Adam Whitlock
Professional Summary
Senior Software Engineer with 11+ years of experience specializing in frontend and full-stack development. Expert in web technologies and extensive experience designing scalable applications, component libraries, and optimizing for high-transaction environments. Passionate about fostering team growth, maintaining high code quality standards, and creating collaborative, inclusive engineering cultures that deliver exceptional results.
Technical Skills
Frontend
JavaScript/TypeScript, React, Vue, HTML/CSS, Design Systems, GraphQL
Backend
Node.js, Python, PHP, Ruby on Rails, MySQL, MongoDB, Vector Databases
AI & Cloud
OpenAI & Anthropic APIs, FastAPI, Pydantic, Langchain, AWS, Azure, GCP
Testing & Tools
Jest/Mocha/Cypress, CI/CD Pipeline Management, Test Driven Development
Work Experience
Staff Software Engineer
Oddball | VA Chatbot Program
- Primary engineer for rapid prototype project to deliver a viable chat application utilizing OpenAI APIs, Azure AI services and Vector Databases within 8 weeks
- Provide best in class full stack software leveraging the VA design system, Python, and ChromaDB
- Contribute to planning, designing, and implementing a legacy integration of a modern LLM based conversational component into the production VA Chatbot application with progressive adoption via feature flags
Lead Engineer and Practice Manager
Ad Hoc LLC | VA Design Patterns Program
- Lead engineer for the Authenticated Experience Patterns team, contributing to VA Design System Library
- Guide team members in their professional development with individualized growth plans as a Practice Manager / Lead Engineer hybrid role
- Prototype and implement new design patterns for potential inclusion in United States Web Design System for concentrated 1 year task order
- Provide engineering team leadership for rapid prototyping and production implementation
- Drive improvements to VA design system documentation and developer documentation
Senior Software Engineer
Ad Hoc LLC | VA Authenticated Experience Program
- Developed and maintained VA.gov user profile application serving 18M+ users and 34M monthly sessions
- Implemented critical user-facing features for financial information and direct deposit systems
- Performed major technical debt refactoring to modernize user experience
- Top 15 contributor among 500+ developers on open-source vets-website repository with ~350 PRs merged
- Maintained high code quality standards of 80%+ unit test coverage while shipping frequent product updates
- Mentored junior developers through pair programming and technical guidance
Senior Feature Engineer
Cars.com | Dealer Inspire Platform Team
- Built full-stack application using Laravel/Vue/GraphQL serving over 4000 automotive OEM dealership website properties
- Developed React and Vue plugins for WordPress-based dealership platform
- Led small development teams on high-priority projects, providing technical direction and support
- Maintained 90%+ frontend unit test coverage across all owned projects
- Implemented comprehensive testing strategies for quality assurance
Lead Developer
Madwire Media | Custom Solutions Team
- Led development of WooCommerce platform supporting 3000+ web properties
- Created custom JavaScript/Node.js Photoshop extension to accelerate design workflows
- Architected and implemented custom integrations and feature additions to the core marketing platform
- Managed development priorities and resources across multiple ongoing projects
- Mentored junior developers through code reviews and regular one-on-one technical coaching sessions
Instructor for Web Design & Advanced Photoshop
Front Range Community College | Art & Design
- Received 2018 Outstanding Department Instructor Award
- Taught modern web design techniques and Adobe Photoshop
- Developed a custom curriculum that balanced theoretical knowledge with practical, hands-on experience
- Provided individualized feedback to help students improve their technical and design skills
Software Engineer & Designer
Managed Development
- Developed Android application using Java, SQLite, and PHP
- Built video streaming service using Node.js, Meteor, MongoDB, and Stripe integration
- Collaborated with client stakeholders to gather requirements and implement requested features
Education
Associate's Degree in Graphic Design & Web Development
Front Range Community College
Additional Interests
Teaching & Mentorship
Passionate about engineering education and knowledge sharing through collaborative learning.
Accessibility Engineering
Dedicated to creating inclusive software that goes beyond compliance standards.
Design-Driven Development
Leveraging design background to create solutions that blend functionality with UX.
Physical Computing
Experience with embedded systems including Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and ESP32 platforms.