James Forrister

Spearheaded integration of OpenAI GPT-4 and LangChain APIs into client SaaS products, enhancing customer support, streamlining onboarding, and enabling advanced AI-driven analytics.

Architected and launched a B2B consulting marketplace platform from scratch within 4 months, directly contributing to securing $500K in seed funding.

Engineered and deployed GraphQL APIs (Ariadne) to facilitate robust multi-tenant integrations with Stripe and Zoho, improving data interoperability.

Developed a WCAG 2.1 AA compliant React/Next.js dashboard with real-time Socket.IO updates for transaction and fraud alerts, significantly boosting user trust and reducing support inquiries.

Constructed Celery and RabbitMQ-driven reconciliation pipelines for daily payment batch processing, leading to a substantial reduction in manual error rates.

Implemented Docker containerization and deployed services to AWS ECS using Terraform IaC, establishing zero-downtime CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions for seamless deployments.

Integrated DataDog and New Relic APM for comprehensive end-to-end monitoring and engineered PagerDuty alerting strategies, ensuring SLA compliance with under 5-minute response times.

Collaborated cross-functionally with business analysts and compliance teams to interpret PCI DSS requirements, influencing the design of robust RBAC and audit logging standards.

Navigated rapidly evolving startup requirements, excelling in diverse roles (development, DevOps, QA) to deliver new features in weekly sprints and demonstrate exceptional organizational agility.

Developed comprehensive PyTest and Factory Boy test suites and maintained OpenAPI documentation via Redoc, improving API usability for consumers.

Mentored and coached junior developers on T3 stack, Python/Django, and integration best practices, fostering team growth and technical proficiency.

Empowered product teams to accelerate feature delivery by leveraging LLM-based ideation tools (GitHub Copilot, Tabnine) and AI-assisted code reviews.

Spearheaded the 0-to-1 MVP launch of Finxact's banking API platform (Django, FastAPI, gRPC), enabling digital account creation, real-time payments, and instant fund transfers for neobank partners.

Designed and implemented PCI-DSS-compliant payment orchestration microservices (Kafka, Celery), processing ACH, Stripe, and Plaid transactions, accelerating third-party payment gateway onboarding.

Deployed an end-to-end fraud detection pipeline (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Pandas), automating real-time risk scoring, anomaly alerts, and suspicious activity account hold triggers.

Integrated blockchain ledger APIs for transaction logging, audit trails, and immutable compliance reporting, ensuring adherence to ISO 20022 and GDPR standards for international remittance.

Built and maintained a real-time financial data lake (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Kafka) to support regulatory, KYC, AML, and FATCA reporting for B2B fintech clients.

Developed an OpenAPI/Swagger-driven developer portal and React-based dashboard (D3.js), streamlining partner onboarding and customizable account management for client banks.

Implemented secure, scalable cloud infrastructure (Kubernetes, Terraform) on AWS and GCP, significantly improving platform resilience and reducing downtime.

Instrumented ELK stack and Prometheus/Grafana for comprehensive API latency, transaction monitoring, and user behavior analytics, supporting internal operations and client success.

Established CI/CD, TDD, and pair programming as core engineering practices, enhancing code quality, compliance, and accelerating delivery of new fintech features.

Collaborated closely with compliance and legal teams to deliver innovative neobank and FaaS modules within strict regulatory deadlines.

Optimized database indexing and implemented asynchronous task queues, resulting in reduced API latency and increased system throughput, enhancing customer transaction experience.

Led the re-architecture and migration of a legacy PHP mental health portal to Django/React, enabling secure, HIPAA-compliant video counseling and resource scheduling for thousands of higher education users.

Developed FastAPI and PostgreSQL-based patient intake and appointment modules, significantly streamlining onboarding, insurance validation, and cross-provider scheduling for clinicians and care teams.

Engineered HL7/FHIR integration middleware (Pydantic, Celery), automating secure EMR/EHR data exchange and reducing manual charting effort for healthcare staff.

Launched mood tracking and engagement scoring features (scikit-learn, React), enhancing clinician insight into at-risk patients.

Implemented OAuth2/JWT authentication and granular RBAC to safeguard PHI, ensure compliance audits, and support cross-institutional SSO integrations for university clients.

Automated patient SMS/email reminders via Twilio and SendGrid APIs, significantly reducing appointment no-shows and improving proactive follow-ups.

Configured Kubernetes and Docker-based CI/CD pipelines on AWS CloudFront/S3, ensuring reliable feature rollouts and compliance with health IT uptime requirements.

Instrumented Prometheus/Grafana for monitoring latency, API errors, and patient engagement, optimizing system performance.

Led Agile sprints and collaborated with UX to redesign telehealth flows, enhancing patient and clinician satisfaction.

Engineered a robust order management service (Django, Celery), streamlining transaction processing for over 10,000 SKUs and enabling same-day fulfillment across the US retail network.

Developed a headless checkout API (Flask, FastAPI) to decouple cart/payment flows, reducing page latency and supporting omnichannel shopping carts for mobile and PWA users.

Implemented responsive front-end components (Angular) to enhance user experience, demonstrating full-stack proficiency.

Integrated payment gateways (Stripe, Twilio) and shipping APIs, ensuring PCI-DSS compliance and secure OAuth-based authentication for transactions.

Developed RESTful APIs for order processing and enhanced API documentation using Swagger, improving developer usability.

Deployed containerized environments (Docker, Kubernetes), enhancing deployment reliability for new product launches.

Enhanced SEO and PWA features in the headless React storefront, significantly increasing organic traffic and enabling offline shopping experiences for mobile-first users.

Collaborated with design and operations teams to deliver a seamless cross-platform experience (Material UI, Bootstrap).