Founding Design Engineer & Frontend Architect

Architecting Systems.
Elevating Culture.
Deleting Legacy.

Bridging the gap between rapid design prototyping and scalable frontend architecture over >4.2 years of platform leadership. A force-multiplier engineer building zero-to-one primitives that power entire engineering teams.

>1.5k Commits Authored Platform-Wide Ownership
>450 TypeScript SPA Files TS Migration Pioneer
>85k / >80k Lines Added / Removed Refactoring Maturity
>300 Deep MR Reviews ~1,000 Chars / Comment
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Chapter 01 // Systems Architecture

Zero-to-One Foundations

Before scaling features, an architecture requires indestructible bedrock. I authored the core structural primitives, route middleware, and component systems that every developer on the team now builds upon.

TOOLING & TYPING

TypeScript-First Paradigm

Pioneered and landed TypeScript tooling across the SPA (starting Nov 2022). Authored >450 TypeScript files, introducing mock-store typings, Rollbar error typings, and strict ESLint rules that eliminated runtime category errors.

tsconfig.json · castAs<T> · Redux Mock Types
CORE ROUTING

RouteWithMiddleware Guard

Dominant author of the central routing guard protecting every single SPA route. Integrated query search validation (`validateSearch`), layout alignment, and HTTP semantics alignment (returning 404 for disabled modules, 403 for missing permissions).

resources/spa/components/Auth/RouteWithMiddleware
UI PRIMITIVES

Complete Layout System

Architected all core layout components from scratch: Layout/index.tsx, PageContainer.tsx, TwoColumnAdminContainer.tsx, Schedule family (DateBar, WeekBar, RotaSelector).

Layout/index.tsx · VirtuosoTableHeader
HYBRID BRIDGE

Legacy → SPA Integration Islands

Engineered self-contained React islands embedded inside legacy server-rendered views. Built SessionExpiry, Header, Footer, RotaSignOff, and ReliefStaffModal to ensure zero business disruption.

SessionExpiry (21 commits) · React Islands
Chapter 02 // Engineering Health

Codebase Metabolism & Refactoring

High-velocity engineering is not measured by unchecked growth, but by systemic refactoring. Deleting legacy technical debt while scaling new features preserves long-term platform velocity.

>85,000 Lines Added Modern TypeScript Features
VS
>80,000 Lines Removed Legacy Debt Eliminated
Component Consolidation: Consolidated duplicate delete and warning modals scattered across 4 product domains into a single unified WarningAlert primitive.
MUI Design System Adherence: Enforced strict Material UI theme and component usage over ad-hoc CSS styling across the codebase.
Clean Legacy Retirement: Completely excised the old multi-week rota implementation when delivering the technical rebuild.
Chapter 03 // Leadership & Culture

Team Force Multiplier

A senior lead's primary leverage comes from raising the baseline output of the entire team through thorough code reviews, technical advocacy, mentoring, and permanent knowledge bases.

>1,000

Deep Teaching Reviews

Conducted >300 Merge Request reviews. Review feedback averages >1,000 characters per comment (5-6× higher depth than peers), coaching team members on communication, UI design system adherence, and component reuse.

>170

Hands-on Onboarding

Directly onboarded international hires, reviewing over >170 MRs for Waseem alone. Sustained, hands-on mentoring rather than superficial sign-offs, turning new hires into core contributors.

>50

Frontend Knowledge Base

Created and populated the official Shopworks Frontend Confluence space, authoring >50 technical RFCs, release processes, Docker/AWS setups, and architecture guides kept current through mid-2026.

E2E

Playwright & TS Advocacy

Spearheaded key technology migrations against initial pushback: authored the RFC proposal that successfully transitioned the E2E test stack from Testim to Playwright, drove 90%+ TypeScript adoption, and championed mobile responsiveness.

Chapter 04 // Major Deliveries

Flagship Projects Vault

Full-lifecycle systems delivered end-to-end—from initial technical RFCs and architecture to production deployment and legacy deprecation.

REBUILD PFT-999 / PFT-1629

Multi-Week Rota View

Rebuilt the rota's multi-week view technically from the ground up: new view mode, fullscreen controls, filter bars, relief-staff support, and complete deprecation/removal of legacy implementation.

React SPA Virtuoso Redux MultiWeekView/
ZERO-TO-ONE PFT-1501

Shop Opening Hours

End-to-end delivery: global configurations, route protection, permission guards, day-hours selector table, and full change/delete/default/warning modal suite.

18 Files Created Global Config MUI Modals
SECURITY PFT-88

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Introduced SSO frontend capabilities across the application. Authored the technical RFC and scope document, integrating SAML/OIDC authentication flows cleanly.

RFC Authored SAML / OIDC Auth Guard
ENGINE CST-747

Compliance & Policy Engine

Architected multiple rule sets and policy conditions UI, allowing enterprise customers to configure labor compliance and rest period constraints dynamically.

Rule Engine Dynamic UI Enterprise
CROSS-STORE CORE-2983

Relief Staff System

Engineered relief shop assignment features for staff, ReliefStaffModal, and StaffReliefShops containers for seamless cross-branch shift scheduling.

Modal System Store Relief SPA Island
DATA CORE-2221

Quicksight & GA4 Analytics

Embedded AWS Quicksight dashboards inside the SPA, implemented page-view audit logging for security compliance, and wired up full GA4 event telemetry.

AWS Quicksight GA4 Telemetry Audit Logging
Chapter 05 // Strategic Impact

Case for Senior / Lead Frontend Architect

"I am not just shipping features. I built the foundations the team builds on, I set its technical direction, and I level up the people around me."

aaron-progression-case.sh

$ cat progression-case.md

CORE FOUNDATIONS: Layout system, RouteWithMiddleware guard, TypeScript migration
CODEBASE METABOLISM: >85k lines added / >80k lines removed (refactoring maturity)
FORCE MULTIPLIER: >300 MR reviews (>1k chars/comment), >50 Confluence guides
TECHNICAL DIRECTION: Playwright migration, MUI design system, responsive standards
RELIABILITY COVER: >250 platform tickets across 6 Jira boards resolved

Let's Connect & Build

Swinton, Rotherham, UK • aaron@ahm-labs.comaaron-js.dev