Jayenne Montana

Senior Full-Stack PHP/Laravel engineer

This cv was last updated in July 2024

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I am currently seeking employment to work with interesting people on interesting projects, solving problems with innovative and elegantly creative solutions. I would love to talk to you about your company and projects.

A highly experienced Senior PHP/Laravel engineer, I have delivered projects including SAAS, Websites and Webstores in multiple sectors. I have a strong background in project design, development, and crafting engaging user experiences for some really great companies.

My strength lies in engaging stakeholders to fully understand project requirements, expectations, timescales, and potential areas of concern. I then guide their project through the design, development, and deployment cycles to create great things as part of a great team.

Starting my career in game development as an artist/animator, I began programming to enhance my graphics, developing algorithms for naturalistic landscapes, flocking, and forest growth. Quickly becoming obsessed with code, I soon transitioned to full-time development roles, creating websites, apps, and games for several design agencies including Burrows (Y&R/Wunderman). As part of the team that created the ‘Car Configurator’ for ford.co.uk and most recently as a senior engineer, I have been solving some of the biggest challenges facing the UK's property sector such as climate risk and compliance.

In my spare time, I am a husband and father with a passion for fine arts, street art, and roller-coaster theme parks.

Summary of skills:

My preferred stack for rapid development from prototyping, POC's, and MVP's through to production-ready services is the TALLstack + Vue, but I will include other tech-stacks where beneficial to a project.

  • Extensive experience using PHP, MySQL, PostgreSQL, JavaScript, Livewire, Vue and React to develop performant API's and Apps.
  • Developer of applications including SAAS, CMS, CRM & Ecomm.
  • Proficient the design and creation of intuitive, responsive interfaces.
  • Experienced in building solutions from planning to deployment.
  • Gifted at troubleshooting and problem-solving.
  • Hot on Security, Performance, SEO Strategy & Analytics.
  • Advanced Photoshop, Illustrator and Figma user.
  • Capable of mentoring junior and intermediate developers.
  • Excellent time and resource management that delivers to deadlines.
  • Effective communication skills able to explain complex issues in understandable ways.

Professional experiences to date:

2022 - 2024

Kamma - Senior Laravel Engineer

Since 2022, I have taken a Senior Engineer position at Kamma, which is one of the most enjoyable companies I have worked for. You will have to go some way to top them, but please don't stop trying 😊 …that's my only emoji, I promise!

A relatively young disruptor company in the Property Tech sector, Kamma provides expert data analysis and SAAS tools for compliance and climate risk reporting to mortgage lenders and property managers.

These projects included:
  • Architecting and developing the next-generation Restful API & SDK to be the backbone of the Kamma Property Service. The primary goals for this API were to be performant, extendable, test-driven, and clearly documented.
  • Developing SAAS applications to provide best-fit packages to elevate your home's energy efficiency and performance to a budget using Laravel/Vue.js.
  • Developing a Laravel/React.js "App" for a third-party Property CRM to read/write data between the CRM's API and the Kamma Property services API.
  • Maintaining and extending legacy products written in CodeIgniter.
  • Developing tooling and packages to help the company get the most from Laravel for the business needs.
2016 - 2022

Contracting - Project Manager / Laravel Engineer

Since 2016, I have been managing and developing projects for a small number of great companies of all sizes, including in fintech, property, social media management, and a social platform.

My recent projects have included:
  • Developing a CMS with content versioning, drafts, roles & permissions for a fintech company.
  • Developing a bespoke social media marketing platform similar to Buffer or Sprout for a client in recruitment.
  • Creating an interesting new genre of social media platform for sharing existing content.
2014 - 2016

Landmark Group - Head of Digital Development

This role was divided between coding a mobile app/Laravel API and managing a small team of digital content creators and web engineers.

2012 - 2014

Pixelwork Ltd - Lead Engineer

Key clients: Amnesty International, RSPB, Royal Opera House, Barings Capital, Essex and Thurrock Councils, DP World Ports.

2011 - 2012

Acumen Design - Lead Engineer

Key clients: UKT&I, OfCom, Raffingers LLP, Goldsmiths Group.

2003 - 2011

Polygonsoup Ltd - Owner / Engineer

Key clients: Wunderman/Burrows/Ford, BBC, UKT&I, SAIC Inc, Teens Unite, FaithAction, Cabot Square Capital, Imprezzeo

1986 - 2003

Games Artist / Animator

Games companies: Creature Labs (‘00-’03), Online Plc (‘98-’00), Digital Magic Software (‘88-’90), CRL Group PLC (‘86-’88)

My Experience in focus:

Senior Engineer: Working on various SAAS and Web APP's - Aug 2016 to date

Kamma is a market-leading property data company with products that combine cutting-edge technology with analytics to provide solutions for those requiring property licensing compliance, climate risk reporting, green mortgage uptake.

As a senior engineer, I both maintained and developed a number Laravel & Vue/React projects including performant API’s, SDK’s and SAAS platforms along with a standalone app using Laravel/React for the ReapitCRM marketplace that extended our potential client reach further still.

