Max Deale
Senior Full-Stack & AI Engineer
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Summary
Senior Full-Stack Engineer with 5+ years of experience building scalable web applications, AI systems, and real-time data platforms. Expert in React and TypeScript for frontend development, with a strong track record delivering high-impact features in production. Led full-stack AI development at LexisNexis, building LLM-driven tools and RAG pipelines. Seeking remote opportunities to build cutting-edge products with impact.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
6043
6043
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Senior Software Engineer
LexisNexis
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
01.2023 - Current
- Built production-ready components using React and TypeScript for AI-powered search products in the Nexis+ ecosystem.
- Led frontend/backend integration for Project Hawkeye — an LLM-based conversational search tool.
- Improved answer quality by 20% via advanced prompt engineering and user flow optimization.
- Designed and deployed a full RAG pipeline on a large-scale news database using Angular, C# .NET, and Python.
- Hackathon wins: 3rd place (2023) for summarization tool, Best Technical Solution (2024) for AI StoryMap.
- Tech Stack: React, TypeScript, Node.js, C#, Java, Python, Cypress, Azure DevOps
- Enhanced software functionality by identifying and resolving complex technical issues.
- Mentored junior developers, fostering professional growth and enhancing team productivity.
- Developed on multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining strict deadlines and high-quality standards.
Front-End Software Engineer
Full Facing
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
11.2021 - 01.2023
- Worked on the Radio Retail project, used by thousands of stores in South Africa to manage in-store audio and music.
- Delivered key frontend features using ReactJS, TypeScript, and Next.js.
- Upskilled in Scala backend systems and advanced from Junior to Mid-Level Engineer.
- Tech Stack: ReactJS, TypeScript, Next.js, JavaScript, Scala
- Integrated new technologies into existing systems, increasing capabilities and improving overall performance.
- Developed reusable components that significantly reduced development effort on multiple projects.
Founder / Full-Stack Developer
Deale Development
01.2020 - 01.2023
- Built responsive web apps using React and TypeScript for clients in media and design industries.
- Produced tutorials and dev content on React + game dev for YouTube (including paid work with Replit).
- Developed full-stack solutions including Express and MongoDB backends.
- Clients: Blended Audio, Lara Berge Illustrations, Ambious Records
- Tech Stack: React, TypeScript, Node.js, Express, MongoDB
Full-Stack Software Engineer
SovTech
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
04.2021 - 09.2021
- Developed custom business software solutions for a variety of industries including financial and agri-tech.
- Contributed to projects like SovTech Labs Dashboard and Farmer to Farmer.
- Learned and applied general dev practices across frontend and backend.
- Tech Stack: ReactJS, TypeScript, GraphQL, Strapi, SQL
Coding Mentor & Code Reviewer
HyperionDev
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
12.2020 - 04.2021
- Mentored full-stack dev students and provided feedback on React and JavaScript projects.
- Recorded tutorials and screencasts to teach best practices in frontend development.
Education
Full Stack Web Dev -
HyperionDev
Cape Town01.2020
Sound Production - Sound Production
SAE Institute South Africa
Cape Town04.2014
BA - Politics, Philosophy, Media & English
Wits University
Johannesburg01.2011
Skills
React
undefinedInterests
Creator of the Deale Development YouTube channel, sharing tutorials and dev content
Passionate about developer tools, AI workflows, and automating creative processes
Occasional music producer and digital audio tinkerer
Youtube
youtube.com/@DealeDev
Education Certifications
- Building Agentic AI Applications with LLMs, NVIDIA & DeepLearning.ai, In Progress
- Attention in Transformers (PyTorch), DeepLearning.com
- Intro to Generative AI, Percipio, 01/01/25
- Full Stack Web Dev, HyperionDev, 01/01/19, 96%
- Sound Production, SAE Institute South Africa, 01/01/13
- BA PPM: Politics, Philosophy, Media & English, Wits University, 01/01/10
Timeline
Senior Software Engineer
LexisNexis
01.2023 - Current
Front-End Software Engineer
Full Facing
11.2021 - 01.2023
Full-Stack Software Engineer
SovTech
04.2021 - 09.2021
Coding Mentor & Code Reviewer
HyperionDev
12.2020 - 04.2021
Founder / Full-Stack Developer
Deale Development
01.2020 - 01.2023
Full Stack Web Dev -
HyperionDev
Sound Production - Sound Production
SAE Institute South Africa
BA - Politics, Philosophy, Media & English
Wits University
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