Brent Benzinger

Innovative Software Engineer with over 9 years of professional back end and full-stack engineering experience. Recently completed Master’s in Computer Science. Adept at leading complex projects, mentoring peers, and delivering performance‐optimized solutions.

Technologies: Linux, AWS, Docker, Python, Git, Vue, Laravel, Bash, MySQL, PHP, JavaScript/CSS/HTML

Highlights: Ohio LinuxFest 2018 Guest Speaker, JLPT N3 (Japanese Language Proficiency Test)


Experience

Senior Developer

Simucase - Remote Learning Platform
  • Project lead for billing system refactor, integrating Stripe payment services and addressing technical debt for improved maintainability and scalability.
  • Project lead for the Privacy Compliance, ensuring software adheres to GDPR and CCPA standards.
  • Project lead for Audiolab, a microservice‑architected product offering written in Flask, enhancing skill‑building for audiology and speech‑language pathology students.
  • Proactively identifies and resolves critical security vulnerabilities, bolstering system integrity and user data protection.
  • Directs complex projects from conception to deployment for a remote learning platform, guiding stakeholders in feature specification development with expertise and insight.
  • Practices Agile development, including sprint planning meetings, retrospectives, daily standups, and scrum.
  • Working in: PHP/Laravel, Python/Flask, JavaScript/Vue, Docker, Git, MySQL, Linux, AWS
Mar. 2021 - Present

Software Engineer

Works International - Learning Management System
  • Designed, implemented, tested, and maintained applications for an extensive e-learning platform with 700+ online courses, serving over 6 million subscribers annually, encompassing staff and student safety, health, and wellbeing programs.
  • Received mentorship from senior developer, honing skills in handling complex tasks and cross-team communication to effectively transform project concepts into tangible results.
  • Recognized as a key software engineer with privileged responsibility for code releases and direct access to production servers, reflecting high trust in expertise and reliability.
  • Collaborated as a key backend developer, providing expertise in writing efficient SQL queries and supporting front-end and full-stack developers with various backend requirements, enhancing team synergy and project efficiency.
  • Skillfully navigated and enhanced 20-year-old legacy code, adapting to undocumented and evolving paradigms, while championing the integration of modern best practices to improve code quality and future maintainability.
  • Demonstrates a strong capability for autonomous task management coupled with effective collaboration in team environments.
  • Diligently documented code changes in comments, version control repositories, and ticketing system, ensuring clear and comprehensive handovers to subsequent developers.
  • Developed critical security enhancements in PHP, specifically focusing on database input sanitization to bolster data integrity and system resilience.
  • Played a key role in advocating for and assisting with the adoption of Docker, identifying and addressing environmental discrepancies that impacted development speed, and worked alongside the sysadmin team to integrate Docker and streamline development processes.
  • Worked in: Linux, MySQL, PHP, HTML/CSS/JavaScript, Docker
Feb. 2019 - Mar. 2021

Programmer

  • Maintained large scale PHP and MySQL production inventory software for Amazon's largest Microsoft-Certified-Refurbished 3rd party seller, with market dominance in regions including the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and up to the Mountain States.
  • Spearheaded the RareUse project, developing software for efficient eBay sales postings and managing transaction databases, significantly boosting profitability from non-standard electronic inventory.
  • Led the integration of Git into the development team's codebase and workflow, providing training on its effective use and best practices for version control.
  • Collaborated closely with the CFO to develop and implement financial reporting features, translating business needs into functional software solutions and enhancing organizational financial tracking and analysis.
  • Revamped the database infrastructure, normalizing data, optimizing indexes, and enhancing backup reliability, significantly improving data integrity and system performance.
  • Independently integrated and maintained diverse eCommerce APIs, including Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and Staples, adeptly navigating documentation of variable quality.
  • Regularly collaborated with the sales team lead to translate business needs into software specifications, developing key tools like automatic price adjustment to secure default product listings on Amazon and Walmart.
  • Managed on-site Linux server hosting production code and data, overseeing nightly scripts for system optimization and maintaining operational integrity.
  • Worked in: MySQL, PHP, Linux, Git, HTML/CSS/JavaScript, Angular
Dec. 2017 - Feb. 2019

Freelance Developer

Spa & Pool Store - eCommerce
  • Optimized the front-end of Spa and Pool Store, enhancing user experience and responsive design for mobile web pages.
  • Rapidly acclimated to and modified an unfamiliar codebase, demonstrating flexibility and quick learning.
  • Utilized bash and CLI tools effectively to streamline website builds and updates.
  • Engaged directly with customers to understand their needs, ensuring timely and relevant code upgrades within quoted timelines.
  • Implemented aesthetic enhancements to the homepage, contributing to improved site engagement and visual appeal.
  • Worked in: JavaScript, Bash, StencilCLI, YAML, HTML
2016

Teacher

Various Organizations
  • Classroom and private English teacher in Moscow, Russia Sep. 2016 ‐ October 2017
  • Classroom English teacher in Osaka, Japan April 2014 ‐ May 2016
  • Private music teacher at Northern Kentucky University Jan. 2010 ‐ April 2014
2010 - 2017

Education

Georgia Institute of Technology

Master of Computer Science
Specialization in Computing Systems
  • Strong focus on technical skills
  • Low level programming
  • Network programming
  • Machine Learning for trading
  • Information Security and Network Security
  • Worked in: C, C++, Python, Linux, LLVM, Docker, TypeScript, Java
Graduated Dec. 2023

Gateway Technical College

Non Degree Seeking
  • Programmer Certificate
  • Net+ Prep
  • A+ Prep
  • Computer Tech Basic
Jun. 2016 - May 2018

Northern Kentucky University

Bachelor of Music Performance
Concentration in Classical Guitar
Graduated Dec. 2012


Interests

I enjoy running, reading, music, and foreign languages (especially writing scripts). I'm a voracious reader; I read books from all classes of the dewey decimal system. I especially like literature, pop-science, and fantasy/sci-fi. I love foreign languages, my second language is Japanese and I'm an enthusiastic beginner at Russian.

My first passion is music. I play a handful of instruments, and can be found playing classical guitar at wedding ceremonies for friends and families.

Phonetic Cyrillic Keyboard

Written in Vue.js

If you know how to sound out letters in the Cyrillic alphabet you can type the sounds here. Languages that use the Cyrillic alphabet have keyboard layouts that are unintuitive for people accustomed to typing in English.

Try typing tsar, bank, vodka, or sputnik. These words transliterate into many East Slavic languages perfectly with my keyboard!