Michael Kalish

Contact

kalishmichael@gmail.com

(703) 463-0849

github.com/mkalish

linkedin.com/in/mqkalish

angel.co/michael-kalish

Education

University of Virginia 2008–2012

BA in Computer Science

BA in Cognitive Science

SKILLS

  • Scala
  • Javascript/Tyepscript
  • React
  • Docker
  • AWS

CERTIFICATES

  • MongoDB Certified Developer

VOLUNTEER

  • Code for DC Brigade Co-Captain
  • Code4Life Instructor

PROJECTS

ANC Finder

Tool to enable residents of the District of Columbia to find their ANC.

Open Data DC

Open data portal maintained by Code for DC.

DC Campaign Finance

Data visualizations based on DC Board of Elections campaign contribution data.

Resume

SUMMARY

Michael Kalish is a software engineer with experience crafting high-quality applications using a variety of technologies, such as Scala, React and Docker, as well as leading high-performing, cross-functional teams.

EXPERIENCE

Chief Technical Officer - Focus Consulting

Washington, D.C., 2022-Present

Primary responsibilities include successful project delivery, leading and reviewing engineering operations as well as setting the technical direction for the organization.

  • Responsible for client satisfaction and project success, including code quality and velocity metrics
  • Works as a senior contributor on one of leading paid family leave programs in the country
  • Leads a cross-functional team of engineers making contributions across a large variety of functional areas on behalf of clients
  • Designs and implements engineering processes, including technical best practices, engineer hiring/onboarding and performance reviews

Lead Software Engineer - Manager, Curiosity Media

Washington, D.C., 2019-2022

Responsible for creating high-value software solutions to assist language learners, using cutting edge technologies such as React, Node and Python. Mentors and manages multiple engineers, overseeing their career and skill development.

  • Designed and implemented a new classroom product that delivers high-quality assessment features for language teachers. The new product was built using React and Node APIs in addition to a tight integration with Google Classroom
  • Made substantial contributions, both in the client code and APIs, to a vocabulary quizzing product that supports hundreds of thousands of page views per month
  • Manages multiple junior and senior engineers providing career guidance and coaching; responsible for providing quarterly feedback
  • Responsible for creating and maintaining high-performing code and infrastructure solutions that generate millions of page views per month

Principal Software Engineer, Learning Objects Inc.

Washington, D.C., 2016-2019

Led cross-functional engineering teams to deliver high-value features for an analytics-driven learning management platform that provides valuable insights to content developers and instructors.

  • Designed and implemented a continuous delivery pipeline using Jenkins, AWS EKS, and Docker containers that improved the release cadence from six weeks to daily
  • Implemented a custom fetch library in Typescript used to provide a consistent way for teams to interact with a backend API to increase the velocity of development
  • Wrote the front-end components and a backend API in React and Scala to enable instructors to make customizations to centrally authored education content to increase the adoption of Open Education Resources
  • Responsible for hiring decisions and mentoring a cross-functional team; team successes include: 100% automated coverage of multiple applications using Selenium and a performance suite using Gatling

Senior Software Engineer, Learning Objects Inc.

Washington, D.C., 2015-2016

Worked primarily in React and Scala on a high-functioning team tasked with creating and maintaining a competency-driven learning management platform.

  • Re-implemented the API and designed an immutable data model for a content management tool using Scala and Postgres to enable learning designers and instructors to track the efficacy of content changes over time
  • Implemented both the front-end components and backend API in React and Scala, respectively, for a competency-aligned grading rubric that enabled instructors to assess the efficacy of their teaching by linking it to competencies tied to grading criteria

Consultant, Red Hat Inc.

Tyson's Corner, Virginia, 2015-2016

Worked with clients to evaluate, design, and develop software with an emphasis on utilizing the best open-source solutions available.

  • Wrote key front-end architectural solutions in Angular, including a custom AJAX wrapper and core UI components, for the rewrite of a client’s customer-facing application and oversaw the team that used these components to build the functional areas of the application
  • Implemented the front-end components and state management in Angular and RaphaelJS for an application that included an on-demand timeline of customer interactions
  • Designed and implemented an internal tool using jQuery, Spring MVC, and Apache POI that converted raw customer service call times and outcomes into summative Excel reports