Principal Software Engineer & Technical Lead

Handson engineering leadership for complex digital transformation programmes. I help product and engineering teams turn fragile legacy web estates into faster, more maintainable platforms that are easier to scale, govern, and improve.

I'm John, an awardwinning software engineering specialist based in sunny cloudy Brighton, UK.

I am an enthusiastic principal software engineer and technical leader with over twentythree years of handson experience.

I help teams and clients design, build and improve websites, applications and web platforms, pairing architecture, delivery judgement and handson TypeScript, React, HTML, and CSS.

My portfolio is diverse; I work with global clients, solving real-world problems, including:

More about me

Featured Case Studies

  1. Featured case study

    Nando’s

    Senior software engineer on the UK and Ireland replatform, migrating Nando’s customerfacing websites from legacy Drupal to a unified headless platform built with Next.js and Storyblok, with a focus on performance, accessibility, and SEO.

    Screenshot of the Nando’s website; part of John Kavanagh's selected project work.
  2. Featured case study

    LEGO

    Senior developer producing an allnew ecommerce platform with React. Designed to handle high traffic volumes and support multilanguage and multiple currencies.

    Screenshot of the LEGO website; part of John Kavanagh's selected project work.
  3. Featured case study

    HSBC Corporate
    Banking

    Lead UI development for a set of HSBC digital transformation projects, including a React, TypeScript, Node.js, and AEM rebuild of commercial banking applications.

    Screenshot of the HSBC Corporate Banking website; part of John Kavanagh's selected project work.
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Previous Clients

Availability

I am currently leading a global digital transformation engagement, with limited availability until late 2026. Short diagnostics or urgent work may be possible sooner.

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Need a senior engineer involved?

I can work directly in the codebase, review the architecture, or support the team through delivery when the work needs more than extra hands.