Feb – June 2008: Contract; UPCO (Leeds)
Client-side and Java developer.
Creating an HTML front end based on internally created complex designs for a ‘desktop’ style application. Supporting IE6 & 7, Firefox & Opera. Including building handcrafted bespoke functionality for:
• Generic AJAX Auto complete mechanism
• Accordian style collapsing/expanding mechanism
• ‘Modal’ popup supporting AJAX and Iframe content

Java functionality including:
• Spring MVC based construct (controller & JSP) & internal help classes
• API interfacing
• Results set ordering
• Pagination
• Search mechanism
• Unit testing

Oct – Dec 2007: Freelance Contract; Superbreak
Providing basic coding resource to support the Superbreak Coldfusion MX Mach-II application.

Work included:
• Core application amendment to render more SEO ‘friendly’ URLs
• Extend ‘Administration’ suite to provide a mechanism for managing ‘theatre reviews’ – a follow up piece of work to amend the front end to present this information was required after completion of this piece, but was carried out internally by Superbreak
• Creation of ‘Winter sale’ page (superbreak.com -> offers -> winter sale)

Feb – Oct 2007: Freelance Contract; Imaginative Traveller (TUI Travel PLC)
Providing consultancy and making recommendations on development undertakings and undertaking development work.

Work included:
• sitewide rebrand
• homepage and 4 category landing page management addition to existing CMS
• drafted ‘recommendations’ proposal document addressing outstanding pieces of work and upcoming undertakings, along with defining best practice approaches for solutions and a set of recommended undertakings to affect positive changes to the imTrav website, back-end systems and general day-to-day development operations, i.e. implementing end-to-end development change management/lifecycle/release processes and corresponding roles and responsibilities, version controlling, unit testing, implementing a full development suite, etc
• minor site changes; inclusion of web-bug tracking tags after performing a site spider & audit, several minor tweaks
• incorporating the forthcoming years tours and into the website and the ‘Wanderwiki’ ‘Media Wiki’– introducing helper functionality to inject the data directly into the database to remove the need for developer intervention and hand building each tour entry or change

Interviewing new employees, client liaison, client proposals, website design specifications, storyboards, project time schedule, developing dynamic websites using Cold Fusion/ASP.

I began as sole Developer for the icircle ‘womens’ portal, progressed to Senior Developer in the ‘Application Development’ Team, then onto TL P/CMS and finally as combined TL P/CMS & ADM.

ADM roles & responsibilities:
• supporting ‘Portal & Consumer Systems’ Dev manager
• supporting 3 Dev teams
• process development
• team representation/profile/awareness & business relationship development
• interviewing for available team positions
This role involved a large amount of process oriented activity. Investigating development methodologies, process solutions, technology reviews and drafting team support documentation for roles and responsibilities, operating procedure and supported systems.

Team Leader roles & responsibilities:
• Managing geographically split team ~8 team members
• day-to-day team operation and management
• resource allocation
• solution architect, project planning & documentation & virtual team management
• team documentation
• team development (training, etc)
• process definition/refinement/management/setting & maintaining standards
• business consultation
• mentoring/coaching/training team members and other individuals.

Extensive exposure to CF and Spectra, including their limitations and consequently identifying improvements. Included familiarisation with the platform operation and ancillary augmentation services (LDAP, Siteminder, CODB). Understanding of how CF code is executed and how it utilises available resources.

I have personally worked on many individual components and applications ranging from developing functional components to be presented to end users via the portal, a bolt on extension to Spectra allowing Spectra templates to be built from scratch by editors (removing the dependence on Development for adding new sections to the Portal), a full CMS for managing streaming media assets (and details pertaining to them) and a whole raft of other bespoke elements.

Spectra CMS replacement project involved assessing alternative solutions; including proposal document for an internally developed solution, off-the-shelf solutions, open source solutions and internal France Telecom group solutions.