Chris Sparshott

Web Developer; Laravel / WordPress / JavaScript

Experienced web developer with a strong track record in WordPress-based full-stack roles, including plugin development, custom theme architecture, and component-first design systems. Currently pivoting towards Laravel and modern PHP ecosystems, with a clear intent to deepen backend expertise while expanding into modern frontend and infrastructure tooling.

I’m looking to join a team that values autonomy, quality engineering, and a healthy culture. Somewhere I can grow, contribute meaningfully, and help raise the bar. I’m open to mid-level roles and happy to support junior developers where useful, without chasing formal titles.

Technical Skills

  • Languages: PHP, JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3
  • Frameworks & Libraries: Laravel, React, WordPress (ACF, Gutenberg)
  • Tools: Git, Composer, PHPUnit, New Relic, Google Tag Manager
  • CI/CD: GitHub Actions (YAML), Azure DevOps (UI)
  • Practices: TDD, modular component design, SEO, UX-first development, WCAG Accessibility

Experience

Babcock International

Senior Software Developer (2020–Present)

  • Sole technical lead across 15+ WordPress-based websites, overseeing architecture, delivery, and long-term maintainability
  • Developed and evolved a shared component framework (Blueprint) to accelerate delivery, reduce duplication, and eliminate reliance on third-party agencies
  • Delivered multiple full CMS rebuilds using Blueprint, replacing legacy infrastructure and significantly reducing technical debt
  • Led the rebuild and rebrand of www.babcockinternational.com, delivered in five weeks; A 64% reduction in delivery time over the previous contractor-built version
  • Achieved post-launch improvements including ~88% reduction in development resources, ~39% server-side performance gain, and ~12% front-end improvement
  • Built custom plugins with a focus on UX and compliance, including GDPR-friendly form flows and lightbox enhancements to reduce admin load and improve conversion
  • Delivered a fully custom React-based Devonport Virtual Tour for investor engagement using supplied design assets
  • Integrated New Relic and GA4 event tracking to enable proactive monitoring and performance-led iteration
  • Operate within strict security and compliance requirements in a defence-sector environment, adhering to internal review processes and data handling protocols
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with design, content, and compliance teams to align technical delivery with business goals and user needs

21six

Web Developer → Head of Digital (2018–2020)

  • Created a WordPress boilerplate with reusable components, developed interactive HTML5 banners and automated email development workflows, accelerating site launches and reducing production time
  • Built lead‑generation PHP applications (e.g., Cost Savings Calculator using Cubex MVC) to improve client sales enablement
  • Modernised 21six.com on the Lumberjack framework (OO PHP, Twig, ACF), upgrading site architecture and CMS flexibility
  • Documented and optimised project workflows; developed a company intranet to centralise processes, cut repetitive issues and improve cross‑department transparency
  • Mentored junior developers, designers and client services — designing training plans, process documentation and learning sessions to accelerate onboarding and boost team productivity

Fortifi

PHP Web Developer (2014-2018)

  • Built and maintained core PHP and front‑end components for a cloud‑based business platform (CRM, billing, support), creating reusable modules that accelerated feature delivery and reduced bug backlog
  • Led development of Fortifi’s public website using Google Material Design (MDL), delivering a responsive, SEO‑optimised presence that improved user experience and brand consistency
  • Consolidated two client sites into a single WordPress installation, cutting hosting costs and administrative overhead while enhancing content management efficiency

Earlier Career

(2008–2014)

Developed and maintained multiple responsive marketing and e‑commerce sites. Led SEO initiatives and built reusable UI component libraries across front‑end roles at Mad Productions, One2create, and Just Develop It.

Projects

domainsaleshistory.uk

Founder & Full‑Stack Developer (2020–Present)

Built a Laravel-based platform that tracks and publishes 30,000+ historic UK domain sales, with advanced search, export, and reporting tools.

  • Introduced structured currency conversion and inflation adjustment logic using historical CPI data and the Frankfurter FX API
  • Implemented role-based access (Spatie), usage tracking, and API authentication for future premium features
  • Added automated daily harvesting, currency conversion, and transaction deduplication using Laravel Scheduler
  • Developed custom UI for search filters, result exports, and long-form editorial using Tailwind + vanilla JS
  • Designed and maintained test coverage with PHPUnit and static analysis using Larastan/Pint

The project is in ongoing development, with a supporter membership tier, gated API, and future analytics dashboards in progress.

derelictproperty.net

Founder & Full‑Stack Developer – Laravel, Node JS, AWS Lambda (2022–Present)

A self-initiated project to help users discover derelict and renovation-ready properties in the UK, designed as a future premium membership platform.

  • Built with Laravel and Tailwind CSS, with a custom CMS for structured property listings and editorial content.
  • Created automation tools to discover candidate properties via Google search and parse them with a custom Node.js scraper, outputting structured data for DB import.
  • Integrated AWS Lambda using Hammerstone Sidecar to generate HTML/CSS blog post thumbnails as serverless screenshots.
  • Designed for performance, minimal UI, and scalable ingestion pipeline.
  • An API is planned to unify discovery, scraping, and publishing, currently partially manual.

Project remains live as a demo of Laravel + serverless + automation workflow.