Justin Gustafson

I am a Software Engineer Problem Solver React Developer TypeScript Wizard API Creator

About Me.

Software Engineer

I am an experienced, collaborative software engineer who enjoys the process of brainstorming, designing and building applications. I love being involved in working through challenging projects, problem-solving and working with a team to produce high-quality and smartly-engineered apps. I would bring to your company a passion for engineering, a desire to continually expand my knowledge of ever-changing tools and technologies and a cooperative, flexible attitude that allows me to be an integral contributor on any development team.

Why hire me? I have a solid foundation of experience including at a company constantly iterating and deploying features to production code, fixing problems, implementing micro-services and creating new APIs and UIs . As a former teacher, I bring the critical skills of collaboration, problem-solving, creativity, planning, and attention to detail to my work in software engineering, key components to creating a superior final product. I expect excellence and work until I achieve it, with a hunger for learning new technologies and improving our product and team.

Personal Information

NameJustin Gustafson
ResidenceMichigan, USA
LinkedInLinkedIn Profile
GithubGithub Profile
Emailjtwgus@gmail.com

Download Resume

Main Skills

TypeScript/JS/Node.js/Jest

I have extensive experience with TypeScript and JavaScript, particularly in building and testing robust web applications using React and Next.js frameworks. My work includes implementing and writing Jest tests for complex frontend features. Using Node.js and NEST.js, I've developed backend services that integrate with various databases and third-party APIs, ensuring code quality through comprehensive Jest testing suites. I'm proficient in modern JavaScript practices, including async/await patterns, state management, and type-safe development with TypeScript, while maintaining high test coverage through unit and integration tests.

Software Engineering Experience

I am a full-stack software engineer with extensive experience building and deploying critical features for ordering platforms, including modifying API infrastructure and real-time order management, while implementing robust CI/CD pipelines and monitoring solutions. My work spans both web and mobile development, with expertise in various databases and third-party service integrations. I also co-created Synapse, an open-source tool to configure, build, deploy to the cloud, and monitor a GraphQL Gateway, putting legacy APIs behind a single GraphQL endpoint.

React/NextJS/NestJS

I have extensive experience building applications with Next.js, React, and NEST.js frameworks implementing numerous customer-facing features into production applications. My work includes solving complex state management challenges, handling client-side rendering optimizations, and ensuring accessibility compliance. On the backend, I've architected NEST.js BFF services that act as proxies for frontend applications, integrating various databases (MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Redis) and third-party services like Firebase and Sendgrid. I'm well-versed in setting up CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions and implementing monitoring solutions with OpenTelemetry and Grafana.

Production Web Apps

I have significant experience working with production-scale applications and monolithic architectures, including leading the development of a new Receipt Service from initial design through production deployment. I've managed feature development and deployments for a high-traffic ordering platform, implementing critical updates while ensuring system stability and performance. My work includes gathering cross-team requirements, creating technical documentation, refactoring monolithic components into maintainable services, establishing monitoring solutions, and handling production incidents, all while maintaining system stability and backwards compatibility.

Skills

Testimonials

Justin was primarily responsible for technical design and execution of SMS receipts (service). He was able to take the product requirements and design a technical solution document which received praise from many leaders. Additionally Justin demonstrated strong flexibility in execution of this initiative as he was able to work across multiple areas of the stack (including ones that are somewhat foreign to our team).

SpotOn Team Manager

2024 Annual Evaluation

Over the past year Justin has demonstrated strong ownership & collaboration and has been able to deliver results with strong accountability. Justin has proven to be highly adaptable taking on whatever tasks the team needs him to. Additionally Justin made an important cultural impact by driving more open communication on the team.

SpotOn Team Manager

2023 Annual Evaluation

Justin absorbed requirements of an assignment quickly and did not require close supervision. He was cooperative and flexible, crucial attributes given the fast pace. Justin invariably grasped the essential elements after a brief explanation and produced what was needed. His easygoing manner made working with him enjoyable as well.

William Grant

US Delegate to the United Nations

Justin demonstrated a gift for distilling conceptually difficult material into compelling written arguments. In addition to having formidable intellectual capabilities and a ferocious work ethic, Justin embodies the selfless devotion to the betterment of others.

