Volunteering
Board of Directors, Sydney Zen Centre
2020 to Present
Sydney Zen Centre is Australia's original Zen Buddhist community, founded in 1979. We offer weekly meditation sessions and retreats at our bushland retreat site. Currently serving around 70 members.
Manly Surf Life Saving Club
Active Beach Patrol, 2022 to 2024
Rescue Boat Crew Member, 2022 to 2024
The Manly Life Saving Club is one of Australia's oldest Surf Life Saving Clubs, founded in 1911. We represent one of the most iconic beaches in Sydney, providing beach safety, maintenance of the aquatic environment, education, and training.
Experience
K&F Fabrications
Sunshine Coast, Australia
Backseat Director,
January 2025 to present
K&F Fabrications is a small aluminium and steel fabrication business on the Sunshine Coast.
We fabricate gates, fences, privacy screens, and custom projects.
I build custom shop floor and business software, handle IT and infrastructure, and work on streamlining operations around the shop. I work with my partner on strategy and operations, implementing equipment upgrades, and shaping our people practices (hiring, values/mission work, org-structure, incentives).
In short - I help modernize and scale a hands-on business outside my usual 9-to-5.
The practices I help instil are:
Principle-centered leadershipLean manufacturing
I build apps for the biz with:
ReactNext.js
Also, we were recently in the Australian Financial Review!
Atlassian
3 yrs
Sydney, Australia
Senior Software Engineer,
May 2023 to present
I spent two years on a Jira platform team delivering significant improvements to performance, scale, and cost efficiency.
Currently, I'm helping to provide a centralised messaging system for all messages across products at Atlassian.
Additionally, I help improve ways of working and engineering practices.
The practices I help instil are:
Extreme ProgrammingLean Software EngineeringLean Product ManagementTest-First ProgrammingPair ProgrammingContinuous IntegrationContinuous Deployment & Delivery
The technologies I use most are:
Spring BootGoogle GuiceAWS SQSPostgreSQLBitbucket Pipelines
I test drive with:
JUnit 5Mockito
Pathzero
6 mos.
Sydney, Australia
Senior Software Engineer,
July 2022 to Jan 2023
Pathzero is on a mission to accelerate the decarbonisation of the global economy. By combining an unparalleled user experience, globally recognised carbon standards, and on-demand sustainability specialists, our digital platform enables organisations around the world to accurately measure, reduce and disclose their carbon emissions information with ease.
At Pathzero I developed the foundation for delivering modern API services with a well tested NestJS boilerplate API following Clean Architecture, Test-First Programming, and implementing the Command and Query Responsibility Segregation pattern.
Additionally I paired with product teams to help with adoption of this API foundation, implementing features, and delivering those features to users.
I helped improve ways of working and engineering practices including test-first programming, one week iterations, running Discovery and Framing workshops, and Lean Inceptions
As well, I operated as the team engineering lead and product manager, implementing the User and Login portal of the platform, writing and sequencing user stories, planning the application architecture, running sprint planning meetings, performing code reviews, and helping implement features.
The practices I help instil are:
Extreme ProgrammingLean Software EngineeringLean Product ManagementTest-First ProgrammingFull Stack DevelopmentPair ProgrammingInfrastructure As CodeContinuous IntegrationContinuous Deployment & Delivery
The technologies I use most are:
NestJSServerless FrameworkAWS LambdaTypeScriptPrismaNode.jsPostgreSQLBitbucket Pipelines
I test drive with:
JestVue Test Utilsmocks-server
VMware Pivotal Labs
4.5 yrs.
Sydney, Australia
Senior Software Engineer,
May 2020 to July 2022
Software Engineer,
Feb 2018 to May 2020
Pivotal Labs partners with organizations worldwide to accelerate the delivery of software and establish best practices for modern application development.
At Pivotal Labs, I did two things:
First, I built and delivered kick ass products in teams and individually.
Second, I upskilled teams of engineers in modern software development practices through bespoke training sessions, workshops, and most importantly, pair programming on those products.
The practices I advocated for:
AgileExtreme ProgrammingLean Software EngineeringTest First ProgrammingFull Stack DevelopmentPair ProgrammingContinuous IntegrationContinuous Deployment / Delivery
The technologies I used most:
Spring BootNode.jsReactVueReact NativeAngularKotlinJavaTypeScriptTailwindCSSCSSPostgreSQLRabbitMQKubernetesAWS
I test drove with:
Testing LibraryJestEnzymeJUnit 5MockKMockitoWireMockDetoxCypressTestCafeSelenium
Mavenlink
2.5 yrs.
San Francisco, California
Software Engineer,
Jul 2017 to Feb 2018
Engineering Consultant,
Sep 2016 to Jun 2017
Engineering Intern,
Jun 2015 to Jun 2016
Mavenlink is a project management and resourcing suite used by the likes of Coca Cola and Salesforce.
Rotated across multiple feature teams doing full-stack pair programming and test-driven development on production features. Experienced Lean Product Management while working with PMs with week-long sprints, User Centered Design while working closely with designers, and Extreme programming from doing pair programming day to day with incredibly talented teams.