Core responsibilities:
  • Create clean, secure and performant code
  • Rapid prototyping for FMV, POC & Production code
  • SAAS application development
  • RESTful API & API-driven-app creation and consumption
  • Jobs, Queues, Services, Events, Listeners, Triggers and Email/Webpush Notifications
  • Database architecture, schema/query optimisation and security
  • Application architecting from inception to deployment
Notable Project: Handle Social - Internal Platform for social media engagemnt

One noteworthy project enables home owners to not only discover how energy efficient their home is, but to then generate the best package of retrofit improvements to attain a given EPC band or budget.

Contract Project Manager, Senior/Lead Engineer: Working on various SAAS and Web APP's - Aug 2016 to date

My recent role at Kamma as well as my contract work has afforded me a wide range of new experiences and freedoms to simplify and solve complex problems in creative ways. It has also strengthened my Project Management skills, managing teams where remote staff, timezones, and language bring their own considerations to a project.

I am proud to have played some part in the success of so many projects including ford.co.uk, londonsquare.com and Handle Group's SAAS social media marketing tools.

Core responsibilities:
  • Create clean, secure and performant code
  • Rapid prototyping for FMV, POC & Production code
  • SAAS application development including CSM/CRM/ECOM/Dashboard
  • Payment / Subscription / Pay-wall services
  • User / Member authentication & permissions (RBAC)
  • RESTful API & API-driven-app creation and consumption
  • Jobs, Queues, Services, Events, Listeners, Triggers and Email/Push/Webpush Notifications
  • Database architecture, schema/query optimisation and security
  • Agile scrun/Kanban Project Management of brown/greenfield & legacy projects
  • Project planning, scheduling and budgeting for long and short burn projects
  • Team resourcing and management (UK & Internationally)
  • Application architecting from inception to deployment
Notable Project: Handle Social - Internal Platform for social media engagemnt

Handle Social was created as a proprietary platform to drive visitor footfall through social media engagement. The platform, similar in scope to Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Falcon, enabled the client to create and disseminate multivariate posts across the full range of social platforms. Tracking and analysing resulting engagement data provided numerous data-driven insights to guide content creators to deliver better campaigns. I worked on contract as Lead Engineer & Agile PM, devising, developing, and managing the project from POC/MVP to the production-ready platform with a fantastic team of international engineers.

Landmark Group: Digital Development Manager - Nov 2014 to Aug 2016

The Landmark Group encompasses companies and brands spanning multiple industries including property development, architecture, engineering, project management and education. My responsibilities were split split between developing a bespoke mobile Project Management App and manageing the digital / marketing team.

Core responsibilities:
  • Brand development for the group’s subsidiary companies across multiple industries.
  • Online strategy for web site UI/UX/IA, SEO and content optimisation.
  • Monitor, revise and strategise for web traffic, social media and EDM growth.
  • Plan, coordinate and monitor Search Engine & Social Media PPC/Advertising campaigns.
  • Agile project management of multiple concurrent in-house and out-sourced projects.
  • Develop custom visitor statistics/analysis systems & visualisation tools.
  • Consult on website performance, SEO, security and hosting.
  • Research and develop innovative ways to engage and encourage visitors online and through EDMs.
Notable Project: www.landmark-lofts.com

Rather than the seemingly ubiquitous “This is what we do, here’s a load of FAQ’s, Trust us" approach of our competitors sites, when I set about redeveloping our website, I designed it around our single most frequently asked question: “Which similar projects have you managed near us?". Building our new website around the owners of the 1500+ projects we’ve managed to date and their stories, created a uniquely ‘personal’ website. One which has increased KPI’s such as visitors, engagement and ‘convert to contact’ far beyond those previously achieved.

Pixelwork: Lead Engineer - May 2012 to November 2014

Throughout my tenure at Pixelwork, I lead the design and build the team in creating effective solutions for our clients and more importantly - their visitors. That is to say, it simply wouldn’t have been enough to deliver beautiful websites to our client unless we knew it would also deliver all that their visitors need to act on those ‘call to actions. Pixelwork’s much envied reputation is earned through delivering on their client’s needs.

Core responsibilities:
  • Develop tailored websites, micro-sites, intranet, extranet systems including Content, Client and eCom Management Systems for desktop and mobile using ExpressionEngine and bespoke PHP, MySQL, HTML, CSS and jQuery & jSon.
  • Responsive, Cross-platform, Cross-browser and W3C Accessibility compliant.
  • Analyse SEO, page speed and visitor stats & funnels advising on strategies and development direction.
  • Work with in-house and client-side engineers, designers and project managers to scope requirements, schedules, milestones, deliverables, SLA’s, UAT and costs.
  • Manage the design and development teams to scope requirements, schedules, milestones and deadlines.
  • Manage project development cycles within the Agile/Scrum framework.
  • Documentation. Writing specs and briefs for a project’s technical engineers and designers with user guides for a client’s ongoing management and technical guides for the ongoing development of the systems.
  • Chair project “autopsy" meetings on the design, development and client management process throughout the project to produce recommendations for further improvements as part of the Agile/Scrum development framework.
Notable Project: www.londonsquare.co.uk

The exclusive property company London Square’s website is beautifully designed and seemingly simple. But, it was all this and so much more that earned it’s short-listing for ‘Best Corporate Website’ in the prestigious Property Marketing Awards, against such respected names like the Shard and Candy & Candy. Our brief was to engage with prospective buyers which we achieved not just by telling the story of the local area and the people within it, but by enabling them to walk about the floor plans too. As the homes would be under construction, we gave them an interactive way to view, pan and zoom and navigate into the property’s plans. The buyers were able to visit any floor, apartment or room giving them a beautiful, practical and detailed understanding of their investment and how it lives within the surrounding area.

