Resume

Brandon Rotkel

11523 23rd Ave NE, Seattle, WA, 98125 • (949) 861-0947

brotkel@gmail.com • http://finenothings.com

Front-end Web Developer & Graphic Designer

Technical Skills

Expert in standards-compliant HTML5, CSS 3, and Javascript/Typescript for desktop and mobile browsers.

Proficient with front-end frameworks and libraries, including React, Next.js, AngularJS, Sass, Styled Components, Tailwind, Fluent UI and others.

Has built RESTful APIs with Node and written Swagger documentation and Postman collections to deliver expected architecture to backend teams.

Experience with deploying Docker and Kubernetes containers on AWS and Azure hosting platforms with New Relic monitoring, as well as S3 storage and static site generation.

Skilled with full and headless CMS templating engines, such as Drupal, Wordpress and ContentStack.

Has written department standards for code workflows using Git, TDD with Jest, and implemented code reviews with Github and BitBucket.

Background with design and UX tools for raster (Photoshop), vector (Illustrator) images, and wireframes/prototyping (Sketch, Figma).

Career Development

Estee Lauder – Senior Engineer, Remote 01/2022 – Current

Joined team in charge of migrating several of Estee Lauder's top brands to a new React architecture on a large platform of company-wide shared components.

  • Building new features for product sites that integrate React and MobX front-end components with Drupal CMS backend on a hybrid tech stack.
  • Improved Lighthouse score on low performing sites by 4x by reducing CLS, payload and contentful paint bottlenecks.
  • Upgrading legacy Drupal + jQuery tech stack with modern React / ES6 standards on eCommerce live sites and code reviewing changes made by other teams to ensure consistency with coding standards.Updating and maintaining legacy Drupal + jQuery tech stack with modern React / ES6 standards.
  • Rewrote the frontend team onboarding tasks and documentation and mentored new hires to find ways to improve learning curve with difficult tech stack.

 

Biological Dynamics – Contractor, San Diego, CA 07/2021 – 11/2021

Created MVP React web app for a new biotech product going to market. Worked with product owner on all aspects of UI design, data architecture, features and technology.

  • Used Microsoft Fluent UI React framework to build a statically generated application deployed on Azure Static Web Apps with Microsoft OAuth.
  • Prototyped and documented data schema for backend API with OpenAPI tooling.
  • Presented functional application mocks using Sketch to get stakeholder buy-in.

 

Blizzard Entertainment – Senior Engineer I, Irvine, CA 11/2017 – 06/2021

Coding React applications for multiple live service products and managing technical requirements of offsite contract team.

  • Developed features for the first two seasons of OverwatchLeague.com using React, Redux, Next.js, BEM and Storybook to enhance fan engagement and meet sponsorship deals that required tight deadlines. Enhanced existing CMS with Drupal as a secondary headless CMS to enable live creation of content that the legacy CMS wasn't able to provide and added new endpoints to public Node.js backend API.
  • Built from-the-ground-up the news and advertising experience of the Battle.net digital storefront, using React, Redux, TailwindCSS and NextJS. Architected the schema for structured content in a headless CMS to replace a 10 year old legacy system. Component library maintained full test coverage with Jest.
  • Worked as the sole technical contact with a vendor on Drupal multisite fan pages, planning features and managing backlog of necessary deliverables.
  • Made Blizzard.com and other sites compliant with AA accessibility standards and CCPA/GDPR regulations.

 

Hyundai AutoEver America – Senior Front-end Engineer, Irvine, CA 03/2015 – 11/2017

Leading team on redesign of Kia.com and other highly utilized, customer-facing product sites.

  • Set technology direction for front-end and developer tools and helped team members to develop skills with Angular, Sass and Git through training and writing style guides. Transitioned entire development team from SVN to Git source control.
  • Evaluated bugs and features for level of effort during sprint planning, communicates with creative and technical team to provide understanding of technical and UX issues.
  • Rewrote entire problematic CSS architecture prior to new site launch to meet a set deadline of critical deliverables. 
  • Evaluated and developed code to solve accessibility problems across the site to meet accessibility requirements.

 

Bariatric Advantage – Front-end Web Developer, Aliso Viejo, CA 03/2011 – 03/2015

Developed e-commerce websites and internal web apps, tracking analytics trends, and designing online marketing materials for a young, online sales-focused company with Agile development schedule.

  • Developed e-commerce sites for brands that doubled online sales.
  • As product owner, leads project planning scrums and QA, communicating issues with designers, engineers and stakeholders.

 

Syneron, Inc. – Webmaster / Developer, Irvine, CA 11/2007 – 03/2011

Front-end developer on all product websites, developed new web apps for internal company use, and provided departments with solutions for technical training, sales and support.

  • In charge of designing and building front-end for 10+ customer-facing and internal websites using Zend framework and Drupal CMS, including launching two online stores.
  • Managed code deployment and performance on multiple LAMP web servers.

 

Software Anywhere – Designer / Junior Developer, San Clemente, CA 3/2005 – 11/2007

Designed original graphical layouts and interfaces for this start-up tech company and clients. Prototyped and assisted in coding features and creating HTML and JSP web apps.

  • Designed and developed prototype front-ends for YouMail and Software Anywhere using JSP and JavaScript during rapid start-up phases.
  • During second phase development, adapted the site front-end with a new look-and-feel in one week with minimal changes to the DOM.

 

Hobbies

In my spare time, I’m an avid board gamer and love to teach new and interesting board games. I'm a maintainer on some Drupal and Node.js styleguide modules on Github. I've organized weekend-long meet-ups for a community of video game enthusiasts with 50 attending participants. I also enjoy gardening, skiing and brewing very strong beer.