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Alex Birdsall

Full Stack Web Developer

ambirdsall.comambirdsall@gmail.com(802) 989-5647Portland, ORambirdsallambirdsall

Full-stack web developer with 9+ years of experience building scalable, user-friendly applications across diverse industries. Proficient in Python, TypeScript, React, and cloud technologies. Demonstrated success in designing and building complex features, optimizing systems, and collaborating with both nontechnical colleagues and other engineers to deliver high-impact solutions. Passionate about solving problems for users and developers through ethical and efficient development.

Languages

  • TypeScript
  • Python
  • Bash
  • Ruby
  • Kotlin
  • Scala

Frameworks

  • FastAPI
  • Rails
  • React
  • Vue
  • Cypress

Tools & Technologies

  • Docker
  • PostgreSQL
  • Linux
  • Redis
  • DigitalOcean
  • GCP
  • AWS

Other

  • shell scripting
  • REST API design
  • database modeling
  • CI/CD automation
  • maintainable test code

Experience

Artisan AI, Senior Software Engineer

Jul ’24–Dec ’24

  • Designed and implemented a full rewrite of the lead outreach data model in the database and python backend, replacing a static hardcoded sequence with customizable workflows that support branching logic.
  • Expanded outreach capabilities by integrating external services, requiring new systems for custom authentication, scheduling, and error handling.
  • Optimized database performance and resolved critical cloud infrastructure issues.
  • Delivered complex features across the stack, including enhancements to a React-based UI.

Airbyte, Senior Software Engineer

Aug ’22–Mar ’24

  • Wrote full-stack enhancements for the Connector Builder tool, a WYSIWYG editor for user-authored definitions of data source connectors, involving updates to the react UI, the underlying python SDK which consumes the connector definitions, and HTTP endpoints across multiple java backend services.
  • Shipped the UI for a DBT Cloud integration under a tight deadline, ensuring high-quality delivery.
  • Restructured and modernized the Cypress end-to-end test suite for improved reliability and maintainability.

Indiegogo, Software Engineer

Feb ’20–May ’22

  • Designed, implemented, and coordinated the cross-functional rollout of a complete rewrite of the main Rails app's advertising metrics system in the wake of disruptive external changes, preserving users' ability to capture campaign-specific ad metrics on the platform.
  • Part of a small team who designed and built a new inventory management tool for campaigners. Personally designed an easily-deployed, high-performance frontend tech stack, relying on pre-generated static files, and helped write the Elixir/Phoenix backend.
  • Migrated a legacy AngularJS checkout UI to Vue, improving performance and maintainability.
  • Built and maintained a suite of Cypress tests, significantly improving integration test reliability.

SigFig, Software Engineer, Frontend

Jul ’17–Oct ’19

  • A key contributor to the rewrite of a large TypeScript/angularJS application’s build system, including a migration from TS namespaces to ES2015 modules.
  • Personally responsible for rewriting a multilayered gulp+webpack build to a much simpler webpack build; and for redesigning the file override system powering different whitelabeled builds of the frontend app, significantly improving DX by replacing implicit overrides from distant subdirectories with explicitly-named overrides from files colocated with their corresponding base implementation.
  • Designed an A/B testing API, decoupling internal logic from a third-party backend for improved flexibility and maintainability.
  • Contributed to the launch of a React frontend and its Scala-based REST API.

Early Career & Freelance Projects, Various Roles

2014–2017

  • Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law
    Created a tool for parsing U.S. legal citations, generating direct links to the corresponding source documents.
  • The Emoji Dictionary
    Improved SEO and database performance, optimizing user navigation and search engine indexing.
  • Flock
    Developed secure integrations with third-party services, managing encryption challenges.
  • Magoosh
    Built new features in a Rails app, including auto-tagging and a custom A/B testing library.

    • Education

    Dev Bootcamp

    Jul–Sept ’14

    An immersive 19-week web development program. Over the final 9 weeks alone, I worked over 1000 hours at the San Francisco campus in an intensely collaborative environment that emphasized hands-on learning, empathy, communication, and problem-solving.

    Portland Community College

    Nov ’12–Jun ’14

    While working as an art teacher, independently pursued interests in Statistics and Computer Science. Where I discovered how much I enjoy programming.

    Cornell College

    Class of ’08

    B.A. in English, minor in Music. Received 2007 Winnifred Van Etten Award for Creative and Scholarly Excellence.

    Though seemingly unrelated, my studies centered on an interest in how human expression exists within and is influenced by logically analyzable systems like syntax, music theory, or grammar. I have found this to be surprisingly good preparation for the work of programming.