Led a team to develop the core search capabilities on Mavenlink user-generated content using ElasticSearch.
Started a software consultancy and hired engineers to contract with Mavenlink. Led development of invoice templating system used by thousands of Mavenlink customers. Designed and implemented a library used across Mavenlink to parse and format international currencies.
As a Mid-level Engineer on the Business Intelligence team, I built and maintained an ETL that converts relational data into a data model for business analytics. As well, I worked on the support team where I investigated complex system bugs and designed comprehensive solutions.
The technologies I used most were:
RubyRailsES6+ReactElastic Search
I test drove with:
JasmineJestRSpecSelenium
Sightline Innovation
6 mos.
London, Ontario
Software Developer,
Sep 2014 to Mar 2015
Sightline is a machine and deep learning cloud services company.
I joined a small team in charge of creating a web app to visualize realtime traffic data. We were a team of students given a massive codebase where UI elements were generated with XML, and communicated with a Node backend using an RPC architecture. We weren't given any onboarding, and we were to either sink or swim.
By a deadline we were to prove that our team could add full stack features to this codebase. Despite our team trying, we couldn't crack it.
A friend and I pulled an all-nighter to figure it out a day before this team's plug was pulled. We managed to figure out the intricacies of generating UI elements, interfacing with the backend over RPC, and integrating with the database. This massive effort saved the team and allowed us to move forward developing features on this project.
Went on to lead the team in architecture patterns such that we could parallelize feature development and integrate features seamlessly.
The technologies I used most were:
Node.jsSencha ExtJSMongoDBPostgreSQL
Reviews
Pathzero
Rhett Blanch
Head of Platform Architecture, Pathzero
I have had the pleasure of working with Joe over the past six months, and I am consistently impressed by his technical skills and desire to take on board the "view of the customer". A set of workshops he ran with the Engineering team have helped guide decisions on improving the platform.
Joe is a great communicator, always making sure to keep the team informed and on track through direct collaboration or running training.
Joe is proactive, recommending improvements processes and practices.
He is a great asset to any team.
John van der Loo
Senior Frontend Engineer, Pathzero
Joe has been amazing to work with. Our working relationship has been short-ish, but during that time it has become clear that he is an incredibly smart and passionate software engineer. During his time at Pathzero, Joe has really improved our testing foundation and strategies – the guy is incredibly passionate about Journey/Integration tests so that user journeys are represented throughout.
Straight up engineering isn't the only thing he cares about. Joe has been involved in improving our processes and strategy for working together. By mapping out solutions, and perhaps most importantly, understanding the value of and seeking the input of others while doing this. He's built out some great frameworks that we'll continue to use for gathering input and mapping user journeys. Joe also communicated findings very clearly to engineers and management alike, and he was able to communicate effectively to both audiences.
Personality wise, Joe is kind, warm, and has a good sense of humour, all of which helped him to quickly build a rapport with the team.
Overall, Joe is an incredibly solid software engineer and I would not hesitate in the slightest to recommend him for a position and I genuinely look forward to working with him again in the future.
Carrie Markel
Senior Product Designer, Pathzero
Joe is that rare breed of developer who can think through and execute complex technical problems while just as easily switching to conversations around design and product.
His thoughtful questions and attention to detail have helped me think through problems more deeply as a designer while also pushing our team to adopt better processes for working together more effectively.
On top of it all, Joe's warm demeanour and sense of humour make it easy and enjoyable to work with him every day. I'll truly miss him and hope we'll work again together down the road.
Daniel Hay
Engineering Team Lead, Pathzero
I worked with Joe for six months, and in that time he designed a complete rebuild of our core server side code and an overhaul of our testing strategy.
Joe develops solutions that take input from everyone, that are sane, robust, and that would meet anyone's standards for excellence.
Joe is a very talented and knowledgeable engineer, but more important than that, he is an outstanding solution builder and communicator.
VMware Pivotal Labs
Amjad Sidqi
Senior Director, Roam Digital
It's hard to put into words just how valuable Joe is to Pivotal Labs Sydney. Joe is one of a kind developer. He exudes passion and commitment for understanding the problem space and breaking it into small chunks that help deliver value to market as soon as possible. I've seen Joe take unmanaged backlogs by the scruff of the neck and put together plans for teams to get started. Being an awesome developer he leads by example and ensures quality is not sacrificed for speed.
How is Joe able to do this? Very rarely have I come across a software engineer with the facilitation skills of Joe. He works with teams that gravitate towards his magnetic personality, earning trust and respect immediately. I have seen him facilitate user story mapping sessions where gaps in the team's knowledge would have normally blocked a team from delivery. Joe can bring clarity and helps teams to not over-think or engineer solutions all while having a great time. Joe brings teams together and helps a normal team become great!
As the manager of Pivotal Labs Sydney Joe gives me huge confidence, I have been able to staff him on greenfield projects, rewrites, mobile app developments, and complex legacy strangulations. Whatever the industry, project, or technology Joe has the maturity, clarity of thought, professionalism and consulting skills to help ensure great outcomes are achieved for users and our clients. As a software engineer Joe earns my highest recommendation.
