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Hi, I am Ryan

I am a develope|

Ryan Balla

Software Engineering Manager

Diligent and detail-oriented engineering leader with a proven record of success in Agile leadership, full-cycle software development, and delivery of high-impact digital solutions. Blend of design expertise, people management, and technical depth enables me to build resilient, high-performing teams rooted in trust, respect, and continuous growth.

PMI-ACP® Certified

Skills

Node.js

Built APIs in Node, managed middleware in Express and Hono. Adept in working with and maintaining Node projects.

JavaScript

Main language for professional development. Capable of writing scalable, testable, and maintainable programs.

Python

Worked on projects in Python to add new endpoints and improve existing ones for APIs.

PHP

Experienced with PHP, Laravel and CodeIgniter. Worked on numerous projects and applications written in PHP.

React

Primary library for web development. Over 7 years experience in a variety of projects from simple to complex applications.

Next.js

Most selected framework to develop web application with server-side rendering (SSR) and static site generation (SSG).

Ruby on Rails

Most recently worked with Ruby on Rails at Away to optimize and add features to a back-end e-commerce application.

AWS & GCP

Knowledgeable in AWS and Google Cloud. Successfully deployed and managed applications on both platforms.

PostgreSQL

Well-skilled in relational databases. Maintaining knowledge in creating queries, management, and optimization.

Github

Expert in using Github for version control, issue tracking, and collaboration.

Sentry & DataDog

Expert in using such tools to monitor and optimize applications. Allergic to unmaintained error logs.

Scrum

Expert in Agile methodologies like Scrum. Keen to coach and optimize team performance though Agile protocols.

Kanban

Kanban is my favorite adjunct of Scrum. Well suited for fast-paced environments and teams with highly variable work loads.

SAFe

Expert in SAFe methodologies. Well suited for large-scale distributed projects with complex dependencies.

Experiences

1
Away

December 2023 - June 2025

New York, New York (Remote)

Led a team of cross-functional developers focused on top-of-funnel engagement.

Software Engineering Manager

December 2023 - June 2025

Responsibilities:
  • Increased abandoned cart email conversions by 2% to 3% through leading a platform migration.
  • Built e-commerce interfaces using React, Next.js, and TypeScript for impactful merchandising initiatives.
  • Achieved 5% greater sales for a key quarter by reducing latency 1s-2s on key conversion pages.
  • Led process improvements resulting in 20% more velocity on average looking at two-week iterations.
Foxtrot

May 2021 - December 2022

Chicago, Illinois

Optimized the e-commerce application and spearheaded an internal application in React Native, leading to the creation of a new team.

Software Engineering Manager

January 2022 - December 2022

Responsibilities:
  • Led expansions of e-commerce tooling in React, Next.js, React Native, and TypeScript for curated category pages.
  • Implemented data erasure and consent management tooling, strengthening compliance with privacy regulations.
  • Created reusable React libraries to enhance UI consistency and speed up time to market.
  • Optimized Agile ceremonies and stories, reducing cycle time from more than 1 week to less than 1 week.
  • Mentored developers to achieve rapid growth, seeing two promotions within 1 year of employment.
Senior Software Engineer, Front-End Lead

May 2021 - January 2022

Responsibilities:
  • Constructed an E2E test environment, leading to 10% new defects when comparing epics.
  • Led experiments that boosted sales 30% on key landing pages comparing metrics quarter over quarter
  • Conducted field research leading to 10% faster in-store pick times quarter over quarter.
2
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Farmer's Fridge

October 2019 - May 2021

Chicago, Illinois

Architected and implemented a new logistics stocking application and vending machine UI application.

Senior UI Developer

October 2019 - May 2021

Responsibilities:
  • Reduced tech debt and rebuilt front-ends 25% faster than projected with deeper story discussion on creation.
  • Led incorporation of remote monitoring tools, leading to reduced time to recovery for incidents by 50%.
  • Worked across departments to stand up a new application from scratch and deploy on-time without any major defects.
Signal (TransUnion)

September 2011 - October 2019

Chicago, Illinois

Started on the ground floor of this startup, working up to a manager and gaining experience in the growth stages of a startup.

Software Development Manager

January 2016 - October 2019

Responsibilities:
  • Led initiatives to improve developer satisfaction leading to greater NPS metrics quarter over quarter.
  • Reduced delivery time for features by 10% quarter over quarter by focusing on clearer feature definitions with stakeholders.
  • Reduced the tech debt backlog by 25% quarter over quarter with good development practices and diversified story selection each sprint.
Lead Software Developer / Senior UI Developer

September 2011 - January 2016

Responsibilities:
  • Migrated systems to React, reducing code for new features by 30%.
  • Achieved 100% test coverage and improved responsiveness with API optimizations.
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Education

The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago
2005-2008
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interactive Media Technology