Jon Whittlestone, Senior Backend Developer
| +44 789 449 5422 | Dorking, GB
SUMMARY
I am a full-stack developer designing, building and maintaining data-intensive apps. I'm a product-focused collaborator who consults with security and user feedback as primary concerns. Building across the entire stack, I specialise in delivering solutions that enable SaaS companies to retain larger and more valuable subscribers.
EDUCATION
AWS 2020-10 — 2020-10
SAA-C02 - AWS Certified Solutions Architect
GIAC 2009-08 — 2020-08
- STAR Web Application Security, GIAC Certification
The University of Westminster 2000-09 — 2004-06
Bachelor's - BSc (Hons.) Multimedia Computing
SKILLS
Backend (Advanced): Python, Django, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, GraphQL, Mongo (Motor / Beanie), ElasticSearch, Redis, Serverless, PHP
Frontend (Intermediate): JavaScript / TypeScript, HTML / JSX , Frameworks (React / Vue.js / Nuxt), SCSS / CSS / Styled Components
Devops (Intermediate): AWS, Jenkins / GitHub Actions, Ansible, Terraform, Containerisation (Docker/ECS), Heroku, Caching
EXPERIENCE
HarperCollins Publishers [Contract] | Senior Python Developer 2019-04 — 2023-10

Multiple project design & deliveries. Design, implementation and maintenance of backend service with Django and ElasticSearch for core data intensive platform. Responsible for design and build of security focused content managed system using Mongo Client-Side Field Level encryption and FastAPI.

  • Key deliverables included Test-first Python development and modern Python tooling working in multi-disciplinary agile SCRUM team of between 8 and 12
  • Implemented API presentation layers with Django Rest Framework / GraphQL
  • Developed and maintained: Docker Swarm and containerisation workflows
  • Consulted: Progress reporting, code reviews, documentation, recruitment initiatives
  • Designed, built, deployed Python microservice, rapid prototyping with FastAPI and Mongo with encryption at rest (CSFLE).
  • Iterated: rapid prototyping with React.js, Typescript and Storybook
  • Led and mentored junior developers
  • Optimised devops workflows with Jenkins, Ansible and Terraform
  • Custom CMS and Django frontend template development with Wagtail and HTML/CSS
  • Auth integration with Okta Single-Sign On / OAuth2.0 with SSO (OIDC) flow between SPA <> API <> IDP
ComplyAdvantage [Permanent] | Senior Software Engineer 2014-04 — 2018-11

At the regtech scale-up, I was one of the founding contributors creating search platforms and taking the firm from bootstrap through to Series B. Designing, implementing RESTful APIs and user experiences.

  • Built and maintained initial Transaction Monitoring (TM) product (Laravel/Fractal) for 4 financial institutions with Redis Queue Workers
  • Collaborating with in-house Romanian team, working as support engineer for growing Python Transaction Monitoring product. Building on AWS with Terraform
  • Deployment and Maintenance of core Django product: API and templating.
  • Created Gateway, multi-tenant remittance platform supporting 100s of retail users, currently transacting > £10m annually
  • Designed, Developed Gateway Frontend sanctions and screening interface with Vanilla JS. Backend development using Laravel and MongoDB
HowApped Ltd. [Personal Service Company] | Software Engineer 2012-01 — 2014-04

Full-Stack developer contracts.

  • Premier League/Designwerk: Laravel 4.x RESTful interface for a statistic dashboard to store match attendance from CSV
  • BRE/Brilliant Basics: Laravel 4.x community platform/social media. including polling, twitter harvesting and screen scraping for custom-built commenting system. Designed and implemented tagging system on an MS SQL database
  • Candyspace Media Ltd./Nintendo: Developing data capture facebook app with custom MVC framework for a community of video game users. Git and Agile approaches with JIRA, Magento Theming in a LAMP environment
  • Mercedes-Benz/Digital Annexe: OO PHP5 XML to Flash based management team for MB finance team. MB customer-facing CodeIgniter project with content managed publishing system via CodeIgniter REST server/client
Cashcade Ltd. / Party Gaming | Lead Developer 2009-07 — 2011-01

Pre-Career Break: Foxybingo (T/A)

  • Created web to integrate/communicate with 3rd Party platforms
  • Administered and maintained existing web applications
  • Consulted in the migration of bingo platforms with player databases exceeding 1m active users
  • Following the software development life cycle, designed, developed and deployed a customer retention tool. I created a web service with Front End (Flash/ActionScript) communicated with a PHP-driven back end and a MySQL database. The product led to a 41% increase in daily revenues
INTERESTS
Reading / Writing , Music performance / production