Dan Govan

Senior Front-End / JavaScript Developer with 20 years of experience crafting intuitive, user-focused interfaces and guiding teams toward scalable, modern front-end solutions.

Summary

I thrive in cross-functional teams that value collaboration, curiosity, & smart, scalable solutions. With an expertise in React, Typescript & the modern front-end stack, paired with a sharp design eye & UX focus, I bring a pragmatic approach to everything from shipping scalable UI libraries, leading design system rollouts, to levelling up legacy platforms. I’m looking to join a forward-thinking team where I can keep learning, building, & making an impact.

Skills

JS Frameworks

Focused on the evolving React ecosystem since 2018, with the last few years in Next.js, alongside exploration of Astro and Gatsby. Always eager to experiment with the latest frameworks.

Styling

Proficient in Tailwind CSS for DX & scalability, with experience in Chakra-UI, CSS-in-JS (styled-components, CSS modules), and preprocessors like SASS. Focused on scalable, efficient styling.

Semantics

Developed a strong foundation in semantic HTML for accessibility, SEO, & responsive design from working with EMEA brands (e.g., Vauxhall, Colgate). Expertise in building scalable, device-agnostic UIs.

JavaScript

Mainly TypeScript for SPAs & SSR apps in Next.js (v12–14). Experience includes REST APIs, Redux, Context, React Query, & GraphQL. Some backend in Node & PHP, keen to expand to full-stack roles.

Testing

E2E with Playwright. Unit testing with Jest, React Testing Library. AB testing with Optimizely. Visual regression (and UX approval) with Chromatic.

Design systems

Advocate for design-system thinking to scale quality and consistency, from rapid prototyping to greenfield component libraries to maintaining living style guides. Long experience extracting assets (Photoshop to Figma) and identifying UX gaps.

Collaboration

Enjoy partnering with UX and Product across all phases, from discovery to delivery. Value teamwork through pairing, code reviews, knowledge sharing and mentoring. Staying sharp in the fast-paced frontend ecosystem is vital (and part of the fun).

Tooling

VS Code, Docker, Webpack, Yarn/PNPM, Git. CI/CD with Travis, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions. Project management in Jira, Trello, Fibery.

Experience

Software Engineer

Altium

Sept 2023 - Dec 2024

As part of Octopart’s in-house web team, I helped modernise a high-traffic legacy codebase serving over 2.3 million monthly users. Worked closely with engineers, designers, & product managers in a tightly knit, cross-functional team.

  • Led migration from Styled JSX to Tailwind after evaluating multiple styling strategies
  • Built & rolled out a new design system using Storybook & Chromatic for documentation, UX alignment, and visual regression testing
  • Shipped redesigned UX filters (+4% usage) and SEO-optimised landing page templates that boosted indexing & organic traffic
  • Introduced E2E testing with Playwright to support maintainability
  • Advocated for a shift away from Redux & too broad Context in favour of more scalable state patterns
  • Contributed to key tech upgrades: pnpm, Node 20, Next.js 14 (App Router), & GraphQL rewrites
  • Active participant in Agile ceremonies; helped sustain team momentum through collaboration & continuous improvement

Senior Frontend Developer

EDD London

Jul 2022 - Apr 2023

Key role in developing booking platforms & a CMS agency showcase from the ground up, using TypeScript, React, and Next.js for dynamic SSR & seamless user experience.

  • Spearheaded the development & integration of reusable React components, leading two devs in the build.
  • Built a custom UI library extending Chakra UI’s theming framework, enabling white-label support.
  • Utilized React Hook Forms, framer-motion, and MSW for robust form handling, animations, and API mockups.
  • Developed data fetching and state management with React Query & custom Headless CMS integrations.

UX Developer

Lightbydan

Nov 2022 - Jan 2023

Designed, developed, and deployed a photography showcase as the sole developer. Built with TypeScript, Gatsby, GraphQL, and Chakra-UI, deployed via Netlify. Integrated Formik for form handling and Firebase for backend services.

