Matt Bevilacqua

About Me

Work Experience

1. Staff Software Engineer & Accessibility Specialist

   2021 – Present

   Ad Hoc LLC · Washington, DC

   • Develop and maintain a data-driven JavaScript application for the Office of Head Start, optimizing performance and user experience across a high-traffic, mission-critical platform.
   • Built and integrated graphical dashboards in React, supported by a backend powered by Node and PostgreSQL, improving data insights and decision-making for users.
   • Lead the team’s accessibility efforts, ensuring compliance and enhancing usability by advocating for accessible design standards beyond compliance.
   • Integrated a large language model and Python microservice to help users condense complex data, improving data accessibility and decision-making efficiency.
   • Modernized legacy systems and web forms, working closely with designers to apply brand guidelines to ensure visual and brand consistency with other US government agencies
   • Participate in high-pressure, two-week “code challenge” to deliver a fully functional MVP, including multiple microservices and complex integrations, demonstrating exceptional problem-solving and teamwork under tight deadlines.
   • Improved development workflow and testing by utilizing CircleCI, Jest, Cucumber, Axe, and Playwright to automate testing and enforce accessibility standards.
   • Received a company wide award for advocating simple, user-forward, iterative approaches.

   Tech Stack

   • React
   • Node/Express
   • Postgres
   • Sequelize
   • Circle CI
   • Github
   • Jest
   • Cucumber
   • Playwright
   • Axe

2. Senior Web Developer/Web Accessibility Coordinator

   2016 – 2021

   Providence College · Providence, RI

   • Developed and led the college’s Web Accessibility implementation plan
   • Modernized legacy front end Javascript by converting jQuery to vanilla Javascript/es6/web components
   • Created serverless Node microservices to offload tasks from WordPress to Azure
   • Interface directly with stakeholders across campus, working with faculty, students, and other administrative offices to complete projects in a timely and independent manner
   • Developed many custom WordPress themes, blocks, and plugins, and led the migration of the WP editor experience into the modern React-based Gutenberg editor
   • Migrated the college’s external site from Sharepoint to WordPress, which involved breaking down legacy code into a rudimentary component system and migrating to a custom utility based CSS style, designed to orchestrate a consistent branding across hundreds of different offices and departments
   • Built custom landing pages from design files, working closely with the Marketing and Communications department, and support them to create flexible and reusable controls
   • Introduced and lead the adoption of version control and change management, including integrating version control into the deployment chain
   • Introduced led the adoption of e2e and unit testing (current stack includes Jest, phpunit, Browserstack, and Puppeteer)
   • Wrote complete accessibility documentation for the college’s web editors
   • Pushed our team to adopt modern development tools, including Gulp and Webpack
   • Developed custom solutions for Microsoft Sharepoint using Typescript and React
   • Migrated and supported a legacy academic app written in Laravel and Backbone. Acted as a mentor to the junior developer who maintains and supports the app
   • Created digital signage using Raspberry Pi & Python/Flask

   Tech Stack

   • React/Vue/Svelte
   • WordPress
   • Sharepoint
   • Javascript/Typescript
   • php
   • Laravel
   • mySQL
   • Serverless functions
   • Node
   • Python
   • Azure
   • Git (Github/Bitbucket)

3. Web Developer

   2013 – 2016

   Wash Safe Industries · Harwich, MA

   • Developed custom solutions and administrated several high traffic ecommerce websites built on the Magento platform
   • Worked closely with a third party agency to manage the transition of legacy websites to a modern responsive design
   • Created UX, UI and front-end content inclusive of copy, marketing, visuals, and other customer-facing elements
   • Built internal business tools and applications using Laravel and WordPress
   • Created and implemented new strategies for SEO/SMO
   • Hard-coded responsive emails, landing pages, and other customer facing products
   • Oversaw implementation of an automated inventory system, integrating with our CMS and accounting software
   • Interfaced with warehouse, bookkeeper, and sales personnel to create successful workflows to reflect these new products
   • Provided IT support for the sales office and associated warehouse
   • Oversaw transition from manual to digital accounting software

   Tech Stack

   • Magento
   • WordPress
   • jQuery/Javascript
   • php
   • mySQL

4. Web Developer

   2012 – Present

   Whaling City Web (Freelance) · New Bedford, MA

   • Created custom WordPress themes & plugins, executing on client requirements
   • Took advantage of the burgeoning JAMstack ecosystem to create static Nuxt, Eleventy, and Gatsby sites, creating content with headless WordPress, Contentful, and Sanity, and hosting that content on Netlify and Heroku
   • Troubleshot software on a variety of platforms, including Magento, Shopify, WordPress, custom CMS, and static web content
   • Project managed other developers and graphic designers where applicable
   • Oversaw and executed legacy content migration into new hosting and technology environments

Education

1. Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC)

   2022

   International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP)

2. Bachelor's of Science (Information Technology)

   2012

   UMASS Lowell · Lowell, MA

3. Associate of Arts

   2010

   Cape Cod Community College · Barnstable, MA

Interests