Jon Russell

Jon Russell

Senior Full Stack Engineer

Building robust, scalable solutions for modern web and mobile applications.

About Me

Hello! I'm a full stack engineer with 13+ years of experience designing, developing, and scaling enterprise applications. My primary stack includes Laravel, PHP, MySQL, REST APIs, TypeScript, Vue.js, React, React Native and Tailwind CSS, backed by Agile leadership and a steady drive to learn and adapt to new platforms and technologies.

I enjoy working on meaningful problems with a clear business impact. I particularly enjoy building internal tools, automating tedious workflows, and improving developer experience. I do my best work when I'm given a problem, the context I need, and the space to figure out the best solution.

TL;DR

experience: My career has spanned defense, finance, and manufacturing, where I've built high-impact solutions and led cross-functional teams through complex technical challenges.

work ethic: From complex migrations and API integrations to workflow automation and production debugging, I take ownership from start to finish. I value accountability, transparency, clear communication, and mutual respect.

off the clock: I love the problem-solving side of engineering. There's something satisfying about taking something messy, manual, or frustrating and turning it into something that just works. In my spare time, I build projects around my homelab, DigitalOcean droplets, AWS EC2, and locally running LLMs.

I've preferred staying hands-on, exploring new frameworks and technologies, and seeing what's coming next. To me, the most satisfying part of engineering is delivering solutions that simplify processes, improve efficiency, and make life easier for the people who depend on them, while building something I can genuinely be proud of.

  • 13+ yrs·Software engineering
  • 3+ yrs·Project Management
  • 2.5+ yrs·Management
  • 6 yrs·Certified ScrumMaster
  • Master of Internet Techology·University of Georgia

Tech Stack

Laravel
PHP
Vue
React
TypeScript
JavaScript
Pinia
REST APIs
MySQL
HTML5
CSS3
Tailwind CSS
PEST / PHPUnit
OOP / MVC
Agile

Skills & Tools

Software Engineering

  • PHP
  • JavaScript
  • TypeScript
  • SQL
  • MySQL
  • Node.js
  • Laravel
  • Vue 3
  • Vue 2 / Vuex
  • Pinia
  • React
  • React Native
  • Expo
  • jQuery
  • webpack
  • HTML5
  • CSS3
  • SCSS
  • Bootstrap
  • Tailwind CSS
  • JSON
  • XML
  • Jira
  • REST APIs
  • Microservices
  • OOP
  • SDLC
  • SaaS
  • SEO
  • a11y

Architecture & DevOps

  • Docker
  • Vite
  • Vitest
  • Jest
  • CI/CD automation
  • Git
  • AWS
  • Azure Pipelines
  • Jenkins

Leadership & Team Building

  • Team mentoring
  • Agile Methodologies
  • Innovative process improvement
  • Experienced Manager, Project Manager
  • Certified ScrumMaster (2017-2023)

Quality & Collaboration

  • Unit testing
  • PEST / PHPUnit
  • Pair programming
  • API optimization

Tools & Environment

  • PhpStorm
  • VS Code
  • Sentry

Experience

  1. Aug 2025 — Present
    Russell I/O, LLC logo
    Web, Mobile & SaaS Application Development

    Senior Full Stack Engineer / Software Developer
    Russell I/O, LLC

    • Lead full-stack software development and consulting projects, designing, building, and maintaining production web and mobile applications with Laravel, PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, Vue, React, React Native, Tailwind CSS, and modern UI component libraries, delivering reliable and accessible solutions for clients.
    • Designed and built LawnWriter end-to-end, a production iOS/Android app (React Native/TypeScript) for GPS-guided lawn design and mowing, plus a React marketing site and a Laravel 12/PHP REST API, enabling users to create designs and text and mow them onto their lawns.
    • Built React and React Native interfaces using Zustand for state management, integrating authentication, subscriptions, and data with backend services, streamlining onboarding and improving the overall user experience.
    • Engineered custom Google Maps spatial routing with GPS tracking, turn detection, snap‑to‑position, and real‑time guidance, providing users with accurate off-road navigation.
    • Established production CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and Sentry monitoring, and managed App Store/Google Play deployments, resulting in shortened release cycles and improved app stability.
    • Leveraged AI development tools (Claude Code, Codex) to accelerate prototyping, debugging, and code reviews while retaining ownership of architecture and implementation decisions.
    • Laravel
    • PHP
    • React
    • React Native
    • Tailwind CSS
    • TypeScript
    • Vue 3
    • AWS
    • PEST / PHPUnit
    • MySQL
    • Pinia
    • Vite
    • HTML5
    • CSS3
    • REST APIs
    • Linux
    • CI/CD automation
    • Jest
    • API Integration
    • AI-Assisted Development
    • Unit testing
  2. Mar 2024 — Aug 2025
    Pioneering Evolution logo
    DoD Software & Consulting — $8.1M/yr

