Joshua D Buermann

TECHNICAL SUMMARY

More than fifteen years of professional experience in applications development with a focus on open source and web technologies. Development projects have included systems support projects, team development of large web applications in startup environments, building and deploying digital research libraries, a wide variety of e-commerce applications, and systems architecture. Proven record of learning new skill sets on the job quickly.

    Platforms
    • Unixen (Solaris, GNU/Linux, NeXT/OSX): 15+ years.
    • MySQL: 10+ years.
    • Oracle: 8 years.
    • Postgres: 8 years.
    • CVS/SVN/Git: 10+ years.
    • TCP/IP, HTTP, NIS+, DNS, NFS, LDAP, VIM.
    		Development
    • Ruby: 5 years.
    • Perl: 10+ years.
    • Database design: 10+ years.
    • Javascript: 6+ years.
    • AJAX, REST, etc.: 4 years.
    • CSS/HTML/XML: 10+ years.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

    Freelance 4/11-Present

    • Helped Mata Traders, a fair trade retailer, adjust to the challenges of a growing business and prepare their retail website for a new Spring line. I migrated their existing code base into source control and set up an enterprise deployment process, then de-obfuscated, decrypted and, where necessary, rewrote third party software so the business wasn't dependent on poorly supported and often buggy plugins for their online operations. With all that in order, we implemented a website redesign, various bug fixes, feature adds, and a few front end bells and whistles.
    • Punched out a basic Ruby on Rails project for Pawngo on tight product launch deadline.
    • Built a complex web application to migrate legacy paper-ware business processes into the modern world, handling client and applicant management, day-to-day workflow, and reporting requirements for Job Giraffe, a regional staffing firm. Ruby on Rails, Mysql, Postgres, Heroku, jQuery.

    Tribune Interactive Chicago Software engineer 8/10-2/11

    • Ruby on Rails, Prototype, Postgres, and Oracle.
    • Various feature adds, test coverage, and bug fixes for the Tribune Company's content management system, supporting dozens of markets nationwide, on an agile team of eight developers.
    • Rails upgrade from 2.3 to 3.0. Prototype upgrade from 1.6 to 1.7.
    • Re-implemented a slow, unstable browser test suite. Cut the integration build time in half by splitting tests across parallel instances. Made the suite deterministic, duck typing top level methods in Cucumber and Selenium to work with a problematic implementation of Prototype.

    Freelance 12/09-7/10

    • Routine maintenance for Mata Traders and StudentSpace.
    • Implemented a store locator integrating retailer data from a backend CRM with geokit, Cubecart, and Google Maps.
    • Integrated Wordpress and Google Analytics E-Commerce Tracking into Cubecart. PHP/CSS/Mysql.
    • Developed CRM and scheduling tool. Ruby on Rails 3.x.

    Shoppertrak/RTC Chicago Architecture developer 5/07-10/09

    • Developed a core web service for the management of a network of embedded video sensor devices deployed to a global client base using Ruby on Rails (Solaris/Oracle), XML, SSH, and FTP.
    • Re-engineered architecture of supplier-client network communications to meet PCI data security standards and mitigate our impact on client IPv4 exhaustion.
    • Rolled legacy connection protocols into the web service so communications could be centralized using a standard interface across all clients.
    • Developed a universal format for receiving client sales and labor data, encompassing the requirements for hundreds of extant legacy data feeds. Developed a Ruby library that allowed non-conforming feeds to be quickly automated with a simple configuration file. Designed and documented a standardized format for future client integrations.
    • Re-engineered multiple legacy systems written in procedural Perl to use DRY, object-oriented libraries shared across projects via subversion externals. Rolled legacy systems into source code control process. Reduced code replication, enhanced maintainability, and generally tried to make life more consistent for operations.

    Zzounds Chicago Software engineer 8/04-3/07

    • Major code overhaul of large retail website separating presentation and business logic with a custom MVC architecture. PHP5 OOP, Smarty templates, Javascript, CSS, Mysql.
    • Developed full back end e-commerce integrations between the existing website infrastructure and a dozen merchants, processing businesss transactions in Perl.
    • Migrated intranet account and infrastructure management into a centralized OpenLDAP system: CSR authentication; timecard management; htaccess; machine-level access; PAM configurations; and NIS+ tables.
    • Design and maintenance of affiliate portal architecture.
    • Integrated existing mailing lists into the WhatCounts EmailBroadcast API.
    • Installation and integration of phpAdsNew into existing e-commerce platform.
    • Various proof-of-concept projects and installations: forum software spider, search engine, Drupal CMS, a custom timecard system, a price comparison portal, etc.

EDUCATION

Northwestern University, Evanston. 1995-2000.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

  • Self-directed autodidact. Outside the occasional bout of esoteric mania I have excellent writing and interpersonal skills.
  • Background in volunteer work leveraging information technologies for research and the creative arts. Occasionally caught picking guitar or banjo in related performances.
  • Maintained Richard Stallman's website, demonstrating capacity to work with curmudgeons.
  • Pretty good gardener.

REFERENCES

  • Jonit Bookheim, co-founder, Mata Traders.
  • Kyle McCluskey, architect, Tribune Technology.
  • Mark Hasse, chief architect, Shoppertrak, now Infrastructure Project Manager at W.W. Grainger.
  • Andrew Bakun, tech lead, Zzounds, now Director of Systems at Yelp.com.
  • Contact information available on request.