About
Hi, my name is Monray Swart, and I am a Senior Software Engineer currently working at Xero. I bring over 0 years of experience in software development, with a strong track record of designing and delivering high-quality enterprise solutions for a wide range of clients
I am just someone who loves turning coffee into code.
Senior Software Engineer
Why do most Java programmers wear glasses? Because they don’t C#.
- Website: monrayswart.dev
- City: Wellington, New Zealand
When I’m not busy crafting clean code, spinning up Linux servers, or adding yet another end-point to an API, you’ll probably find me gaming with friends and family. Whether it's a late-night raid or a quick match, it's one of my favorite ways to unwind.
A fun fact most people don’t know about me—I’m a huge Magic: The Gathering collector. Like, deck-building-is-a-lifestyle huge. I also dive into epic adventures through our regular Dungeons & Dragons sessions, which, aside from being a blast, definitely help level up those all-important social skills.
So yes, by day I’m a software engineer—but after hours? Full-on nerd, and proud of it. 😉
Skills
Below is a brief summary of some of the key skills I’ve acquired throughout my career, represented as proficiency percentages. To explore a more detailed view of my skill set, please feel free to visit my LinkedIn profile.
Resume
This section highlights my educational background and professional journey, tracing the origins of my passion for coding. It also reflects on my experience leading teams of software engineers and sharing knowledge to foster growth and collaboration.
Education
Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer
2013
CTU Training Solutions
Pretoria, South Africa
- MCSD: Programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3
National Certificate in Database Development
2011 - 2012
CTU Training Solutions
Pretoria, South Africa
- Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)
- MCITP: Designing a Business Intelligence Infrastructure Using Microsoft SQL Server 2008
- MCITP: Designing Database Solutions and Data Access Using Microsoft SQL Server 2008
National Certificate in Systems Development
2010 - 2011
CTU Training Solutions
Pretoria, South Africa
- Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)
- MCTS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance
- MCTS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Database Development
- MCTS: Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Application Development
- MCTS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Communication Foundation
- MCTS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, ASP.NET Application Development
- MCTS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, ADO.NET Application Development
- MCTS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Forms Application Development
- MCTS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Application Development Foundation
Professional Experience
Senior Software Engineer
Sep 2024 - Present
Xero
Wellington, New Zealand
- Developed new single-page application (SPA) React components for invoicing, credit notes, quotes, and U.S. sales tax within the Xero platform.
- Implemented new Backend-for-Frontend (BFF) .NET Web API endpoints to support invoicing, credit notes, quotes, and U.S. sales tax functionalities.
- Integrated LaunchDarkly into both the SPA and BFF projects to enable feature flag management across targeted system areas.
- Refactored and enhanced the "Repeating Invoices" functionality to improve maintainability and user experience.
- Designed and configured new CI/CD pipelines for the quotes feature using Makefiles and Docker Compose.
- Established integrated CI/CD workflows utilizing TeamCity, GitHub Actions, and AWS services, including the use of Kotlin scripts.
- Integrated New Relic to provide real-time performance monitoring and system behavior insights across the Xero application.
Development Lead
Sep 2021 - Sep 2024
UNIFY Solutions NZ
Wellington, New Zealand
- Leading a team that is developing and implementing the RealMe solution and the Ministry of Health solutions.
- Created a new My Health Account website for consumers and the Workforce Account website for health practitioners to use, Azure Functions was used for backend and React with Typescript for frontend.
- Converted the RealMe project to use Azure Functions for backend and Hugo with B2C custom policies for frontend and handles the authentication.
- Making sure coding standards are being followed and the latest technologies are being used for performance and maintainability.
- Managed the Azure cloud services where we hosted our front-end a back-end components, using tools like Azure functions, key vault, service bus, blob storage, configuration and many more.
- We used the agile methodology on DevOps to run our sprints, review our PR's and kick off CI/CD pipeline builds and releases.
Senior Software Developer
Jan 2020 - Sep 2021
Re-Leased
Pandora, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
- Developed and maintained commercial property management software.
- Integrated with Xero's accounting software using OAuth2 pulling the receipts and invoices data.
- We used the Kanban methodology on DevOps for sprints with user stories, tasks, and bugs.
- Ran CI/CD pipelines on TeamCity and created Re-Leased NuGet packages that was hosted on TeamCity.
- Converted all the .Net web applications to use Entity Framework Core as the ORM (Object–Relational Mapping) tool and Fluent API to configure domain classes to override conventions.
Senior Software Developer
May 2013 - Dec 2019
Warp Development
Pretoria, South Africa
- Developed and maintained warehouse management software and mobile applications for multiple clients.
- Added the Entity Framework Extensions(https://entityframework-extensions.net/) for bulk inserting, updating and deleting data to improve warehouse management software.
- Optimized warehouse management SQL queries and stored procedures for better performance and to prevent deadlocks.
- Developed reports using SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) and SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)
- We used the Kanban methodology on Jira for sprints with user stories, tasks, and bugs.
- Developed Android and IOS Hybrid application using the Ionic Mobile Framework for medical insurance companies, news services and caterers in South Africa.
Intermediate Software Developer
Apr 2012 - May 2013
IT Event Management
Johannesburg, South Africa
- Developed and maintained RSVP systems aimed at events and exhibitions.
- Developed generic email templates using HTML and CSS with placeholders being replaced with user information from a database.
- Captured and Maintained data from users in SQL databases.
- Integrated with BulkSMS gateway API that sends out notifications to users via email.
Junior Programmer
Jan 2012 - Mar 2012
Telkom
Pretoria, South Africa
- Developed a sports widget for the company portal showing the results of matches played.
- Captured data from RSS feed to display on company portal.
Contact
Got questions about my code or want to chat about job opportunities? Hit me up on LinkedIn I’m always open to connecting. If I don’t reply right away, please remember it takes time to plug into the Matrix.😄