Javascript Engineer & Software Architect

Barry Hood
Hi, I'm Barry Hood,

Creating reliable Node.js backends, for low-friction platforms.

Backend Frontend Deployment
Barry Hood

Work Timeline

2022 - 2025 LifeMD
Frontend Engineer
Tools

Vue, Storybook, GH Actions

A direct-to-patient telehealth platform providing virtual medical consultations, prescription services and diagnostic testing.

Responsibilities:

  • Ownership over development of new applications.
  • Extending existing platforms by implementing new features.
  • Upgraded legacy software to modern practices and tooling.

Accomplishments:

  • Segmentation Portal - Graphical interface for database queries. IC (independent contributor) of a custom reporting dashboard for generating exportable reports from SQL datasets.
  • Built a centralized question bank system used across intake and eligibility flows, reducing quiz creation time and eliminating duplicated updates.
  • Implemented PWA offline support using service workers, enabling Apple App Store acceptance.
  • Revived the abandoned E2E test suite in Playwright.
  • Led migration of legacy jQuery flows to Vue.js, improving maintainability and enabling faster iteration.
2020 - 2022 Cleared
Lead Backend Engineer / Full Stack
Tools

Node.js, React, PostgreSQL, Sentry, GH Actions

Cleared is an online allergy clinic, providing personalized treatment and physician consultations after completing a dynamic online quiz.

One of the most engaging products I had the opportunity to build. This role required continuous adaptation, creativity, and problem-solving as we worked to evolve the platform during its growth. The role challenged me to think beyond conventional solutions and find practical ways to move the product forward.

Responsibilities:

  • Lead backend architecture and feature development as the sole backend engineer within a fast-moving 3-4 person dev team, from initial build through to its acquisition.
  • Collaborate on the frontend, wiring up data and creating new user flows.

Accomplishments:

  • Designed critical prescription fulfillment pipelines to be idempotent, ensuring failure was always recoverable.
  • Built a custom cron job system emulating webhook behaviour, preventing data loss from missed events.
  • Increased observability by using Sentry to attach context to request flows, setup alerts, and monitor traffic metrics. Improved reliability by proactively identifying failure points, increasing request success rates.
  • Applied Clean Architecture principles to isolate core business logic, from rapidly iterated code, for long-term maintainability.

Applications Developed:

  • Cleared Patient Portal - Dashboard providing patients access to care providers.
  • Cleared Website - Online OTC allergy medication storefront.
  • Quiz Builder - For non-technical team members to create quiz flows.
2018 - 2019 Rachio
Full Stack Engineer
Tools

Node.js, React, Redux, PostgreSQL, Mapbox, Gatsby

Rachio is a smart home technology company known for it’s WiFi enabled smart sprinkler controllers designed to optimize water usage.

Accomplishments:

  • End-to-end ownership over the development of production applications, as an independent contractor.
  • Built and deployed a partner utility platform that boosted top-line revenue by 25% in 6 months.
  • Developed high conversion React microsites achieving a 21% conversion rate across all traffic and a 41% among eligible homeowners.
  • Built a location based service to match users with local providers, reducing related support requests by 90% and improving user satisfaction scores.
  • Reduced API requests by normalizing client side data storage.

Developed:

  • Rachio Pro - Connecting consumers to local Rachio Pros.
  • Rachio Go - React microsites facilitating the claiming of Rachio smart sprinkler controllers.
  • Rachio Portal - B2B dashboard enabling admins to manage programs, and stakeholders to review metrics of the programs they funded.
2017 - 2020 Freelance
Full Stack Engineer
Tools

Node.js, Express.js, Keystone.js, PostgreSQL, Nuxt, Next.js, Vue, React, Harp, SCSS

Delivered 10+ web applications for clients across Australia & New Zealand.

Built and maintained backend systems in Node.js, collaborating on frontend React.js and Vue.js development. Worked alongside Patternworks to create a mixture of dynamic applications, and blazing fast statically generated branding sites.

Check out my designer Callum Flack.

Sometimes I write

From Queue to Call Stack: Understanding the Node.js Event Loop
Javascript
Node.js
Event Loop
Fundamentals