Vlad Nicula, Developer in Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County, Romania
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Vlad Nicula

Verified Expert  in Engineering

TypeScript Developer

Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County, Romania

Toptal member since August 10, 2017

Expertise
Front-endCSSJavaScriptReact.jsTypeScriptReduxNode.jsNoSQLVue.jsMongoDBOpen Source DevelopmentNuxt.jsNext.jsFlutterFirebase
Bio

Vlad is a senior TypeScript engineer capable of leading teams and architecting complex front-end applications. Over the past decade of his career, he has demonstrated expertise with web apps that span industries—from eCommerce shops like LEGO to real-time applications that allow multiple users to collaborate in real time. With extensive knowledge of JavaScript and browser APIs, he can cover a project from beginning to end. Keen on communication, Vlad thrives in and empowers remote teams.

Portfolio

Toptal
React, TypeScript, Front-end
CoreFitness
Flutter, Firebase, React, Node.js, MongoDB, Front-end...
TeleportHQ
User Experience (UX), TypeScript, Node.js, React, Architecture, NoSQL, MongoDB...

Experience

  • JavaScript - 10 years
  • CSS - 10 years
  • React - 6 years
  • TypeScript - 4 years
  • Redux - 4 years
  • Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) - 4 years
  • WebSockets - 3 years
  • MobX - 1 year

Availability

Full-time

Preferred Environment

TypeScript, Git, React, Flutter

The most amazing...

...application I've worked on is a no-code platform enabling visual UI development and outputs generated code in React, Vue.js, and Angular—play.teleporthq.io.

Work Experience

React SME

2021 - PRESENT
Toptal
  • Taught React and TypeScript to Toptal developers with other programming backgrounds who want to apply to React projects within the Toptal network.
  • Took responsibility for preparing topics of discussion and lesson plans and teaching concepts necessary for modern application development with React and TypeScript.
  • Did live coding sessions with an audience to demonstrate in practice the theoretical concepts from the lessons and answered attendees' questions.
Technologies: React, TypeScript, Front-end

CTO

2020 - 2021
CoreFitness
  • Bootstrapped the entire infrastructure of a mobile app, web admin portal, and microservice-driven back-end architecture for a fitness-related product.
  • Created a native mobile app from scratch using Flutter and Material-UI components.
  • Integrated with third-party microservices via Node.js Cloud Functions written in TypeScript.
  • Created a React-based admin dashboard for managing application users and settings and checking the system's integrity.
  • Was actively involved in stakeholder meetings and featured prioritization and strategic planning.
  • Created actionable requirements for outsourcing parts of the development to other development teams.
Technologies: Flutter, Firebase, React, Node.js, MongoDB, Front-end, Content Management Systems (CMS)

Tech Lead | Software Architect

2018 - 2020
TeleportHQ
  • Created the custom architecture of a collaborative, real-time, visual UI builder that generates code in all major UI frameworks.
  • Played a key role in creating the startup's Jira process, release cycles, and development methodologies.
  • Mentored junior and mid-level developers helping them become more efficient and improving both their technical abilities and soft skills.
  • Developed React components for the visual UI editor's user interface spanning various forms, performant data-heavy lists, nested lists, and tooltips to custom touch-friendly zooming and scrolling components.
  • Contributed to the strategic planning of the yearly release cycles of the product, keeping in mind the priorities from the business perspective and the current technical debt and team capabilities.
  • Co-created an open-source code generation library that uses abstract syntax trees to progressively enhance the code of visual UI components on the fly based on the input from the visual editor application mentioned above.
Technologies: User Experience (UX), TypeScript, Node.js, React, Architecture, NoSQL, MongoDB, Front-end, Content Management Systems (CMS), Vue

Owner | CTO

2016 - 2018
Digicraft
  • Started working as an independent contractor offering front-end and full-stack JavaScript development solutions to multiple clients in Europe. For the first part of 2016, I lived and contracted in London and then relocated to my home country.
  • Developed the current LEGO store website together with five other front-end developers.
  • Developed a React calendar component for a premium components suite with almost feature parity with Google Calendar.
  • Created an Instagram automation platform that allowed automated posting, scrapping, and scheduling of actions on the social network.
Technologies: User Experience (UX), JavaScript, TypeScript, Node.js, Redux, React, NoSQL, MongoDB

