Ilya Dovban
JavaScript Engineer

I’m a software engineer with over 15 years of experience building web applications, with a primary focus on front-end and full-stack JavaScript development. Over time, I’ve grown from a self-taught developer into a technical lead and engineering manager, while continuing to stay hands-on with code.

I started programming in the late 1990s, when I became fascinated with HTML and the idea of creating interactive documents without compilation. That early curiosity led me to build websites for school, hobby projects, and small businesses, and eventually into a professional career.

Early Career & Freelance Work

While studying IT in Minsk, where I covered fundamentals such as C, SQL, and low-level programming, I was already actively working on freelance projects.

These ranged from building and maintaining a localized Apple reseller website and PHP/MySQL news platform, to developing XML/XSLT interfaces for a digital content service, a Ruby on Rails storefront, and contributing to a C++ backend for a payment system. This period gave me a broad technical foundation and the ability to quickly adapt to new tools and environments.

Outsourcing Years (2007–2013)

I began my professional career in outsourcing, which exposed me to a wide range of industries and technologies. This environment required frequent context switching and helped me become comfortable picking up new stacks and delivering quickly.

Over time, I worked on online gaming platforms, real-time interactive TV systems, social applications, and browser-based design tools. My role evolved from front-end implementation toward full-stack JavaScript development, and I began taking on mentoring responsibilities as well.

Some notable projects include:

Altoros Development (2007-2011)

Nival Interactive (2011-2012)

Intetics Software (2012-2013)

This period established my ability to work across domains and laid the groundwork for my later focus on scalable front-end systems.

Yandex (2013–2017)

Seeking experience with large-scale systems, I joined Yandex as a lead front-end engineer and engineering manager in the Search team.

My primary focus was on developing and maintaining systems for rendering complex, high-traffic search result pages, as well as contributing to internal tooling and CI/CD processes.

Alongside my engineering work, I was responsible for hiring and mentoring developers and supporting their career growth. I also contributed to the broader front-end community by organizing internal initiatives and occasionally speaking at industry events, which helped me develop a stronger ability to communicate technical ideas clearly.

Search Platform (2013–2016)

Worked within a large distributed team on systems that transformed backend data into rich, dynamic search result pages. These included complex content blocks such as weather, maps, and contextual widgets.

In addition to feature development, I contributed to internal tooling, asset bundling systems, and a functional-programming-based CI/CD pipeline.

Crowdsourcing Platform – Toloka (2016–2017)

Developed front-end systems for both task creators and workers, balancing flexibility with security.

This included building a configurable task editor and a sandboxed execution environment for running user-generated tasks safely in the browser.

Godel Technologies (2017–Present)

I joined Godel as a Lead Front-End Developer, but quickly expanded into a broader leadership role.

Recognizing the need for stronger JavaScript expertise across the company, I initiated and built a dedicated JavaScript division from the ground up. Over time, it grew to around 250 engineers, with structured career paths, a strong internal community, and well-defined processes for hiring, development, and delivery.

I was responsible for a wide range of activities, including recruitment, career development, staffing, internal consulting, and client engagement.

One of the key initiatives I’m particularly proud of is an internship program designed to train people without prior IT experience and integrate them into production teams. We built a structured pathway that allowed trainees to work in teams on real internal projects from day one, resulting in highly capable junior developers who were able to transition directly into client work, often as full-stack engineers.

Alongside management responsibilities, I continued contributing to client work—leading teams, establishing projects from scratch, or stepping in to resolve complex technical or organizational challenges. Selected Projects:

Coupon Marketplace (2017)

Led a cross-functional team focused on stabilizing delivery and rebuilding client trust.

Worked on modernizing a legacy Angular codebase, introducing testing practices, and improving team processes.

Energy Supplier Platform – MyAccount (2018)

Led a team transitioning to a full-stack JavaScript model.

Migrated backend systems from Java to Node.js, introduced BDD practices, and helped grow junior engineers into independent contributors with full ownership of the platform.

Financing API Platform (2019)

Acted as project manager for a microservices-based system built with Node.js and TypeScript.

Focused on establishing delivery processes, aligning multiple stakeholder teams, and ensuring consistent communication.

Analytics Platform (2020)

Worked as a consultant to address architectural issues in a legacy React application.

Led the transition to a micro-frontend architecture using modern React and TypeScript, improving scalability and enabling independent team delivery.

Internal Tools (2021–2023)

As the division scaled, my focus shifted more toward organizational responsibilities. During this period, I was primarily involved in division management, while maintaining a hands-on presence through the development of internal tools.

Was a solo developer for a range of applications integrated with company internal systems and Microsoft services, including dashboards, reporting tools, and workflow automation systems to support day-to-day operations.

Following this period, as the division became stable and self-sustaining, I made a deliberate decision to step away from day-to-day management and return to a more hands-on engineering role. While I was comfortable operating at the organizational level, I found that I create the most value when working directly on systems, architecture, and with engineering teams.

Healthcare Benefits Platform (2024)

Returned to a hands-on leadership role, leading a team developing an embeddable micro-frontend system for partner platforms.

The project required designing a flexible architecture capable of supporting multiple integration scenarios while maintaining consistent performance and user experience. I was responsible for architecture, DevOps, and mentoring, helping establish a scalable and maintainable delivery model.

Visual Programming / Demo Platform (2025–2026)

Worked as a front-end expert on a visual programming system, while also independently developing a customizable demo application used by sales teams.

This involved close collaboration with end users, designers, and internal framework teams, balancing flexibility with usability and ensuring the system could be adapted to different client scenarios.

Other Interests

Outside of professional work, I regularly explore technology through personal projects. I enjoy experimenting with retro systems, home automation, and building tools for my own use—from personal knowledge management applications to hobby-related software.

These projects allow me to test new ideas and technologies in practice, often feeding back into my professional work.