Experience

Siegelcraft LLC — Founder

May 2026 – Present · United States

  • Founded Siegelcraft LLC, a web development studio building custom React/TypeScript sites for small businesses, using AI-assisted workflows to dramatically accelerate delivery.
  • Created PathToSeat, a web-based event app guiding attendees from ticket to seat, built end-to-end from architecture to UI.

Shutterfly, Inc. — Senior Software Engineer II

Mar 2025 – Jan 2026 · Tempe, AZ

  • Built and optimized high-traffic, customer-facing features with React and TypeScript across core e-commerce experiences, with integration into Node.js-based services.
  • Stabilized a large-scale React application by expanding and maintaining Jest test suites, reducing recurring production defects and incident churn.
  • Improved frontend observability by integrating NRD and Splunk telemetry for faster debugging and clearer visibility into production behavior.
  • Partnered cross-functionally with Product and Engineering to deliver high-impact features while maintaining release quality and reliability.
  • Role concluded due to company-wide organizational restructuring and workforce reduction (not performance-related).

Shutterfly, Inc. — Senior Software Engineer

Oct 2019 – Mar 2025 · Tempe, AZ

  • Led development of the Make My Book experience, streamlining photo book creation flow and driving over 122% growth in related sales.
  • Partnered with Product to lead three phases of PIP personalization, translating strategy into scalable React architecture and driving revenue gains up to 140%.
  • Modernized a legacy React codebase by consolidating multiple class-based apps into a unified function-based architecture and removing Redux in favor of modern React state management.
  • Improved Core Web Vitals (CLS, LCP) with code splitting, lazy loading, and memoization, and improved discoverability through canonical tag and URL normalization strategies.
  • Mentored junior engineers and led Scrum ceremonies, improving team alignment and delivery predictability.

Meritage Homes — Front End Web Developer

Apr 2018 – Oct 2019 · Scottsdale, AZ

  • Partnered with Marketing to ship new features for meritagehomes.com.
  • Built offline/online customer registration PWA with service workers.
  • Optimized performance/usability; maintained web kiosk experiences.

Tallwave — Front End Web Developer

Feb 2017 – Apr 2018 · Scottsdale, AZ

  • Delivered SPAs with Angular in collaboration with Design and clients.
  • Built and maintained Drupal and WordPress sites.

Ethology — Front End Web Developer

Aug 2015 – Feb 2017 · Scottsdale, AZ

  • Built Drupal/WordPress sites and multiple ethology.com versions.

McMurry/TMG — Front End Web Developer

Feb 2013 – Jul 2015 · Phoenix, AZ

  • Turned design comps into responsive sites with Sass, jQuery, and HTML.
  • Worked across Drupal, WordPress, and .NET stacks.

Constant Contact — Senior Visual UX Developer

Nov 2005 – Aug 2012 · Waltham, MA

  • Prototyped for usability studies; designed and shipped template systems.
  • Contributed to new feature design and accessibility improvements.

TeleGea — Web Designer

Mar 2000 – Jun 2005 · Waltham, MA

  • Designed/developed TeleGea.net, a password-protected VoIP software demonstration portal which aided in over twenty TeleGea customer wins.
  • Assisted Sales Engineers with sales efforts by customizing and branding TeleGea's additional VoIP software demonstration portals.

What colleagues say

Trusted under pressure and generous with knowledge

“Ira is among the best in the business. He delivers well-executed work within budget and on time, rises to every challenge, and is always a joy to work with.”

— Brad G.

“Ira is a personable, tech-savvy frontend developer who consistently performs at a high level. From a project manager’s perspective, he exemplifies the ideal person you want on your team.”

— Blair P.

“Ira is one of the smartest colleagues I have worked with. His knowledge is vast, and his willingness to share it and help others knows no limit.”