Ken Powers

Senior Software Engineer · Remote

• Developed and maintained complex applications using React, Apollo, TypeScript, GraphQL, ElasticSearch, and PostgreSQL.
• Built a type-safe automation platform trigger editor capable of managing deeply nested data structures.
• Built a Liquid/Markdown editor with syntax highlighting, and a custom language service supporting autocomplete and linting.
• Built a SQL editor with inline error reporting from remote (customer-hosted) data warehouses.
• Led frontend migration from Webpack to Vite, reducing build times and improving developer productivity.
• Prototyped AI/LLM RAG Q&A in Rust using OpenAI Embeddings and an HNSW index.
• Managed AWS infrastructure across multiple environments using Terraform.
• Worked with systems designed to protect PII.
• Implemented custom linting rules to prevent database deadlocks and regex injection vectors.
• Improved developer productivity with Nix, Navi, and direnv.

Desktop Developer · Remote

• Modernized the desktop application by migrating from legacy Backbone.js to React/Redux with TypeScript.
• Designed and implemented features like a virtualized, fuzzy-searchable emoji picker and inline emoji typeahead.
• Built a cross-platform sticker creation tool with encryption and native library integrations.
• Refactored the desktop application to support multiple addressing schemes.
• Worked with and designed for systems involving distributed state.
• Worked with SQLite, SQLCipher, and Protobufs.
• Worked extensively in open source and worked directly with our users.

Lead Frontend Engineer · Boston, MA

• Designed and implemented upload queueing, cross-window Redux store sync for Electron, and SVG-based annotation tools.
• Mentored junior engineers and presented multiple talks about advanced concepts in JavaScript and React/Redux.
• Hired as Senior Software Engineer. Promoted to Lead Software Engineer in March 2018.

Software Engineer · Remote (Waltham, MA)

• Built tools for distributing and monitoring doctor workloads across facilities using Angular and PHP.
• Open-sourced a Babel plugin for automatic dependency injection in Angular projects.
• Prototyped Electron applications with native integrations to radiology software.
• Prototyped new projects with React and Vue.
• Delivered internal tech talks on modern JavaScript and CSS best practices.

Lead Frontend Engineer · Littleton, MA

• Developed high-performance front-end solutions using React, Redux, and the Dojo Toolkit.
• Automated builds and deployments with Jenkins.
• Contributed to open source software including the OpenNTF JavaScript Aggregator and the Frontend Maven Plugin.
• Created a mock browser environment for load testing offline capabilities.
• Created a shim for testing New Relic Synthetics offline.

Smarter Cities Technical Coop · Remote (Raleigh, NC)

• Developed a prototype for an IBM Smarter Cities data visualization product using Dojo Toolkit and OpenLayers.

Extreme Blue Innovation Lab Technical Intern · Austin, TX

• Led a cross-functional team to create a drag-and-drop mobile app development tool targeting non-technical users.
• Presented technical project details to multiple IBM executives.

Technology Administrator / Systems Development · Springfield, MA

• Built internal tools with ASP.NET MVC (C#) and Microsoft SQL Server to streamline corporate workflows.
• Created stored procedures for Microsoft SQL Server to generate reports on various data collected from stores.

Founder and Principal Engineer · lets.church

• Founded a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free technology resources for churches and ministries.
• Designed and managed infrastructure for video transcription and transcoding, leveraging both cloud and bare-metal servers with specialty hardware.
• Implemented transcript search functionality with ElasticSearch.
• Built and deployed the Let’s Church website using SolidJS, Prisma, and Pothos, delivering a modern and efficient user experience.

Technical Director · Leominster, MA

• Designed and implemented live production setup using ProPresenter, Reaper, Lightkey, and Wirecast. See diagram.
• Implemented a MIDI-controlled automation system for seamless coordination of click tracks, backing tracks, lighting, and projection.
• Oversaw weekly setup and teardown of professional A/V equipment including sound, recording, and projection.
• Trained and mentored volunteers through hands-on sessions, instructional videos, and written documentation.

3.7 GPA · Amherst, MA

• Earned two academic awards for outstanding performance in computer science courses.
• Achieved Dean's List recognition for three out of four semesters.

3.8 GPA · Springfield, MA

• Received two annual awards for exceptional academic achievement.
• Completed directed studies in Computer Science and Mathematics.
• Achieved Dean’s List honors for all four semesters.