Erick Merchant

I am currently looking for a full-time role as a web engineer. I specialize in Deno, Rust, Typescript, CSS, Lit, Preact, and Vue. I take pride in building things for the web platform, programming, and solving difficult problems with computers.

Employment History

  1. Front-End Developer

    T and T Consulting Services Inc.

    Falls Church, VA

    February 2026-June 2026

    • Next.js
    • React
    • CSS
    • Node.js
    • Spring Boot
    • Developed sign-in, forgot password, and change password forms
    • Helped create Architectural Decision Records for the frontend of two key applications
    • Used Gemini to speed scaffolding and iteration
    • Used Orval to develop a front-end against an OpenAPI spec

  2. Freelance Engineer

    Self Employed

    Alexandria, VA

    March 2024-January 2026

    • Python
    • React
    • Next.js
    • AI
    • Mongo
    • Worked on an application with a Python (FastAPI) service, and a TypeScript service (Next.js)
    • Created React components and worked with Redux and XState
    • Implemented search features that utilized AI services
    • Utilized SQLAlchemy to save application state per user and organization (managed by Clerk)
    • Worked with Supabase and Retool for rapid development of simple dashboards
    • Implemented a bespoke analytics system to gain insight into how the application was used
    • Worked to visualize particular scientific data using ArcGIS maps
    • Used an established design system to maintain consistency with other sites in the same organization
    • Designed a database schema to hold the data, aggregating it from different sources
    • Worked with a CMS (Payload) for secondary site content like a blog and faq.

  3. Senior Software Engineer

    WorkStep

    San Francisco, CA

    October 2021-March 2024

    • React
    • Typescript
    • GraphQL
    • Python
    • Used Python and React to build out features for an employee listening platform targeted towards frontline workers
    • Made charts, tables, and the forms where feedback was gathered
    • Established conventions for more maintainable CSS
    • Improved build times by adopting SWC and doing other improvements which directly saved the company money and developers’ sanity
    • Added front-end testing, and wrote many of the initial tests, which then allowed us to migrate to TypeScript
    • Worked on adopting GraphQL in a successful effort to scale the application
    • Did pair programming and one-on-one meetings with fellow engineers to facilitate problem solving (unblocking) and education

  4. Senior Software Engineer

    Brightspot

    Reston, VA

    August 2019-October 2021

    • HTML
    • CSS
    • Web Components
    • Java
    • Developed HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for client websites
    • Worked with Java to tailor their proprietary CMS to the requirements of each project
    • Learned a great deal about web components and have used them ever since
    • Helped junior developers who mostly just knew Java with the the front-ends of their assigned sites
    • Improving accessibility on several sites by fixing issues flagged in audits

  5. Senior Developer

    Adpearance

    Portland, OR

    May 2012-July 2019

    • HTML
    • CSS
    • JavaScript
    • Vue
    • PHP
    • Node.js
    • Java
    • Started as one of three developers and helped grow the company into several engineering teams: two product, one maintenance, and one project focused
    • Used my expert level skills with PHP to develop client sites (e-commerce focused)
    • Wrote plugins and authored templates for use in our ExpressionEngine sites
    • Drove the adoption of Composer for dependency management
    • Created a role as a front-end JavaScript engineer before that was a widespread career path
    • Created the admin for their proprietary Java (Spring Boot) CMS called Foursite using jQuery and Node.js and later Vue
    • Worked with one other engineer to successful develop the CMS, allowing Adpearance to break into new markets, namely large equipment sites like John Deere dealerships for example
    • Later for about 5 years, I was the unofficial lead of a team devoted solely to the development of the CMS as a product
    • Drove the adoption of git, moving the company away from risky and frustrating ftp practices
    • Wrote web-scrapers (using PHP and later Node.js) to migrate content from one system into another
    • Authored many build tools in Node.js such as the tool that managed our Java projects. The IDE was too slow so I wrote something much faster
    • Created Dashboards, and internal tools for direct marketing teams and others
    • Mentored others in how to write good PHP, fast JavaScript, and manageable CSS

  6. Developer

    NetBiz, Inc.

    Tualatin, OR

    June 2006-May 2012

    • HTML
    • CSS
    • JavScript
    • PHP
    • Developed software using the LAMP stack
    • Wrote Flash applications
    • Took PDFs from designers and created pixel for pixel perfect templates in HTML and CSS from them
    • Introduced Ajax and used it to accomplish things on sites that had not yet ever been done at the company
    • Introduced the company to jQuery and became an expert in its usage
    • Worked on internal dashboards as well, and worked on their proprietary CMS
    • Built the company’s site which was obviously a big honor and responsibility

Education

  1. A.A.S., Web Design

    Tompkins-Cortland Community College

    Dryden, NY

    January 2005-May 2006

    • Graduated with a 4.0 GPA
    • Studied web technologies, programming, and design
    • Gained a significant head start in my career, because I was typically the only one that had had courses on JavaScript, CSS, and PHP at most jobs for many years

  2. B.A., Anthropology

    University at Albany

    Albany, NY

    September 1997-May 2002

    • Majored in Anthropology with a focus in linguistics
    • Studied English literature
    • Studied Greek, Roman, and Egyptian history extensively
    • Did my work study program assisting an anthropology professor with editing of his publications and cataloging of artifacts

References available upon request