← jamesmandrews.com

James
Andrews

The long version. Building web applications since 1996, self-taught, and used to owning a system end to end — architecture, implementation, the third-party integrations, and the Linux and AWS underneath it.

me@jamesmandrews.com LinkedIn GitHub

2013 – present

Two platform generations at Openbridge.

Software Engineer — Openbridge, Inc.

May 2013 – present · Boston, MA · Remote

Joined pre-product and architected, built and maintained the original Openbridge SaaS application. Primary front-end engineer through the 2020 rebuild onto a serverless Python backend, and on the platform since, across two full generations of the product.

Current platform · 2020 – present

  • Rebuilt the front-end application in Angular 8 and have kept it continuously current through Angular 21
  • Carried the platform’s business logic forward from the original Symfony build, guiding the developer writing the new Python / Django REST Framework API on AWS Lambda through the domain rules, the database, and the reasoning behind existing architecture decisions
  • Moved the platform off self-hosted authentication onto Auth0, implementing the migration
  • Building the Openbridge CLI, which will let customers connect their AI agents to the Openbridge API
  • Maintain the front end and help maintain the Django REST Framework API

Original platform · 2013 – 2020

  • Architected, implemented and maintained v1 of the SaaS application, a Symfony 2 API with an Angular 1 front end, from nothing to production
  • Built OAuth connection management for the third-party APIs feeding customer pipeline services
  • Integrated those same third-party APIs to pull the data used to configure customer pipelines
  • Implemented the platform’s billing through Stripe
Built v1
Symfony API, Angular front end, solo
Rebuild
Python on Lambda, Angular 8 → 21
Also shipped
Stripe billing, OAuth connection management, the move to Auth0

Before this

Seventeen years of other people’s websites.

19962013

Co-founder, Engineer — Givvy, Inc.

Oct 2007 – Sep 2009

Co-founded a charitable giving platform that helped people plan and direct their donations. Built on Symfony 1.0 / PHP5 with MySQL, using AJAX for in-place editing rather than full page reloads.

  • Co-architected the application and contributed to design decisions on customer interaction
  • Integrated the Network For Good SOAP API to process user donations
  • Integrated the MallNetworks SOAP API so users could shop on behalf of their chosen charity
  • Integrated Facebook Connect to link Givvy accounts to users’ Facebook accounts
  • Ran the EC2 Linux infrastructure the platform was hosted on

Senior Engineer — Digibug Express, Inc.

Feb 2005 – May 2008 · Waltham, Massachusetts

Developed and extended Digibug’s online photo fulfillment services in PHP4 and PHP5, covering image editing through a web interface, e-commerce, and proprietary requirements for B2B partner Creative Memories.

  • Co-developed an XML REST API that let professional photographers host images on their own sites and sell them through Digibug’s services
  • Managed web servers and data storage for Creative Memories
  • At contract end, migrated 30TB of Creative Memories image assets and website software from Digibug’s Boston data center to Creative Memories in St. Paul, Minnesota
  • Migrated Digibug servers and storage to the new owners following the sale of the business

Senior Programmer, Systems Administrator — Cambridge SoundWorks

Sep 2002 – Feb 2005 · Andover, Massachusetts

E-commerce development and systems administration for a consumer audio retailer.

  • Built new storefront functionality in Perl, HTML and CSS, and updated the site weekly with price and product changes
  • Built an internal email marketing server (PHP4, HTML, CSS, MySQL, Postfix) that sent 50,000+ emails weekly
  • Built online quizzes and promotional microsites for company contests

Senior Programmer Analyst — Digitas

Sep 1999 – Oct 2001 · Boston, Massachusetts

Built HTML base templates for major retail and financial accounts, and added client-requested content to those templates to build out each site. Joined via predecessor agency Strategic Interactive Group in April 1999.

