# James King - Technical Lead | AI Code Governance James King - Technical Lead specializing in AI code review, security, and compliance. 6 years delivering government services under strict WCAG AA constraints. Expert in Laravel, PHP, Symfony, Kubernetes. ## Table of Contents - [About](about) - [Services](services) - [Projects](projects) - [Blog](blog) - [Uses](uses) - [FAQ](faq) - [Now](now) - [Contact](contact) --- # About Proven experience delivering high-compliance systems processing millions in payments. 6 years in government services under strict WCAG AA accessibility constraints. I'm James King, a Chief Technical Officer and AI Code Governance specialist based in Redditch, UK. I help teams safely adopt AI in development through rigorous code review, compliance frameworks, and governance processes. I've written AI skills and guidelines for development teams and am a passionate advocate of test automation and secure software development practices. ## Experience ### Varsuite Media Group Ltd - Chief Technical Officer (Nov 2024 - Present) - Took over development from a previous setup; secured and stabilized client websites, implementing security best practices - Migrated 100+ websites from multiple hosting platforms (primarily AWS) to in-house hosting, reducing hosting costs by ~70% and improving reliability - Introduced development standards: coding conventions, code review process, and client issue reporting workflows - Established new site onboarding process for clients joining the agency - Led technical delivery across all production websites, ensuring 99.99% uptime - AI Code Governance: Introduced AI tools to speed up development safely, writing team guidelines for AI-assisted coding ### Wider Plan Ltd - PHP Developer (Mar 2018 - Nov 2024) - Developed features for Wider Plan salary sacrifice system and Gov.UK services - Collaborated within an 8-developer team delivering government services under strict compliance and WCAG AA accessibility constraints - Converted CI/CD pipeline from legacy Jenkins to GitHub Actions with custom runner VMs - Active code reviewer via GitHub PRs, ensuring high code quality and test coverage - Maintained large Symfony codebase supporting payment systems processing millions - Devised automated tests in PHPUnit: Acceptance, Feature and Unit testing ### Just Checking Ltd - Senior Developer (May 2015 - Mar 2018) - Promoted from Web Application Developer to Senior Developer (November 2016) - Mentored Junior Developers who went on to become Senior Developers - Delivered full-stack features end-to-end for prototype projects and main application - Created development tooling for a legacy platform - Migrated from Microsoft SQL Server to PostgreSQL and Windows Server to Ubuntu ### Real Point Design Ltd - Temporary Web Developer (May 2014 - Oct 2014) - Delivered full-stack features end-to-end for Laravel systems - Worked on projects including a major BBC project - Established coding standards and way of working with Laravel - CentOS system administration for cloud servers ### Trakware Solutions Ltd - Junior Web Developer (May 2013 - May 2014) - Industrial placement during University - Set up open source on GitHub for in-house JavaScript framework - Managed AWS cloud services - Delivered full-stack features and bug fixes ## Skills ### AI Code Governance - AI-Generated Code Review - Security Vulnerability Detection - Compliance Frameworks - Team AI Guidelines - Prompt Engineering - Safety Review Processes ### Architecture & Leadership - Technical Architecture - System Design - Code Review Leadership - Stakeholder Management - Team Mentorship - Compliance & Governance ### Backend - Laravel - PHP - Symfony - Node.js - JSON REST APIs - GraphQL ### Cloud & Infrastructure - AWS - DigitalOcean - Hetzner - Cloudflare R2 - Kubernetes - Docker - Terraform - Ansible ### Database - MySQL - MariaDB - PostgreSQL - Redis - KeyDB - Valkey ### Tools & Practices - GitHub Actions - Linux - Server Administration - Test-driven Development - Pest - PHPUnit - WCAG AA Accessibility ## Education - BSc (Hons) Web Programming - Staffordshire University (2011 - 2015) - GradEx 2015 Winner (Web Category) - Posters in Parliament 2016 --- # Services Human-led services for companies looking to level up their development. No AI can replace the nuance of experienced human judgment. Rates: Available upon request. All projects start with a free consultation to understand your needs. ## AI Code Review (Day rate or fixed project) Review AI-generated code for security issues, compliance problems, and technical debt. With AI becoming ubiquitous in development, someone needs to be the human checkpoint. - Security vulnerability detection in AI-generated code - Compliance checking against industry standards - Technical debt identification and remediation - Code quality assessment and best practices - Review of AI prompts and outputs for accuracy - Establishing AI code review processes for teams ## Technical