Shawaz Imam

Open to full-stack & backend roles · Remote or hybrid (US)

Software engineer. Full-stack web applications and backend services.

I design and build web applications and backend services end-to-end. My work spans databases, APIs, front-end interfaces, and infrastructure automation. I own the full SDLC: schema, APIs, UI, CI/CD, and infrastructure.

Résumé Email GitHub LinkedIn

Selected work

Projects

A mix of public hobby projects and private client work. Happy to walk through architecture and code in an interview.

ReactPublic repo

Connect Four

A browser-based Connect Four game built with React. Two-player mode with animated disc drops and win detection.

  • React
  • JavaScript
  • CSS
React · TMDB APIPublic repo

Movie Browser

A movie discovery app powered by the TMDB API. Search, browse trending titles, and view details. Live at movies.shawaz.org.

  • React
  • JavaScript
  • REST API
  • CSS

How I work

Evidence over optimism

Test that it runs

Green tests are not enough

Tests can pass while the application fails to start. I add smoke checks that verify the app actually boots, catching real issues that unit tests miss.

Verify against reality

Mocks prove intent, not correctness

When integrating with external APIs, I write contract tests that run against the real endpoints. Mocks alone can hide surprising behavior.

Test-driven

No fix without a failing test

TDD, red then green: every change starts with a test that fails for the right reason, then the smallest fix that makes it pass.

Secure by construction

Make the wrong thing impossible

Security guarantees belong in code, not in documentation. I prefer designs where unsafe operations are structurally impossible rather than merely discouraged.

Experience

Where I've worked

  1. Aug 2023 – Present

    Independent Software Engineer

    Full-stack web applications and backend services

    • Design and build web applications and backend services for clients, using modern web stacks.

  2. Dec 2024 – Present

    Facilities Manager

    Greater Boston

    • Coordinate maintenance requests and contractors across multiple sites.
    • Staff the 24/7 emergency line and respond to emergencies in person.

  3. Oct 2023 – Present

    Hyperbaric Chamber Installation & Maintenance Technician

    Oxygen Health Systems · Independent contractor

    • Installed 8 hard-shell and soft-shell hyperbaric oxygen chambers at client sites.
    • Maintain 3 of those chambers on a regular schedule, and diagnose and repair unexpected failures.
    • Monitor clients during their chamber sessions when needed.

  4. 2016 – Present

    Self-Taught Automotive Mechanic

    Hands-on repair and upgrades

    • Brakes: calipers, pads, rotors, hoses, drum brakes, brake-line splicing, and bleeding.
    • Suspension and steering: ball joints, inner and outer tie rods, CV axles, wheel bearings, lug stud replacement.
    • Engine and drivetrain: transmission work, alternators, starters, spark plugs, exhaust replacement, oil changes.
    • Electrical and interior: subwoofer and amplifier wiring, head-unit upgrades, dash cams, headlights, headliner reupholstery, wheel refinishing.

Skills

Toolbox

Tools and technologies I work with regularly.

Languages

  • TypeScript
  • JavaScript
  • Python
  • Rust
  • SQL
  • Bash

Backend

  • Node.js
  • REST
  • WebSockets

Frontend

  • React
  • Next.js
  • Tailwind
  • Playwright

Data

  • PostgreSQL
  • Redis
  • SQLite

Infra & delivery

  • Docker
  • Git
  • GitHub Actions
  • CI/CD
  • Linux
  • Testing

About

Background

I taught myself to program in 2018 (Python, JavaScript, Flask, Git, and Linux) and still learn that way. I formalised it with a full-stack program in React and Django. I build web applications and backend services for clients, and I also manage facilities.

I work test-driven and own the full software development lifecycle, from design to deployment. I develop with AI coding agents every day, under strict gates: a failing test before each fix and CI that proves the app actually boots. The speed comes from the agents. The correctness comes from the gates.

Away from the keyboard, I've spent ten years as a self-taught mechanic. Isolating a fault in a car and isolating one in software take the same habit: reproduce it, test one hypothesis at a time, and verify the fix. Since 2023 I've also installed 8 hyperbaric oxygen chambers as an independent contractor, and I still maintain 3 of them on a regular schedule.

  • FocusFull-stack · Backend
  • PracticeTDD · Full SDLC · CI/CD
  • Primary languagesTypeScript · Python · Rust
  • DataPostgreSQL · Redis
  • InfraDocker · Linux · Git
  • BasedUS · Remote or hybrid
  • Coding since2018 · self-taught
  • EducationB.A., UMass Amherst

Contact

Let's talk.

I'm looking for backend or full-stack roles. Email is the fastest way to reach me.

shawaz@shawaz.org