    Software Engineer
    Pioneering Evolution

    • Developed frontend features for TRBO, a DoD budgeting SaaS app, using Vue 3, TypeScript, JavaScript, Bootstrap, and Laravel/PHP REST APIs in Docker-based environments with images pulled from AWS.
    • Played a key role in the Vue 2-to-Vue 3 migration, converting over 80% of components while preserving our existing Composition API architecture and establishing reusable patterns and documentation that accelerated the migration and lowered future maintenance effort.
    • Engineered data-intensive budgeting workflows for allocations, approvals, revisions, status tracking, audit history, and async background jobs using Laravel queues and MySQL 8, enabling faster budgeting cycles and improved data integrity.
    • Resolved end-to-end performance bottlenecks (N+1 queries, unindexed scans, PHP memory limits), cutting a core process runtime from 11s to 3s.
    • Delivered high-coverage automated tests (PEST/PHPUnit), performed thorough code reviews, and contributed changes through Bitbucket CI/CD pipelines supporting AWS deployments.
    • Mentored junior engineers on frontend architecture, Vue 3 standards, and modern development practices through code reviews and pair programming, improving code quality and shortening onboarding time.
    • PHP
    • TypeScript
    • MySQL
    • Laravel
    • Pinia
    • HTML5
    • CSS3
    • Bootstrap
    • Git
    • REST APIs
    • Microservices
    • SaaS
    • AWS
    • Linux
    • Docker
    • CI/CD automation
    • Bitbucket
    • PEST / PHPUnit
    • API optimization
    • Agile Methodologies
    • Unit testing
    • JavaScript
    • Code reviews
    • Pair programming
    • Vite
  3. Nov 2016 — May 2023
    Glen Raven logo
    Textiles, Sunbrella brand — $900M/yr

    Senior Web Application Developer / Certified ScrumMaster
    Glen Raven, Inc.

    • Engineered enterprise full-stack web applications (PHP, MySQL, Laravel, JavaScript, Bootstrap, and REST APIs),
      owning features end-to-end from requirements through deployment.
    • Designed and built the Digital Flag Board, a multi-plant application used by 300+ operators and technicians,
      which replaced a paper‑based repair process, cut repair cycle time by 38% and lowered labor demand by 50%.
    • Built responsive admin interfaces, dashboards, and reporting tools for the Flag Board, enabling plant managers
      to monitor infrastructure, personnel, and operational metrics more efficiently, reducing manual work.
    • Developed the Web Request Dashboard, a custom front end for the Jira Cloud REST API, streamlining ticket
      creation, backlog management, attachments, and status workflows while reducing manual effort.
    • Built Glen Raven API, an internal API proof of concept for exchanging client and vendor orders, distribution
      data, and operational metrics across applications.
    • Introduced Agile methodology across multiple teams, serving as ScrumMaster and Jira administrator for sprint
      planning, retrospectives, and ongoing team ceremonies.
    • Introduced automated testing, code reviews, and CI/CD pipelines using GitHub and Azure Pipelines, resulting in
      faster release cycles and higher code quality.
    • PHP
    • MySQL
    • Laravel
    • SCSS
    • Bootstrap
    • Git
    • Jira
    • REST APIs
    • CI/CD automation
    • Jenkins
    • Azure Pipelines
    • Certified ScrumMaster (2017-2023)
    • APIs
    • Agile Methodologies
    • Team mentoring
    • JavaScript
    • PHPUnit
    • webpack
    • Unit testing
    • HTML5
    • CSS3
    • Innovative process improvement
  4. Jan 2015 — Oct 2016
    ARCA logo
    Finance / Cash Automation ($98M/yr)

    Web Software Developer / Build Engineer
    ARCA

    • Developed enterprise web applications with Laravel, PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, and REST APIs that automated cash‑handling processes for a global client base.
    • Contributed to Concert Web, an administrator‑facing application that displayed real‑time status, currency amounts, and denomination counts for proprietary remote money‑counting machines and safes, enabling operators to monitor assets instantly.
    • Integrated application functionality with the Fiserv API and internal services to expose financial data to financial institutions, allowing for up‑to‑date information retrieval.
    • As Build Engineer, managed software release cycles and built CI/CD pipelines with Jenkins, increasing automated test coverage and enhancing production reliability.
    • Coordinated requirements, vendor deliverables, project plans, and stakeholder communication as a backup Product Owner, ensuring project milestones were met and stakeholder expectations aligned.
    • PHP
    • JavaScript
    • MySQL
    • Laravel
    • REST APIs
    • CI/CD automation
    • Jenkins
    • Third-party APIs
    • SaaS
    • jQuery
    • Bootstrap
    • Git
    • Bitbucket
    • Unit testing
    • Code reviews
    • Pair programming
    • Agile Methodologies
    • PHPUnit
    • API optimization
  5. Aug 2012 — Jan 2015
    Digital Insight and NCR logo
    Digital Banking SaaS, acquired by NCR — $330M/yr

