Services
I am available to hire as a software engineer and consultant. For rates and availability please email me at j@jshakespeare.com.
Software engineering
You can hire me as a software engineer on a day rate or project rate. Most clients hire me to work in their product or engineering team, but I also excel as a full-service engineer and when deployed in cross-functional teams.
I specialize in front-end web development that incorporates UX best-practices. I have formal design training and I am able to build easy-to-use and visually delightful software without the need for costly design/engineering waterfall processes.
📍 I mostly work remotely from my home in London but can travel as needed. 💁♂️ References and work examples available upon request.
Expertise
- Single-page application (SPA) development with React (>8 years experience) and TypeScript (>5 years)
- Full-stack Type/JavaScript development with Node, NextJS, Vercel, etc.
- React Native development and App/Play Store deployment
- Design systems and component libraries
- Web accessibility (a11y)
Software consulting
You can also hire me to consult on your next project. Some things I know a lot about are product strategy, web technology and infrastructure, design systems, web accessibility, and how to hire and manage engineers. I can also provide code review and codebase health checks/audits.
Why should you hire me?
“James is one of the top handful of individuals I’ve had the privilege of working with in my career.”
— Charles Edwards-Kuhn, Chief Product Officer at Taptap Send
I have over 15 years of professional software development experience in the UK and US. During that time I have worked with businesses of all shapes and sizes, from pre-seed startups to Fortune 500 companies. I have worked as an individual contributor and as a manager in high-performing engineering teams, as well as in ‘army of one’ cross-functional roles. I have been involved with every stage of the software development lifecycle and have written, tested, and shipped code that has been used by millions of people.
As a contractor I work mostly with early-to-mid-stage startups, helping them get from loose product requirements to robust customer-facing technical solutions through rapid, iterative, and highly collaborative processes. I place a high value on planning, communication, and testing as a recipe for stress-free projects and high quality end-products.