About Me
Hi, I'm James Hong
AI-First Software Engineer
Driven by a perpetual curiosity for emerging tech, I'm an AI-First Software Engineer and Tech Lead with 15+ years of excellence across fast-paced startups and complex enterprises.
I'm a lifelong learner who enjoys staying current with the latest in software and AI.
Right now I'm deep in AI development - building agentic workflows and AI-first products that solve real problems perfectly and efficiently.
Experience
15+ yrs
Education
B.E. (Hons)
Location
Brisbane, AU | Remote
Tech Stack
Technologies and tools I work with
Frontend / Web
React
TypeScript
Next.js
JavaScript
Tailwind
Mobile
Android
Kotlin
Java
iOS
Swift
Flutter
Dart
Backend / Database
Node.js
Python
Spring Boot
PostgreSQL
Firebase
Cloud / DevOps
AWS
GCP
Docker
Git
GitHub
GitLab
Work Experience
Current
Apr 2023 – Present
Senior Android Engineer
Australian Payments Plus | Sydney, AU (Remote)
- Pioneered greenfield development of a standalone Android QR Payment SDK for major enterprise client (Coles), enabling secure digital transactions across national retail networks
- Architected Agentic AI workflows by designing and implementing bespoke instruction frameworks for Codex to automate complex engineering tasks, boosting team velocity
- Managed high traffic feature sets for the Beem app, ensuring stability and performance for a growing ecosystem of 1.5M+ active users
- Led Jetpack Compose adoption with a focus on modularisation and strict accessibility (Talkback) standards
- Automated mission critical security tasks (SHA-256 hashing & Certificate updates) via custom Shell scripts, reducing manual effort and potential downtime.
Agentic AIAndroidKotlinJetpack ComposeMaterial 3Compose Navigation 3MVVMCoroutinesFlowKoinRetrofitMoshiCoilGitLabBitriseMavenShell ScriptingFirebase AnalyticsDynatraceAmplitudeMockKRobolectric
May 2022 – Apr 2023
Senior Android Engineer
Suncorp Group | Brisbane, AU
- Optimised high volume notification systems by architecting dynamic UI delivery and support for diverse payload types, driving measurable user engagement
- Boosted application performance through strategic caching architectures, significantly reducing redundant API overhead and accelerating data retrieval
- Modernised legacy codebases and engineered robust feature toggle frameworks to ensure seamless product rollouts and high codebase reliability
- Improved error handling to provide better feedback to users and updated UI components to enhance overall user experience
- Maintained high engineering standards by writing comprehensive unit tests for every development task.
AndroidKotlinRxJavaDagger2FirebaseJenkinsGitJUnitSpek
Nov 2021 – May 2022
Senior Android Engineer
Latitude Financial Services | Melbourne, AU (Remote)
- Engineered core features for a flagship Fintech app (500k+ MAU), leading the end-to-end delivery of the 'Pay My Account' module
- Worked closely with the backend team to design secure API contracts for seamless mobile to server integration
- Collaborated with cross-functional stakeholders to align technical strategy with business goals through leadership in sprint showcases
- Enhanced user engagement by implementing Material Design standards (Lottie), account balance widgets, and comprehensive automated test suites.
AndroidKotlinHiltRxJavaBitriseBuildKiteFirebaseZeplinGitJUnitRobolectricEspresso
Jan 2021 – Nov 2021
Senior Software Engineer
Expedia Group | Brisbane, AU
- Conceptualised and delivered Chat Bubble and Direct Reply features, significantly increasing user engagement and response rates
- Architected a reusable component library, reducing boilerplate code by 82% (from 200 to 35 lines) and ensuring long term maintainability
- Led the strategic transition to Jetpack Compose and modernised debugging workflows, effectively eliminating technical debt
- Increased team productivity and unblocked major work by introducing advanced debugging tools like Charles proxy
- Developed user centric features like 'copy reservation ID', which became a frequently used utility after successful release.
AndroidKotlinJavaRxKotlinDaggerJetpack ComposeBitriseSplunkFirebaseFigmaGitJUnitRobolectricEspresso
Jun 2019 – Jan 2021
Technical Team Leader
Tabcorp | Brisbane, AU
- Managed a high-performing team of 15+ multidisciplinary engineers for Lotteries mobile apps, successfully serving 2M+ active users
- Modernised the recruitment framework and onboarding protocols, ensuring rapid integration for new members during expansion
- Cultivated a growth centric culture through structured pair programming and team bonding initiatives during the transition to remote work
- Developed custom validation tools to automate configuration checks, effectively eliminating recurring production failures
- Achieved #1 market rankings in both the App Store and Google Play by implementing rigorous quality standards
- Directed complex project roadmaps, successfully delivering multiple high priority initiatives in parallel.
AndroidKotlinJavaKoiniOSSwiftObjective-CPythonTeamCityAppCenterGitAdobe AnalyticsApp DynamicsPostman
Dec 2018 – May 2019
Senior Software Engineer (Backend)
Facet Consulting | Brisbane, AU
- Delivered a complex greenfield microservices project with full end-to-end ownership, from initial technical design to the deployment of secure RESTful services
- Architected event driven cloud native solutions utilising AWS (Lambda, S3, SNS, SQS), ensuring high performance and security for backend infrastructure
- Optimised database management by introducing Liquibase for version control, streamlining schema migrations
- Investigated and solved complex technical problems, documenting technical designs for team alignment.
AWSKotlinSpring BootJPAHibernateDockerJenkinsLiquibasePostgreSQLGitSwaggerPostman
Mar 2018 – Dec 2018
Senior Android Developer
Tatts Group | Brisbane, AU
Jul 2017 – Mar 2018
Senior Software Engineer (Full Stack)
Hyper Anna | Sydney, AU
Oct 2016 – Jul 2017
Senior Android Developer
ING | Sydney, AU
May 2015 – Oct 2016
Mobile Engineer
Hipages Group | Sydney, AU
Sep 2012 – May 2015
Software Engineer (Full Stack)
Wex Inc | Auckland, NZ
Education
University of Auckland
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
Software Engineering
2008 – 2012
Awards & Credentials
Awards
- Hipages Group Fast Start Award
- WEX Mobile Team Nomination
- Microsoft Windows 8 Competition - Top 5
- Microsoft Windows Phone Competition - Top 3
- Step Up Scholarship
Training & Credentials
- Claude Code 101 by Anthropic
- Claude 101 by Anthropic
- AI Productivity with MCP: Leveraging MCP Servers with Claude
- Claude Code 101: From Prompt to Product
- Cursor 101: Run AI Agents That Actually Ship Code
- Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
- Google Cloud Fundamentals
- Microsoft Build: Cloud Applications for a Remote World
- AWS Summit Online
- AWS ANZ Webinar Series
- Facebook Android Engineering Community
- Google Maps Codelab
- Brisbane Mobile App Developers Meetup
Contact
Open to impactful opportunities in Senior or Principal Software Engineering and AI-centric roles.
Whether you're building scalable systems or pioneering with AI, let’s connect!
Contact Info
Location
Brisbane, QLD, Australia
© 2026 James Hong. All rights reserved.