John Pretsch: Software Developer/Consultant

Summary

Software Developer/Consultant  with many years of experience delivering secure, scalable solutions on time and on budget.  Proficient in working with stakeholders to oversee end-to-end project lifecycles. Development tools include LEMP/LAMP frameworks, JavaScript frameworks, relational and non-relational databases and front end technologies.

Experience

Independent Software Developer/Consultant

Feb 2015 – Present

Planning and implementation of projects for clients large and small. Projects ranging from new development with modern frameworks to maintenance of legacy systems. Communication with  and management of clients and other stakeholders.

  • Improved the security and maintainability of an existing php application by moving core functionality to the Microsoft cloud (Azure).
  • Reworked dev ops and security practices for a work order processing system.
  • Reduced complexity and added functionality to a job board site by refactoring legacy PHP code into a modern framework..
  • Optimized the database schema of an existing php application for a medical supply company.
  • Built a prototype for an online inventory management system using Laravel and Livewire.
  • Built Shopify based order tracking system for an online retailer across multiple countries/currencies.
  • Sensible application of design patterns to application development problems.

Hostpapa, Burlington ON — Full Stack Developer

Dec 2019 – Feb 2021

Full stack developer role in an agile environment. Primarily worked in PHP/Laravel and JavaScript/Angular.

  • Was a key contributor to the ongoing development of a complex web hosting platform using PHP (Laravel) and JavaScript (Angular).
  • Managed and analyzed data with complex custom queries, primarily with MySQL.
  • Worked with a team using Agile and Test Driven Development.
  • Peer reviewed contributions from other developers and contributed to  the release management process.

Venu eLearning Solutions, Mableton GA — Software Developer

Feb 2014 – Feb 2015

Played a key role in the development and maintenance of a custom LMS (Learning Management System).

  • Design and development of core components within an LMS (Learning Management System) using LAMP and Moodle.
  • Complex query authoring with raw SQL for reporting purposes.
  • New Development and refactoring of front-end components with HTML5 and Bootstrap.
  • Development of RESTFull APIs for internal and external clients.

Ganz Studios, Woodbridge ON — Software Developer

Sept 2008 – Nov 2012

Played a vital role in the ongoing development on the backend platform for a large online gaming platform.

  • Developed and maintained several in house content management systems using a variety of frameworks including Code Igniter and Zend.
  • Developed  web traffic analysis tools using both Google analytics components and an in-house system employing Python, PHP and PostgreSQL.
  • Wrote detailed design documents for technical users and user manual style documents for non-technical users.
  • Integrated Facebook APIs in support of Facebook based web games.

I Love Rewards Inc, Toronto ON — Web Developer

July 2005 – June 2008

  • Developed robust web-based applications as part of a small team using PHP/MySQL and
  • Java in a fast paced, agile development environment.

Core Skills

Software Development:

PHP, JavaScript, Python, NodeJS, Laravel, CodeIgniter, Zend, Moodle, Shopify, Legacy System Modernization, PHP Unit, Python, Nginx, React, Angular, jQuery, AJAX, RESTFull API development, Design Patterns, Microservice Development, SOAP, SASS, CSS3, Tailwind, Webpack, Composer,  HTML5, Bootstrap.

Data Management:

MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Query Authoring, Data Modeling.

DevOps:

CI/CD, Git, Docker, BitBucket Pipelines, DataDog,  AWS, Azure, GCP.

System Administration:

Nginx, Apache, Linux server administration, RHEL, Security Best Practices.

Project Management:

Technical Writing, Jira, Scrum, Agile development, Kanban.

Education

Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technologies — Software Engineering Technologist

Graduated Dec 2001

Contact Me