React Developer

Festicket

Apr 2021 - Jul 2022

Joined a product team to develop internal portals & partner-facing features for a ticket marketplace platform, working within a large React/Redux codebase.

Worked mostly with TypeScript, Redux Toolkit & React-i18next. Jest for testing, PHP templates (Twig, PHPTal) for legacy page layout, and Jenkins CI/CD pipelines.

Full Stack Developer

BDH

Feb 2021

Brought on initially as frontend, I quickly identified backend gaps and took ownership of improving the MVP. Worked with React, Redux, Express, and Socket.io to enhance both frontend and backend components.

React Developer

Jollywise

Sept 2020 - Mar 2021

Spearheaded frontend React & Redux-heavy revamp for Cartoon Network’s “Elliot from Earth,” with a new design, api & components. Also contributed to other interactive projects, SPAs & mini-games.

Senior Frontend Developer

EDD London

Feb 2020 - Jun 2020

Built React UI components for a camera rental eCommerce site & then led on overhauling the layout from desktop-specific to device-agnostic. Introduced animated transitions to enhance user experience across mobile and tablet devices.

Senior Frontend Developer

Rehab Agency

Oct 2019 - Feb 2020

Built a SCORM-based anti-phishing educational tool using React, CSS modules and JSON. 8 localisations of 6 lessons meant a lot of JSON. Ended up leading the field and advising parallel projects to bring them up to speed.

Frontend Developer

YunoJuno

May 2019 - Aug 2019

Implemented a new registration and onboarding system for YunoJuno’s freelancer platform using React and modular SCSS, improving the user experience and streamlining the sign-up process.

UI Developer

22 design

May 2018 - Oct 2018

Boutique agency role where projects included an HTML5 banner for the front page of Talk Talk, updates to an OpenCart eCommerce site, and other HTML5 and JS interactive elements.

Frontend Developer

KoffeeCup

May 2018 - Sept 2018

Picked up Angular to overhaul & update a Cordova app for on-site tablet & kiosk deployment at a client event.

Frontend Developer & CSS Architect

YunoJuno

Jul 2015 - Dec 2017

Built out an evolving UX & Frontend, tamed legacy startup CSS, and maintained an extensive design system using practical BEM, Stylus/SASS & Django templating, later moving to React.

Carried out a platform-wide redesign with a single CSS retheme for a seamless & non-destructive transition.

Frontend Developer

VooDooBytes

May 2014 - Jun 2015

Developed sites & eCommerce for clients like agreatplacetobe, Cameraworks, Heineken, Rex & Mariano, DMB represents & Blossom Hill. Used Mixture, Sass, Liquid, & jQuery for integration to Umbraco.

Interface Developer

Maynard Malone

Feb 2014 - Apr 2014

Worked on a content-driven site for Organix, quickly learning Drupal and using PHP, CSS, & jQuery to implement new sections.

Permanent roles 2006 – 2015

Creative Technologist

MetaBroadcast

Jul 2014 - Jun 2015

Joined a backend engineering team to build experimental UIs using JavaScript to consume and test TV metadata APIs for the BBC. Also contributed to the company blog and spoke at monthly meetups.

Senior Interactive Web Developer

VML London

Nov 2012 - Feb 2014

Responsive CSS/UX Lead on builds from microsites to enterprise-level CQ builds, for Colgate, Premier Inn & Premier League.

  • Frontend lead on a 6-month fluid mobile build (£3M revenue pw, 500k dailies).
  • Organised knowledge-sharing workshops. Portraits & events photographer.

Interface Developer

MRM London

Apr 2006 - Nov 2012

Starting as an Associate before promotion to Front-End Developer and then Interface Developer, I worked in HTML, CSS & jQuery to reconcile the work of copywriters, designers & backend, to build & localise sites & HTML emails for clients like Intel, Nationwide, Vauxhall, Sky Movies, MSN & MasterCard.

  • Intel facebook campaign, & iPad/PhoneGap apps for Regus & The Mall.
  • Championed responsive & parallax design.
  • Led initiatives in bridging the tech & creative teams.
  • Presented on company values & best practice.

Info