Consulting (Day rate or retainer available) Technical advice for projects and development processes. I help companies make better technical decisions without the overhead of hiring a full-time CTO. - Architecture design and technical strategy - Technology stack selection and evaluation - Development process optimization - Team workflow and tooling recommendations - Technical risk assessment - Codebase auditing and improvement plans ## DevOps & Infrastructure (Fixed project or day rate) Cloud infrastructure and deployment pipeline setup. I help teams achieve reliable, scalable deployments with minimal friction. - Kubernetes cluster setup and management - CI/CD pipeline implementation - Infrastructure-as-code with Terraform - Cloud migration and cost optimization - Zero-downtime deployment strategies - Monitoring and alerting setup ## Team Mentorship (Monthly retainer - recurring) Mentoring developers to level up their skills. I help junior developers become seniors and seniors become leaders. - One-on-one mentoring sessions - Code review best practices training - Test-driven development education - AI tool adoption guidance for teams - Career development advice - Technical interview preparation ## Security Audits (Fixed project) Comprehensive security reviews for web applications. I help identify vulnerabilities before the bad guys do. - OWASP vulnerability assessment - Authentication and authorization review - Database security auditing - API security testing - GDPR compliance checking - Security hardening recommendations --- # Projects ## Varsuite Core Multi-tenant SaaS platform for agency site management, supporting 80+ websites. Built with Laravel 11, PHP, Kubernetes, Docker, PostgreSQL, Redis. - Multi-tenant architecture with isolated data per client - Automated deployment pipelines - Billing integration with Paddle - Advanced reporting and analytics - Built with Laravel 11 on a scalable Kubernetes cluster using infrastructure-as-code with Terraform - Achieved zero-downtime deployments through careful blue-green deployment strategies - Custom WordPress plugin and Laravel composer package for integration ## jamesking.dev This website! Built with Astro, TailwindCSS, and Tokyo Night theme. - Tokyo Night color scheme inspired by my Omarchy Linux desktop - JetBrains Mono font for terminal aesthetic - Flexible blog content types (articles, notes, links, videos, questions) - SEO-optimized with structured data - Visual regression testing with Percy - Automated dependency updates with Renovate --- # Blog ## Hello World - Welcome to My New Website Introducing my new personal website built with Astro, featuring a Tokyo Night design and flexible blog content types. Astro is an incredible framework for static sites. It's fast, flexible, and has excellent developer experience. Perfect for a personal site that needs to be performant and easy to maintain. The site features flexible content types: - Articles - Long-form posts for tutorials and deep dives - Notes - Short-form updates and quick thoughts - Links - Link roundups (inspired by cassidoo's newsletter) - Videos - Share interesting videos I find - Questions - Coding interview questions ## Hey, you can now comment on my posts! Added Giscus commenting so you can react and comment on blog posts using your GitHub account. --- # Uses ## Desktop (Primary) - CPU: Intel Core i7-13700K (16-core, 8P + 8E, 30MB L3 cache) - GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti (MSI Ventus) - Motherboard: ASRock B760M PG Lightning/D4 - RAM: 32 GB DDR4 - Storage: 1TB Seagate FireCuda 530 + 2TB Samsung 990 PRO - Monitors: Dell U3415W (3440x1440 ultrawide) + ViewSonic VP2765 (1920x1080 vertical) - OS: Omarchy Linux (Arch-based) - Desktop: Hyprland (Wayland) ## Laptop - Model: Samsung Galaxy Book 2 (NP750XED-KC3UK) - CPU: Intel Core i5-1235U (12th Gen) - RAM: 8 GB LPDDR4x - Storage: 256 GB SSD - Display: 15.6" Full HD (1920x1080) - Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics - OS: Omarchy Linux (Arch-based) - Desktop: Hyprland (Wayland) ## Editors & Terminal - PHPStorm: Primary IDE for PHP/Laravel development - Zed: Fast, collaborative code editor - Neovim: For quick edits and config files - Ghostty: Terminal emulator ## AI Tools - OpenCode: AI coding assistant with Claude & Ollama models - Claude: Code generation and review - Ollama: Local AI models - GitHub Copilot: Inline code suggestions ## Languages & Frameworks - PHP: Primary backend language - Laravel: Go-to PHP framework - Symfony: Enterprise PHP framework - Statamic: Flat-file CMS built on Laravel - Astro: Static site generator (this site!) - JavaScript: Frontend and Node.js - React: Frontend framework - AlpineJS: Lightweight JavaScript framework - TailwindCSS: Styling - CSS: Styling - GraphQL: API query language - JSON REST APIs: API development ## Cloud & Infrastructure - AWS: Cloud services - DigitalOcean: VPS and droplets - Hetzner: Cost-effective servers - OVH: Cloud hosting - Civo: