Giovanni Alvarez

Having been acquired by SAP, served as an integral part of the merger process sharing both technical knowledge of Gigya as well as process knowledge. Stepped into a direct client facing Tier 2 role as a unique hybrid of Engineer meets Tech Support meets Sales Support, advising clients on best practices for heavily customized implementations with the Gigya platform (Gold Standard service).

• Custom Integration Consulting: Consulted clients on heavily customized integrations with the Gigya platform, diving into unfamiliar source code to isolate and debug issues quickly.
• Cross-Platform Demo Engineering: Developed and maintained product demo applications across platforms including Android, iOS, JavaScript, and PHP to empower internal sales teams and client architects.
• Technical Documentation: Created internally facing documentation and advised on client facing documentation standards.

Combined technical engineering with client consulting in a direct client facing hybrid role. Having proven myself as a Client Services Engineer, advanced into Gigya's Professional Services team to take responsibility for some of Gigya's largest enterprise clients.

• Professional Services Engineer (Aug 2015 - Apr 2017): Responsible for Gigya's largest clients; played an integral part in conversations regarding platform architecture, providing nuanced knowledge of platform capabilities while maintaining great rapport across client teams; acted as technical meeting leader to drive agendas clearly and efficiently.
• Client Services Engineer (Jul 2014 - Aug 2015): Advised clients on best practices for heavily customized integrations; dove into unfamiliar source code to quickly debug production issues; built and maintained demo applications across Android, iOS, JavaScript, and PHP.
• Documentation & Enablement: Created internal engineering documentation and advised on client facing documentation to empower internal teams and improve client support.

In an attempt to get AVRS to be the leader in DMV registration services for California, worked with a team of engineers to create the fastest, most stable, and most accessible software that the industry had ever seen.

• Full-Stack SPA Transition: During the transition from a legacy platform to a new single page platform, developed and ported the front and back ends to many new and existing features used both by the business and customers.
• Platform Testing & Regressions: Performed code reviews, developed CasperJS testing scripts to protect against platform wide regressions, maintained detailed Git/SVN history, and leveraged Phabricator ticketing to keep projects on track.
• Cross-Department Leadership: Took ownership of filling communication gaps between the development, operations, and marketing departments ensuring a streamlined and effective approach to developing new product offerings.

Seeing the need for a complete user experience overhaul, delivered a complete makeover of the User Dashboard combining pleasing visuals and well-thought-out workflows that continues to attract and retain customers.

• Dashboard Overhaul & i18n Layer: Designed, developed, and delivered the User Dashboard with an internationalization layer providing German translations in its first iteration and laying the foundation for further global localization.
• Availability & Speed Monitoring: Developed internal and customer facing tools for monitoring website availability and page load speeds.
• Financial Systems & Email Delivery: Built a new front end for tracking user accounts' financial standing via Bluesnap, and engineered an upgraded customer email delivery system using SendGrid's API.

Acted as primary web developer in a two-person agency, developing small to medium-sized business websites using varying platforms including WordPress, MVC frameworks, and custom built solutions. Built an extensive portfolio of over 100 global clients and advertising media branching across numerous industries.

• Custom Web & CMS Solutions: Developed bespoke web applications and custom Content Management Systems for over 100 global clients.
• E-Commerce & MVC Delivery: Engineered custom e-commerce engines and MVC architectures tailored to small and medium business workflows.
• Interactive Media: Designed and deployed rich digital media, promotional assets, and interactive interfaces using ActionScript, Photoshop, and Illustrator.

Operating under the CodeMonkeyG persona, performed contractual software development, frontend engineering, and mobile/web development to the complete satisfaction of all clients.

• Contractual Engineering: Shipped custom web applications, responsive frontend layouts, and dynamic web services for diverse client requirements.
• Multi-Framework Integration: Implemented solutions across BackboneJS, CodeIgniter, WordPress, and mobile prototypes with Android Studio and Xcode.