations to clients, and created proposals.
  • Coordinated the integration with a third-party provider to offer music recognition services in Latin America.
Technologies: Oracle, MySQL, Apache Tomcat, Jakarta Server Pages (JSP), SMS, Java

Developer

2001 - 2004
SpeedyMovil
  • Developed the first value-added services for Telcel, the largest cell phone carrier in Mexico and Latin America, with more than 30 million customers.
  • Developed and maintained a broad set of WAP and SMS applications and the carrier's value-added services portal.
  • Supported the platform's growth to host the same services for many other cell phone carriers in Latin America.
Technologies: HTML, Oracle, MySQL, Apache Tomcat, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), SMS, JavaScript, Jakarta Server Pages (JSP), Java

Real Estate Search Platform REW

https://www.rew.ca
REW.ca is one of the leading real estate search platforms in Canada. It is a Ruby on Rails web app serving over half a million users, with over one million page views per day. The platform allows users to search for over 70,000 listings with their search criteria (full text and map base), receive alerts when new properties become available on the market, contact agents, explore new developments, and obtain valuable market data to make educated choices when choosing a property.

I was on this project from the beginning when REW brought the platform's development in-house, where I initially joined another consultant to develop the front end. Later, once the front end caught up with the back end, I continued delivering both front and back end functionalities, expanding the feature set over the years. I helped the company grow its internal team, participating in interviewing, mentoring, and detailed code-review, ensuring high code quality. I continued providing input into architectural decisions and guidance in developing new features and adding new verticals to the platform. I was often in charge of developing time-sensitive or complex features, confident that the output would meet or exceed expectations.

HabitStack

https://www.habitstack.com/
I worked closely with the founder to design and develop habit and goal tracking web applications tailored to HabitStack's proprietary methodology. Development involved end to end implementation of the original habit tracking system in the first phase, and collaboration with other developers during different iterations of the client UI. I continued adding new features to both the Ruby API and the front-end JavaScript client in AngularJS and Vue.

Sharezen

http://www.sharezen.com/how-it-works.html
Sharezen is a recreational asset sharing management solution that enables owners of under-used recreational homes, boats, and planes to manage their valuable assets by simplifying scheduling, reminders, finances, contacts, and documentation related to their property.

The existing codebase was inherited from the original developers when the new owner acquired the app. I supported the owner in transitioning the app from a self-hosted solution to a cloud-based PaaS, allowing for lower ownership costs with a limited workforce. I upgraded the application from Ruby on Rails 3 to Ruby on Rails 5, added paid tiers to the service via Stripe, updated the front end to be more mobile-friendly, and provided technical support.

Splitsee.com

http://www.splitsee.com
Splitsee is a simple web application allowing groups of people to share expenses. Users can keep separate running tabs with different groups of people and track shared expenses, letting the platform do the calculations and determine who owes how much at any given time.

I developed this app as a side project to try out different technologies, practice new techniques, explore new gems, and as a general playground to keep skills honed. Despite not being marketed at all, Splitsee has garnered more than 800 active users besides my friends and family.

Languages

JavaScript, Ruby, Sass, CoffeeScript, HTML, CSS, Java

Frameworks

Ruby on Rails (RoR), Bootstrap 3, Jasmine, Adobe Flex, Jakarta Server Pages (JSP), AngularJS, Ember.js

Libraries/APIs

jQuery, Google Maps API, Handlebars, Ruby on Rails API, REST APIs, Vue, Vuex, Stripe API, Authorize.net, MooTools, Mandrill API, Pusher

Tools

RSpec, Git, Solr, Vim Text Editor, Trello, Jira, Adobe ColdFusion, Perforce, Subversion (SVN), Apache Tomcat

Paradigms

Object-oriented Programming (OOP), SMACSS, Agile

Platforms

Heroku, Ubuntu Linux, Ubuntu, Oracle

Other

Web Development, Web App Development, Ajax, APIs, PayPal, SMS, Google Fusion Tables, Cloudinary, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Engineering, Expense Management

Storage

PostgreSQL, MySQL, PostGIS, Redis, MongoDB, Sphinx Search Engine

1996 - 2000

Bachelor of Science Degree in Electronic Engineering

Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) - Mexico City

NOVEMBER 2005 - PRESENT

Sun Certified Programmer

Sun Microsystems

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