David Julia
Engineering Leader, Netflix
Joe is a really solid engineer, who looks beyond just engineering to make sure that whatever project he's on is setup for success. On the engineering front I've been impressed by Joe's ability to quickly pickup new concepts, apply them, and explain them back to people. Over the last few years I've seen Joe's understanding of various kinds of systems and architectures grow as he's solved problems in different domains. Both in terms of engineering and in general, Joe is also a very effective communicator who seeks first to understand where others are coming from before jumping in with an opinion. Glad to have Joe on the team!
Fede Lopez Laborda
Software Development Manager, Amazon
Joe was my report for almost 3 years. I was struck at how quickly he adapted to the team and started adding value since day 1. He rapidly became a key team member, respected by his peers and clients. He does not hesitate to lead the most challenging tasks and bring them to completion. His ability to write clean code is unparalleled, he always makes sure the code scales and edge cases are tested. He also leads the team and makes sure they build the right thing by raising awareness when developers are distracted or the backlog is unclear. I would be privileged to have Joe in my team again and I am happy to recommend him, he is a great asset for any company looking for talent.
Joseph Bonifacio
Principal Product Engineer, Service NSW
Joe has a very unique gift of being able to drive a team towards success with not only his technical expertise, but also his dynamic energy. His passion and excitement for the work he his involved in extends beyond himself as he is always putting the teams success at the forefront. He was paramount to the success of our team in critical features we have developed and really led from the front from day one. Joe is as technically gifted as they come, and when you combine that with his ability to communicate and engage with people, then you have a very rare gift which he uses to elevate those around him towards success.
Christian Warren
Principal Engineer, Service NSW
I worked with Joe on an engagement between Pivotal and Service NSW, working on one of the most complex and important transactions. It's difficult to put into words the extent of Joe's drive and enthusiasm - he was relentless in pushing the project forward, but always cheerful, and fun to work with. His understanding of the current systems involved were spot on and he literally became an expert in a matter of weeks (something which has taken me years at SNSW). Also technically brilliant, very knowledgable across the full stack, genuinely interested in his work and a great teacher to boot. I consider myself lucky to work with Joe - as I finished the engagement with a lot more knowledge than I started with thanks to him.
Gary Barnett
Executive Manager, IAG
It's been a pleasure to work with Joe for around 5 months on a Pivotal engagement with IAG, he has impressed with his ability to understand the objectives of our initiative, his outstanding software engineering and with the clarity and engaging nature that he has interacted with our stakeholders. I would highly recommend Joe and look forward to the next opportunity to collaborate again.
Ozlem Eskicioglu
Group Product Director, Service NSW
Joe is a rare find - the type of team mate who energises those around him and galvanises them towards an outcome. An excellent coach and communicator, Joe has a real knack for simplifying the complex and getting everyone on the same page. An asset to any team.
Elizabeth Bridge
Senior Product Manager, Sonic Healthcare
I've been working with Joe for several months now, he has an enthusiasm and vibrance worth cloning. Joe brings a wealth of engineering knowledge to the team and he is a great communicator, ensuring he always communicates for mutual understanding. It's been a pleasure working with Joe and I will miss his energy when he moves to another engagement.
Mavenlink
Paulette Carlson
VP of Engineering, Mavenlink
Impressive colleague. Stellar human. Curious soul. I worked closely with and had the privilege of coaching Joe through his year long internship at Mavenlink. Joe brings a thoughtful and committed attitude to anything he chooses to do - he's fiercely caring, exceptionally courageous and wicked smart. From a coaching standpoint, I learned quickly that Joe only asks hard questions. His willingness and capability to take action on interesting and challenging problems, whether they relate to code or interpersonal dynamics, make Joe someone with exceptional integrity on the job and in his personal life. One last thing, he may as well make 'adventurous fun seeker' his middle name because he's always up to something to make his life and the lives of those around him more interesting. Do not miss out on an opportunity to get to know or work with this man.
Andrew Huth
Staff Software Engineer, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Joe and I worked very closely together, and he was critical to the success of our team. No one cares more about continuously improving themselves, or about doing whatever it takes to help a team succeed. Also, Joe proved extremely technically capable. He participated in several large-scale projects, and managed one implementing ElasticSearch. Thank you Joe, for being a great teammate!
Sightline Innovation
Morgan Moskalyk
Founder & Computer Researcher, Deep6
It's rare that you come across standout talent like Joe. Joe is always the first and most willing developer to take on the hardest tasks during lengthy sprints. With great enthusiasm and character, Joe ventures through unchartered territory with little guidance proving consistent results. A valued member of our team as both a developer and teammate, I am confident in Joe's technical capacity as much as I am with his leadership direction amongst the rest of the team to get the job done. My honest opinion is that every development team needs a 'Joe'.
Education
Western University
Bachelors of Engineering Science: Software Engineering
London Ontario, Canada
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