Software Dev Engineer II

Hotels.com (Expedia Group)

💼 Full-time • July 2015 → February 2017
🏢 Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
🔗 Expedia Group
📍 Rome Area, Italy • On-site

I worked in the mobile application area as a member of the API team which is in charge of the development of back-end services targeted to support the mobile native applications for iOS and Android. We were focused on the implementation of REST web-services, using the Java programming language and other open source technologies such as Jersey, Spring, Maven, Docker, and so on. As an agile team, we were using the Kanban process model.

• Delivered high-quality backend services for mobile apps, including APIs for Destination Recommendation and Property Details.
• Reduced onboarding time for new hires by creating a Vagrant VM box and sharing Hbox tools.
• Improved team delivery pace by introducing “Elephant Carpaccio” story slicing in the SRLE project.
• Released Heat as an open-source component, contributing significantly to the company’s tech ecosystem.
• Enhanced development efficiency by tuning the Maven plugin for automatic DTO generation.

Skills

• REST API development
• Java & Spring Framework
• Docker & Maven
• DevOps tooling (Vagrant, Hbox)
• Mentorship & onboarding
• Cross-functional collaboration

• Process improvement & adaptability

• High-quality software development and code review
• Proposing optimized solutions and new technologies
• Technical analysis and requirements gathering
• Contributing to open-source software (HEAT)
• Emerging leadership and mentorship for junior members
• Proactive problem-solving and optimization
• Fostering positive team spirit and support
• Adaptability and independent decision-making

Projects

• 💻 Hotels.com Mobile Native Apps Backend

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Performance Review

Summary: A highly skilled and proactive Software Development Engineer known for delivering high-quality solutions, optimizing team productivity, and fostering a positive and collaborative environment. Instrumental in technical analysis, code quality, and process improvements, with a strong focus on mentorship and problem-solving.

Key Skills:

• Software Development: High-quality deliverables, writing and reviewing code, backlog definition, breaking down epics into stories, REST API development (Destination Recommendation API, PDEdge), open source contributions (Heat).
• Technical Analysis & Problem Solving: Proactive approach to problems, searching for optimized solutions, proposing new technologies, conducting accurate analysis, identifying issues before they manifest as bugs, enthusiasm for new technologies.
• Team Productivity & Onboarding: Reducing startup time for new hires with developer toolkits (Vagrant VM box, Hbox), sharing best practices and tools, fostering predictable team performance, mentoring younger colleagues.
• Collaboration & Communication: Cross-functional collaboration with other teams, effective communication, seeking agreement, collecting requirements, building rapport, mediating conflicts, active listening, using feedback models (SBI).
• Mentorship & Team Spirit: Recognizing contributions of others, working effectively with peers, encouraging personal initiative, acting as a reference point for younger colleagues, sharing technical knowledge, promoting a positive attitude.
• Quality & Maintainability: Ensuring high-quality deliverables, driving decisions towards better quality and maintainability, respecting architectural and performance recommendations.
• Adaptability & Change Management: Embracing and championing organizational changes, positive attitude towards transitions.

Achieved Results:

• Played a key role in the release of Heat software as an open-source component, a significant contribution to the company.
• Guaranteed high-quality deliverables by actively participating in all phases of project development, from requirements gathering and backlog definition to coding and reviewing for projects like Destination Recommendation API and PDEdge.
• Significantly reduced the ramp-up time for new hires by developing and providing a Vagrant VM box and sharing Hbox, pre-configured with necessary development tools.
• Contributed to improved team predictability by proposing an “Elephant Carpaccio” inspired story slicing technique during the SRLE project, helping the team find a consistent building and delivery pace.
• Enhanced the efficiency of edge service ownership by tuning the maven plugin “jsonschema2pojo” for automatic DTO generation, leading to shorter development times.
• Actively contributed to hiring valuable talent by participating in technical interview sessions.
• Demonstrated strong technical and analytical skills by proactively identifying and addressing issues before they escalated into bugs, and enthusiastically studying new technologies.
• Drove decisions towards better quality, maintainability, and respect for architectural and performance recommendations in daily work.
• Led initial analysis for the SRLE project, working closely with the TPM and keeping the team updated on the project’s big picture.
• Improved personal listening capabilities, acquiring “active listening” techniques and utilizing the SBI Feedback Model for better communication with colleagues.
• Served as a reference point for younger colleagues, effectively sharing technical knowledge and investigation outcomes without imposing ideas, and encouraging personal initiative.
• Consistently contributed to building and spreading a positive team spirit, recognizing others’ contributions, working effectively with peers, and mediating conflicts.

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Job Description

Role Summary: High-performing individual contributor, mentor to junior engineers, leads complex projects, and drives improvements in systems and processes.

Role Expectations:

• Mentor and share knowledge with peers
• Lead and clarify code evolution in reviews
• Develop and test complex software applications
• Design testable and observable software
• Identify and solve business problems at the project level

Skills:

• Advanced programming in multiple languages/technologies
• API design and technology selection
• System design and cross-team integration
• Debugging, testing, and monitoring at project level
• Holistic systems thinking and process improvement