James Belch
Senior Frontend/Full-Stack Engineer
- ja*****@gmail.com (email available on request)
Montreal, QC, Canada
Technical Skills
Frontend
React 18
React Hooks
Next.js (SSR/ISR)
TypeScript
JavaScript (ES6+)
Vite
HTML5
CSS3
Tailwind CSS
Material UI
Backend & APIs
Node.js
Express.js
Python (FastAPI)
ASP.NET Core
REST APIs
JSON
GraphQL
Authentication (JWT)
Authentication (OAuth2)
WebSockets
Real-time APIs
Data & Messaging
PostgreSQL
MySQL
MongoDB
Redis
Entity Framework
DevOps & Tooling
Docker
GitHub Actions (CI/CD)
Azure
AWS
Vercel
Linux (Fedora)
Jest
Playwright
AI-assisted development: ChatGPT and Claude Code for refactoring support, architectural exploration, and problem decomposition within VS Code–based workflows.
Automation & RPA
UiPath (RPA)
Blue Prism (RPA)
Python scripting for automation
Technical Experience
Software Engineer
Invoke Inc
January 2021 to December 2025
- Developed features for a React/TypeScript supervisory dashboard enabling operations teams to monitor automation workflows, track batch status, and respond to issues in real-time. Optimized backend endpoints for low-latency responses to support responsive UI updates.
- Primary owner for the company's highest-priority enterprise client—managed a distributed platform spanning 20 VMs processing ~3 batches/second across thousands of daily records. Built custom integrations to extend and stabilize a brittle third-party orchestration layer.
- Built a Python (FastAPI) microservice to replace failing OCR, reducing batch processing time by ~75% and eliminating frequent client escalations. Integrated via PowerShell and REST endpoints into the existing pipeline without downtime.
- Resolved a critical production incident caused by an upstream vendor bug that introduced duplicate keys—wrote SQL diagnostics to isolate affected records and restored processing while coordinating a fix.
- Worked in an Agile environment with sprint planning, daily standups, and iterative delivery as part of an internationally distributed team.
- Collaborated with product owners to translate business needs into technical requirements.
Freelance Developer
Marketplug
October 2018 to August 2019
- Stabilized a production React-based marketplace by diagnosing and resolving critical layout and CSS issues, restoring cross-browser and cross-device UI consistency for active users.
- Refactored legacy class-based React components into modern hook-based patterns using TypeScript, reducing state complexity and improving maintainability and developer velocity.
- Implemented OAuth2 authentication flows (Google and Facebook), coordinating frontend React changes with Node.js and Express backend services to secure JWT-based user sessions.
- Collaborated asynchronously with a distributed team using GitHub pull requests and Slack, clearly communicating trade-offs, reviewing changes, and delivering fixes under tight freelance timelines.
Work Experience
Independent Contractor
Foodora / Uber Eats
February 2015 to June 2021
- Operated reliably in a high-volume, time-sensitive environment, consistently meeting delivery SLAs while maintaining clear communication with customers and platform support teams.
Conductor
CN Rail
February 2008 to September 2014
- Led safety-critical rail-yard operations under strict regulatory constraints, coordinating with dispatch and on-call teams while making sound decisions in high-pressure, time-critical situations.
Education
Diploma in Software Development, 2019–2021
LaSalle College, Montreal, Quebec
- Graduated with honors while working full-time, focusing on full-stack JavaScript and .NET development.
- Completed a capstone project building a multi-tenant scheduling platform using React, Node.js, and SQL Server.