Dr. Derrick Hulme

Professor, Alma College

Justin consistently demonstrated very good-to-superior analytical, problem-solving, synthesis, communication, and research skills. He is trustworthy, reliable, extremely hard-working, resilient and teachable. His most impressive attributes are his intelligence, work ethic, passion for learning, intellectual curiosity, teamwork experiences and agreeable personality. I recommend him enthusiastically and without reservations.

Dr. Michael Yavenditti

Professor, Alma College

My Resume.

Experience

Software Engineer

SpotOn, Inc

SpotOn is a provider of restaurant Point of Sale software, including back and front of house, business operations and online ordering management.

Led the end-to-end development of the Receipt Service, collaborating across teams to gather requirements, create technical documentation, and successfully deploy the service using GitHub Actions and Docker

Enhanced core ordering capabilities by implementing multiple critical features: the Start A Tab checkout process, API reorder endpoint, table number and call number functionality for dine-in ordering, and the Collaborative Ordering feature, collectively improving the customer experience.

Architected and implemented sophisticated promotional systems, including developing API structures for differentiating between promos, deals, and rewards, creating expiration check logic, and integrating marketing deals with the rewards and loyalty program.

Strengthened platform monitoring and reliability by creating a comprehensive Master Dashboard for OLO backend and frontend monitoring in Datadog, establishing deployment pipelines for Receipt Service and Mobile App, and playing a crucial role in emergency response by diagnosing and resolving critical orderTypes validation issues during off-hours.

Helped to integrate a centralized API infrastructure, moving from a monolithic application to a micro-services architecture

Developed micro-services including a MFE for our client dashboard and a Delivery-Service

Enhanced the ordering platform by implementing critical features in the NEXT.js app including reordering functionality, discount/promo management, Start-A-Tab capabilities, marketing deal integration, and customer feedback systems

Established and configured two NEST.js Backend-for-Frontend services with comprehensive APIs, creating efficient proxy layers for frontend services, complete with robust GitHub Action CI/CD pipelines for automated deployment.

2024 2022
Software Engineer

Synapse

Synapse is an open-source tool to build, deploy, and monitor a GraphQL Gateway, putting legacy APIs behind a single GraphQL endpoint.

Developed a GUI using React for easily adding various API types to the Gateway

Built a configurable GraphQL API Gateway using GraphQL Mesh and Apollo

Captured and stored real-time resolver latency data in MongoDB

Implemented a dashboard for monitoring request and error data

Built a pipeline to provision and deploy to serverless AWS infrastructure using Docker

Created a Node.js CLI to reduce total calls into a few simple commands

Engineered an Apollo Server Plugin to log error data for GraphQL requests

Authored technical case study of the Synapse project

2021 2021
Junior Developer

Amesite

Amesite builds artificial-intelligence software products designed to improve learning for educational and business institutions.

Implemented website and core application updates within an Agile framework

Researched new products like APIs and other third-party services

2021 2020
Software Engineer

Self-Employed

Completed Trail Tracker app for Hiking Trail Group and several projects for non-profit groups (React, Firebase, SQL, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, Node, Express, Mongo) as well as a RequestBin and Trello-like project management tool.

2020 2017
Teacher

Michigan

I taught high school Social Studies at various school districts, including History, Economics, Government and International Relations.

2016 2000
Fulbright Scholar/Teacher

Czech Republic

I was awarded the US State Department Fulbright Scholar to teach English in the Czech Republic.

2006 2005

Education

Launch School

Software Engineering

JavaScript/Node/Express/React

PostgreSQL/NoSQL Databases

Go/Jest/AWS/TypeScript

Launch School focuses on a mastery-based learning approach of fundamental programming concepts which now enables me to pick up new languages and technologies quickly. I completed a wide variety of tests and projects ending with a thesis-level original engineering project called Synapse.

2021 2020
Udemy & Codecademy

Full Stack Web Development

React & Redux

Docker

Advanced React

TypeScript

Projects in JavaScript (ES6) & jQuery

HTML/CSS

JavaScript Testing

Completed several web development courses to learn and enhance my skills in different areas of development.

2020 2017
Treehouse & Codeschool

Front-end Development

Wordpress Custom Themes

JavaScript & React Testing

JavaScript Best Practices

HTML/CSS/Grid/Flexbox/Sass

Front-End Development Tools

Completed my Front-End Developer Certification and how to develop custom themes in Wordpress.

2019 2017
Grand Valley State Univeristy

Master's Degree in Education

2007 2000
Alma College

B.A. in History/Political Science

Secondary Education Teaching Certificate

1997 1993