Darren Kovalchik

Technical Writer | Software Engineering Leader
linkedin.com/in/kovalchik

Technical writer and software engineering leader with expertise in content creation, technical writing, and editing. Proven leadership experience, with a background in team management, roadmap development, and technical communication. Education includes a BA in Creative Writing (Technical Writing emphasis) and a Certificate in Editing.

Skills

• Writing & Editing: Technical writing, developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading
• Technical: Software development, Typescript, JavaScript, Node, Python, Ruby, React, Angular, Ember, HTML, CSS, SQL, AWS, Django, Drupal, Next.js, Storybook
• Programs & Formats: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Figma, Miro, Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator, Confluence, Obsidian, Markdown, JSDocs
• Process: People management, team management, project management, software architecture, agile methodologies, Scrum, Kanban

Experience

Slalom Build

• Organized, developed, and presented bootcamp style trainings for React, Angular, Ember and other technologies, to ensure development teams could quickly learn new project technologies
• Documented feature functionality in wiki software, inline code, and pull requests, ensuring successful project hand off to clients
• Reviewed and edited pull requests and documentation written by Slalom and client team members, maintaining project knowledge bases and code quality
• Created project architecture, process, and timeline diagrams to help project teams and clients successfully plan and execute projects spanning multiple years
• Crafted client proposals in PowerPoint by utilizing internal style guides and researching relevant projects across offices
• Wrote internal white papers and presentations to build support among executives while growing the front-end development practice, increasing the skillset in Seattle by 50% in 2 years
• Worked with UX designers to plan and create project style guides using Figma and Storybook, facilitating faster team member onboarding and smoother client hand off
• Managed the staffing, performance feedback, and promotion processes for a 15-person tree of managers and individual contributors, over 10 of whom were promoted to more senior positions within the organization
• Managed engineering teams and architected complex software applications using Typescript, Node, React, SQL, AWS, and other technologies, while working with clients such as Apple, Microsoft, AWS, Expedia, and Pennymac

Smashing Ideas

• Developed and delivered training workshops and presentations about the Scrum development process using Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Sheets, helping to modernize the development process at Boeing and Smashing Ideas
• Managed the staffing, performance feedback, and promotion processes for 2 individual contributors
• Built sites with the Django and Drupal content management systems and architected complex front-end JavaScript applications, while working with clients such as Microsoft, Boeing, the Allen Institute, and Penguin Random House

Phinney Bischoff

Software Engineer | 2010–2012

• Leveraged personal expertise and experience to write and publish entries about front-end development on the Phinney Bischoff blog
• Built sites with the Drupal content management system and created advanced user interfaces using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, while working with clients such as the Bezos Family Foundation, Linfield College, and The Northwest School

Education

University of Washington

Certificate in Editing
Specialization in Developmental Editing

Western Washington University

Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing
Emphasis in Technical Writing
Certificate in Web Development