  • Wrote a Perl script that assembled the Green Mountain Energy site from separate HTML components
  • Built JavaScript features across accounts, including navigation rollovers for L.L. Bean and Aetna, and product availability changes on Neiman Marcus product pages

L.L. Bean, Neiman Marcus, FedEx, General Motors, Aetna, Green Mountain Energy

Programmer, Jr. Systems Administrator — Futurecom.net

1997 – 1998 · Foxboro, Massachusetts

Wrote Perl CGI programs for clients of a small family-run ISP and consulting firm, and supported the senior systems administration staff.

Webmaster — The Internet Access Company (TIAC)

1996 – 1997 · Bedford, Massachusetts

Configured servers to add customer domain hosted websites across a multi-server environment at a regional ISP, and provided technical support to those customers, covering HTML debugging, Perl CGI debugging, and other hosting issues.

  • Became the company’s sole webmaster shortly after promotion and took on the full hosting and support workload
  • Wrote Perl CGI scripts for hosting customers and sourced additional scripts for the shared script library

Contract work

Shorter engagements, mostly between staff roles.

Aquent Partners

1998 – 99 · Boston, Massachusetts

Short assignments creating and modifying client sites in HTML, with Perl CGI for contact form handling. Media 100, Putnam Investments, BankBoston, NYNEX.

iRobot, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

Sep 2008 – Jun 2009 · via Aquent

HTML pages for iRobot’s government robot portfolio, and web pages plus an insurance calculator for indigo-insurance.com.

Winter Wyman

Jun 2009 – Aug 2009

Web development for Winter Wyman clients, including CIO Interactive Council.

3Com

Oct 2009 – Apr 2010 · via Technisource

Site and HTML email changes against internal work orders, deployed through TeamSite, Interwoven OpenDeploy and Perforce.

Harvard Business School Publishing

Apr 2010 – Jun 2010 · via Addison Search

Custom designs implemented on HBSP learning portals per client, in HTML, CSS and jQuery.

myGengo

Sep 2010 – Nov 2010

Built and maintained functionality for an online translation service (PHP, CodeIgniter, jQuery), and customized Question2Answer for planned use.

Wellogic

Jan 2012 – Feb 2012 · Waltham, Massachusetts

Development support for client-side assets in HTML5, CSS and JavaScript.

What I work in

Day to day
TypeScript · Angular · Python · Django REST Framework · AWS Lambda
Long familiarity
PHP · Symfony · JavaScript · Node · SQL · HTML · CSS · SASS · Perl
Infrastructure
AWS · Lambda · serverless · EC2 · Linux · Apache · MySQL · Git · system administration
Integration
REST API design · SOAP · OAuth · Auth0 · Stripe · Google APIs · XML · JSON
Elsewhere
E-commerce · WordPress · Unreal Engine · Unity

Projects

Things I built for myself.

Circle of Fifths

jamesmandrews.github.io/circle-of-fifths

Pick a key, hear its seven chords, see how each one functions.

String Tuner

jamesmandrews.github.io/guitar-tuner

Reference-tone tuner with transpose and volume. No microphone, nothing to install.

James Andrews Photography

jamesandrewsphotography.com

Photographs, since the mid-2000s.

Member Minder

2012 – 13 · WordPress plugin

Lets a site owner control which content is visible to which non-administrative user roles.

Education

Yamasa Institute

2002

Certificate, Japanese Language

Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School

1987 – 1992

High School Diploma; Electronics Trade Certificate, Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Recommendations

Swapna R Reddy · engineering leader, same team at 3Com

James is a detail oriented, innovative and careful perfectionist — his ideas, skills, creativity and understanding of change requests makes any project a dream. He has an extensive knowledge, and his open-minded approach could not be overestimated. He denotes a strong experience in areas such as PHP and JavaScript. His calming personality makes you feel completely comfortable, even when you’re making mistakes.

Michael Smith · Sr. Director of DevOps, Cartera Commerce; managed James directly

James’ focus on delivering timely, quality solutions to customer requirements made him both a pleasure to work with and an indispensable member of the engineering team at Digibug.