Cloud-native Kubernetes - Linode: VPS hosting - Platform.sh: Cloud PaaS - Cloudfleet: Managed Kubernetes - Netlify: Static site hosting - Cloudflare: CDN and DNS - Cloudflare R2: Object storage ## DevOps Tools - Kubernetes: Container orchestration - Docker: Containerization - GitHub Actions: CI/CD - Terraform: Infrastructure as code - Ansible: Configuration management - IaaS: Infrastructure as a Service - Percy: Visual regression testing - Sentry: Error monitoring - Codecov: Code coverage tracking ## Database - MySQL: Primary database - PostgreSQL: Alternative database - Microsoft SQL Server: Enterprise databases - MariaDB: MySQL alternative - SQLite: Lightweight local database - Redis: In-memory data store - KeyDB: High-performance Redis fork - Valkey: Redis fork ## Other Tools - Git: Version control - Server Administration: Linux server management - Test-driven Development: TDD methodology - Pest: PHP testing framework - PHPUnit: Testing framework - Starship: Terminal prompt - Fastfetch: System info display - btop: System monitor - Lazygit: TUI for Git - Dotfiles: My Hyprland, Neovim & Ghostty configs - Coding Standards: Shared PHP coding standards (Pint, PHPStan) --- # FAQ ## What is an AI-augmented software engineer? An AI-augmented software engineer uses AI tools like Claude, Ollama, and OpenCode to accelerate development while maintaining safety and quality. This includes AI-assisted code generation, automated code review, prompt engineering for development tasks, and writing AI skills/workflows for the team. The key is using AI as a pair programmer while maintaining human oversight for all production code. ## What's your experience with Kubernetes? I've built scalable Kubernetes clusters using infrastructure-as-code (Terraform), achieving zero-downtime deployments. I manage clusters supporting 80+ websites in a multi-tenant SaaS platform. I'm experienced with container orchestration, service mesh, and cloud-native architecture. ## How do you handle web security? Security is built into every project I deliver. This includes: secure authentication (OAuth, 2FA), input sanitization, parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection, CSRF protection, regular security audits, and keeping dependencies updated. I follow OWASP guidelines and ensure compliance with GDPR and other regulations. ## Can you help migrate my existing website? Yes. I have extensive experience migrating websites - I've migrated 100+ websites from AWS to in-house hosting, reducing costs by ~70% while improving reliability. Whether it's WordPress to Laravel, or moving hosts, I can handle the full migration process while maintaining SEO and minimizing downtime. ## What's your development process? My development process follows best practices: requirements gathering, technical specification, Agile development with sprints, code review (including AI-assisted review), comprehensive testing (Unit, Feature, Acceptance using Pest/PHPUnit), CI/CD pipeline setup, and documentation. I believe in test-driven development and automation. ## What's your role at Varsuite Media Group? I'm the Chief Technical Officer, leading the technical direction of a website development agency producing WordPress and Laravel websites. I took over from an outsourced team, secured and stabilized client sites, and migrated 100+ websites to in-house hosting. I also introduced development standards, coding conventions, and AI tools for the team. ## What programming languages do you specialize in? My primary expertise is in PHP and Laravel, with extensive experience in Symfony for enterprise applications. I also work with JavaScript, React, and Node.js for frontend and API development. I'm experienced with MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Redis databases. ## How do you use AI in your development workflow? I use OpenCode with Claude and Ollama models daily for code generation, but every line of AI-generated code goes through rigorous safety review before hitting production. I've written AI skills and guidelines for my team to ensure safe and effective AI-assisted development. I believe AI is a powerful pair programmer but requires human oversight. ## What's your experience with cloud infrastructure? I've worked extensively with AWS, DigitalOcean, and Hetzner for cloud services. I've migrated 100+ websites from AWS to in-house hosting, reducing hosting costs by ~70%. I use Terraform for infrastructure-as-code and have set up scalable Kubernetes clusters with zero-downtime deployments. ## Do you do code reviews? Yes, I offer code review services where I review AI-generated code or human-written code for security issues, compliance problems, and technical debt. I have extensive experience as an active code reviewer in enterprise environments, ensuring high code quality and test coverage. --- # Now What I'm currently working on. --- # Contact Get in touch for consulting, development work, or technical leadership opportunities.