J.T. Jobe

Senior Software Engineer

[email protected] 336-937-4875 LinkedIn Greensboro, NC

Senior engineer & founder turning complex problems into simple, reliable systems.

About Me

I'm a senior software engineer and technical founder with 10+ years of experience building and scaling web and mobile applications. I specialize in Ruby, Elixir, JavaScript/TypeScript, and modern DevOps practices, with a track record of delivering high-performance systems across startups, growth-stage companies, and my own ventures.

At Gate City Software, I serve as the sole technical founder, architecting and maintaining a multi-app ecosystem that powers client projects and internal products. From designing multi-tenant Rails/Elixir APIs to building React/React Native frontends and static publishing flows, I translate complex business requirements into scalable, reliable software.

I thrive in environments that require initiative, ownership, and collaboration with non-technical stakeholders. My work has spanned everything from hands-on backend performance tuning to leading engineering practices that reduce cost and technical debt.

Experience

Technical Co-Founder

Gate City Software

Aug 2024 - Present
  • Drive architecture, backend, and frontend development across multiple apps as sole engineer
  • Architect multi-tenant Rails/Elixir APIs powering Astro static sites, React, and React Native frontends
  • Build and maintain a custom CMS and publishing flow delivering cached datasets for fast, reliable content
  • Lead technical strategy across client projects and internal product initiatives
  • Establish engineering practices and scalable infrastructure for a multi-app ecosystem

Senior Rails Engineer

HopSkipDrive

May 2023 - Aug 2024
  • Led data modeling project to update core models for new invoicing requirements
  • Reduced ride scheduling query times via SQL optimization and caching
  • Designed and updated Ruby on Rails APIs powering rider/driver mobile apps
  • Mentored engineers through code reviews and pair programming

Senior Full Stack Developer

Chapter One

Feb 2019 - Feb 2023
  • Owned core Rails monolith supporting multiple web and mobile clients
  • Improved database performance with query tuning, indexing, refactored tables, and materialized views
  • Upgraded legacy Ruby/Rails systems to modern releases, reducing technical debt
  • Designed custom calendar and scheduling modules used to book online reading volunteer sessions
  • Integrated Twilio Voice for in-app VoIP after evaluating vendor options
  • Built Elixir/Phoenix microservice for custom VOIP analytics and error reporting

Senior Ruby API Engineer

HYP3R

Mar 2018 - Jan 2019
  • Led Ruby API development for a social media aggregation platform handling 60M+ monthly records
  • Migrated slow Postgres queries to ElasticSearch, improving response times by 70%
  • Implemented Redis for caching and session management, boosting system performance
  • Scaled Sidekiq background jobs to handle millions of daily tasks

Senior Software Engineer

TuneCore

Aug 2016 - Feb 2018
  • Maintained and enhanced core Rails monolith while leading Elixir/Phoenix adoption
  • Developed financial reporting app in Elixir/Phoenix, improving reporting speed and reliability
  • Built greenfield Rails API for mobile integration
  • Integrated push notifications and two-factor authentication into user platform
  • Partnered with product and business teams to launch cross-functional initiatives

Full Stack Rails Developer

Axon Tutors

Mar 2015 - May 2016
  • Advanced from first hire to lead developer, overseeing technical roadmap
  • Built marketplace platform connecting students with tutors
  • Designed in-house scheduling system, replacing costly third-party vendor
  • Implemented Stripe-based automated payouts, reducing manual finance work
  • Contributed to successful acquisition by competitor in April 2016

Skills

Core Back-End

Ruby (Rails, Sinatra) Elixir (Phoenix) PostgreSQL Redis Sidekiq

Front-End

TypeScript React React Native Astro Angular CSS JavaScript/jQuery

DevOps & Infrastructure

AWS (EC2, S3, SQS) Docker NGINX DigitalOcean Linux Cloudflare (CDN/WAF) Content Delivery Networks

Practices

Test-Driven Development Software Architecture & Design Object-Oriented Programming Functional Programming Modular Design REST API Design Agile Debugging Caching & Content Publishing Flows

Education

B.A. Philosophy

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

May 2012

Ruby on Rails Course

Four Athens Tech Incubator

Oct 2014