Acumen Design: Lead Engineer - February 2011 to April 2012

A remarkably creative force from Essex have been helping some of the most coveted clients from No.10, Charterhouse, UK Trade & Investment, Telecoms and growth sector companies by demonstrating a deeper understanding of those clients and their project’s needs. Acumen are simply the most ‘London’ agency not in London.

Core responsibilities:
  • Back-end / Front-end / UI development using HMTL, CSS and Javascript / jQuery / jSon to W3C Standards.
  • Responsive, Cross-platform, Cross-browser and W3C Accessibility compliant.
  • Work in an analyst role reviewing client visitor/user statistics advising on reactive development direction.
  • Collaborate with multidisciplinary internal and external teams to transpose business needs into deliverable solutions.
  • Manage the design and development teams to scope requirements, schedules, milestones and deadlines.
  • Manage project development cycles within the Agile/Scrum framework.
  • Ensuring all work adheres tightly with client corporate strategies, standards and brand guidelines.
  • Write comprehensive user/administrator manuals, technical specifications & infrastructure requirements for a full ‘client independence’ handover documentation.
  • Devise and implement and monitor SEO and Content strategies delivering key client objectives within given time-frames.
  • Chair project “autopsy" meetings on design, development and client management process throughout the project to produce recommendations for further improvements as part of the Agile/Scrum development framework.
Notable Project: www.raffingers.co.uk This site has since been redeveloped and is no longer representative of my work.

When one of the most proactive accountancy firms in Essex needed an online strategy to demonstrate why, as established businesses grow, its accountancy needs will change significantly. Raffingers is a different type of practice, experienced and ready to help you transition from the company it is now, to what it’s going to be. Part of our brief was to develop a bespoke solution to simplify and unify their three branches of digital activity - Web content, Social Media and EDM. We developed a modular CMS that delivered a broad range of content in new and engaging ways. Every article could then be shared instantly (or scheduled), on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter with just a tick of a box.

I furthered developed by creating a newsletter module that not only allowed the administrator to create HTML/Text newsletters from templates but embed summaries to relevant news, blogs and articles on the website by simply selecting them from a list of those on the website. Of course, we built this with automated A/B testing so that dispatches could include only the most effective content. The newsletter reported live reader engagement statistics.

Polygonsoup: Owner Engineer - September 2003 to February 2011

Polygonsoup was small company of experienced digital studio artists and engineers that created interactive 3D illustrations and animations for the web. We quickly attracted the attentions of large clients like SAIC to illustrate drive/operator manuals, the BBC to work on the TV show Bamzooki and Wunderman agency Burrows to created tools and assets for the Ford.co.uk website’s ‘3D Car Configurator’.

Core responsibilities:
  • Design & Develop bespoke web applications, websites and micro-sites with optimised SEO and Page-speed.
  • Front-end / User interface development using HMTL, CSS and Javascript / jQuery / jSon to W3C Standards.
  • Develop Flash applications, 3DSMax scripts, plug-ins and exporters to automate complex/repetitive processes.
  • CG Artist and web engineer for the popular BBC TV Show ‘BAMZOOKi’
  • Model, animate and render technical illustrations in 3D
Notable Project: Ford.co.uk This project has since been redeveloped and is no longer representative of my work.

Wunderman’s CGI studio Burrows contracted me to lead the building of 3D vehicles for it’s new ‘Car configurator‘ project for the Ford.co.uk website. The project would enable visitors to select any combination of options for any vehicle within the Ford family. This would mean not only modelling the body but everything from the interiors, wheels and trim but the opening doors, folding cabriolet’s and working head lamps to the badges on the boot. Of course, once configured, the vehicle can now be rotated and zoomed so you can see exactly what you are planning to buy.

This project held a number of challenges, not just with the vast number of assets required and the thousands of possible permutations but cataloguing, collation and exporting of them for the web. This had always been the obvious bottleneck, and one which within a few weeks of scripting I had solved. The teams were now able to automate the downloading of thousands of assets from Ford’s own secure servers, import them in to 3DS Max correctly positioned, scaled and orientated ready for editing. Exporting the models, materials,textures and XML files had now been automated to the point of compressing the entire export to a single, usable web-ready file. What all this meant to Burrows was simple - I’d just automated 80 man/hours of production to less than 10 minutes, freeing the animators to get on with creating beautiful animations.