    Manager – Project Management
    Digital Insight

    • Managed two project management teams of four, one team delivering custom websites and the other delivering digital banking solutions.
    • Used project and operational metrics to identify process bottlenecks, reduce manual work, and improve implementation efficiency.
    • Enhanced the PM Dashboard and spearheaded internal automation tools that eliminated manual workflows and reduced delivery cycle time.
    • PHP
    • JavaScript
    • MySQL
    • Experienced Manager, Project Manager
    • HTML/CSS
  6. Jun 2009 — Jul 2012
    Digital Insight and Intuit logo

    Project Manager – Automated Installations Management
    Digital Insight

    • Managed post‑sale implementation for 30+ financial institutions, coordinating client requirements, delivering training, overseeing internal delivery teams, handling integrations, and executing production rollouts.
    • Collaborated with engineering, operations, and client teams to identify process bottlenecks and implement workflow improvements, resulting in faster issue resolution and smoother project execution.
    • Designed and built the PM Dashboard & Checklist, an internal web application that streamlined project management workflows, generated customizable project-specific implementation checklists, and synchronized data bidirectionally with Intuit’s QuickBase and Pivotal CRM via APIs.
    • Created automation tools that reduced onboarding timelines and client effort by 20%.
    • Project Management
    • PHP
    • JavaScript
    • MySQL
    • APIs
    • HTML/CSS
  7. Feb 2007 — May 2009
    Digital Insight and Intuit logo

    Web Software Developer
    Digital Insight

    • Developed dynamic, standards-compliant websites for financial institutions using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and
      AJAX, with pixel-perfect accuracy across browsers.
    • Collaborated with clients to gather and translate business requirements into functional web experiences that met client goals and project timelines.
    • Designed and built Reportal, a custom live-metrics reporting application integrated with Pivotal CRM via API, delivering customizable reports, notification settings, and self-service administration, extending reporting capabilities beyond the platform's built-in limitations.
    • Innovative process improvement
    • JavaScript
    • jQuery
    • HTML/CSS
    • PHP
    • MySQL
    • Perl

Projects

  • Design something to mow into your yard, then get turn-by-turn GPS navigation while you mow it.

    • React Native
    • Expo
    • TypeScript
    • Laravel
    • PHP
    • MySQL
    • Google Maps API
    • REST APIs
    LawnWriter

  • SaaS budgeting platform supporting the Navy's Strategic Systems Programs.

    • Laravel
    • Vue 3
    • PHP
    • MySQL
    • TypeScript
    • Vue 2 / Vuex
    • Pinia
    • REST APIs
    DoD Budgeting Application

  • Centralized API gateway with OAuth2 authentication, rate limiting, and request routing for multiple client applications

    • Lumen
    • PHP
    • MySQL
    • LDAP
    • Active Directory
    • JWT
    • REST APIs
    Enterprise API Gateway & Authentication

  • Enterprise ticketing system that connects factory operators, technicians, and management in real time.

    • Laravel
    • PHP
    • MySQL
    • REST APIs
    • LDAP
    • Active Directory
    • JWT
    Digital Flag Board

  • A secure, real-time dashboard for monitoring high-volume cash counting and sorting machines anywhere in the world.

    • Laravel
    • PHP
    • MySQL
    • jQuery
    • REST APIs
    • Third-party APIs
    Concert Web

  • Inclement weather and office closure notification system.

    • Laravel
    • PHP
    • MySQL
    • JavaScript
    • jQuery
    • Third-party APIs
    Enterprise SMS Notification Services

  • Custom Jira-inspired dashboard that gives teams full visibility and control over tickets without extra licenses.

    • Laravel
    • PHP
    • MySQL
    • AJAX
    • jQuery
    • Third-party APIs
    Web Request Dashboard

  • Centralized dashboard that streamlines project tracking, task management, and client service for product installations.

    • Scott Cook Innovation Award Nominee - Intuit
    • PHP
    • MySQL
    • MSSQL
    • JavaScript
    • jQuery
    • AJAX
    • Third-party APIs
    Project Manager Dashboard

Posts

  • vue-background-stars animated starfield

    2026