Full-stack JavaScript Developer

2016 - 2016
YOTI
  • Architected a full-stack React and Node.js application that communicated via WebSockets. The tech stack included ES6, React, Redux, Socket.IO, and Protocol Buffers for smaller socket packages. The entire project was unit tested.
  • Used Docker to write modular microservices that had specialized roles in the infrastructure of many microservices. Mocked the behavior of other services to allow testing in isolation while developing.
  • Collaborated with a team of five full-stack developers and a QA engineer. I tracked issues with Jira and presented story breakdowns and estimations. I also had feedback with on-site UX/UI teams in London.
Technologies: JavaScript, Node.js, Redux, React, NoSQL, Front-end, Content Management Systems (CMS)

Full-stack JavaScript Developer | Front-end Lead

2013 - 2015
SF AppWorks
  • Hired first to Cluj-Napoca's team, later scaled up to nine front-end and five back-end devs. My management duties included Jira, task estimation, tasks split, and communicating with AARP representatives (clients), building solutions for their needs.
  • Introduced Less, Gulp, Express.js, Browserify, Flux, and React to the dev team on ongoing projects such as LifeReimagined (lifereimagined.aarp.org), a responsive website and web app featured by Oprah that helps people with their personal development.
  • Architected the front-end application on a newer product version. My decisions shaped all the technologies, the workflow, and the development process.
  • Trained my teammates on how to use the new tech stack and talked with designers and product owners (our clients) from New York to better understand their requirements, apart from developing the web app.
  • Architected the LifeReimagined Institute (institute.lifereimagined.org) website built in JavaScript with a Node.js back end and Backbone.js front end. I also helped instruct a remote team on how to continue developing both the back and the front end.
  • Led a team of six developers, splitting the workload between them and assessing strengths and weaknesses. I helped in sprint planning with estimates and assured the team's efficacy.
Technologies: User Experience (UX), JavaScript, Redux, Node.js, React, Architecture, Front-end

Front-end Developer

2012 - 2013
KNO, Inc. (Acquired by Intel)
  • Hired as the first front-end developer to join the Cluj-Napoca office. The rest of the team was in Santa Clara, California.
  • Contributed to integrated and complementary projects' development, helping publishers to release K-12 and college books in KNO's digital platform. Students can buy books with enhanced content, social integration, and teacher-student notes sharing.
  • Handled front-end development and often traveled to California to meet the rest of the front-end team.
  • Provided cross-platform support of the apps, hybrid app integration, CSS hardware-accelerated animation development, and touch gesture-enabled feature implementations.
Technologies: JavaScript, Front-end

Front-end/UX Developer

2011 - 2012
SDL Language Weaver
  • Worked on the company's flagship product, a fully web-based application suite used by localization teams to translate huge amounts of content. The website was a rich internet application with an Ext JS front end and a Java Spring back end.
  • Created smaller projects from scratch using pure JavaScript, integrating them with the automated translation services from the main app.
  • Worked within an agile environment as part of my role.
  • Engaged regularly in professional development efforts.
Technologies: JavaScript, Front-end

Freelance Developer

2008 - 2011
Digicraft
  • Taught myself how to code and started freelancing while still in high school. I built mostly websites and WordPress themes/plugins.
Technologies: CSS, Front-end

Experience

Teleport Code Generators

https://github.com/teleporthq/teleport-code-generators
An open-source project with dozens of contributors, co-created by me and a colleague. The project generates code in React, Angular, Vue.js, and Stencils based on domain data.

The core technical feat of this project is the Abstract Syntax Tree pipeline, which allows plugin creators to write new routines for code generators by extending the existing code generation engine.

JSHeroes

http://jsheroes.io/
I co-organized the first open-source international conference about JavaScript in Romania.
• Open budget.
• Open websites.
• Open organizational details.
• Worked together with a team of passionate likeminded people to bring high profile speakers at the conference
• Organized meetups and workshops in weekly meetups

Timezone Manager

https://github.com/vladnicula/timezone-manager
A simple demo project with React, Redux, Node.js, Webpack, and other current technologies where users can authenticate, create time zones, and manage other users based on their roles.

Education

2009 - 2012

Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science

Babes-Bolyai University - Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Skills

Libraries/APIs

React, Node.js, Vue, MobX

Tools

Figma, Stencil.js

Languages

TypeScript, CSS, JavaScript, HTML

Frameworks

Redux, Nuxt.js, Next.js, Flutter

Storage

NoSQL, MongoDB

Paradigms

Unit Testing, Management

Platforms

Firebase

Other

Front-end, Content Management Systems (CMS), APIs, WebSockets, Remote Team Leadership, Abstract Syntax Trees (AST), Progressive Web Applications (PWAs), User Experience (UX), Open Source, Architecture

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