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Ethan Dixius

Ethan
Dixius

Senior software engineer building software where code meets the physical world — from airport infrastructure to automotive systems to tools for writers.

About

I'm a senior software engineer based in San Francisco with nearly a decade of experience across full-stack web development, embedded systems, and IoT integration. My career has taken me from defense R&D in the D.C. area to leading an onsite engineering team at Honda R&D to building cloud-connected control systems for airports — which means I'm comfortable with ambiguity, effective across organizational boundaries, and reliable when the stakes are real.

My technical range spans the full stack: frontend work in Vue.js, React, and TypeScript; backend and scripting in Python; embedded systems in C++; and cloud integration with Azure IoT. I've worked in small focused teams and as an embedded resource inside large enterprise partnerships, collaborating remotely with distributed teams across multiple time zones for years.

I'm currently looking for senior engineering or solutions architecture roles where technical depth and clear communication both matter. When I'm not writing code I'm working on a novel — which means I think carefully about how things are explained, documented, and understood.

Projects

Big Corkboard

An infinite canvas for writers and creatives — place notes and clusters anywhere, connect ideas spatially, and take your corkboard with you.

Live site →
Big Corkboard product screenshot
  • Built with Next.js, React Flow, and TypeScript; deployed on Vercel with localStorage persistence and a data model designed for future Supabase sync
  • Custom node architecture with two distinct types — standalone notecards and expandable cluster nodes — with drag-to-pin, undo/redo, and multi-board support
  • Developed using Cursor and Claude as AI coding collaborators, with deliberate attention to maintainability, commit hygiene, and a documented spec

Work experience

  • ADB Safegate

    Software Developer

    Dec 2019 — Mar 2026

    • Designed and implemented a cloud-connected applet bridging a legacy airfield lighting control system with Azure IoT, navigating integration challenges between modern IoT libraries and existing C++ services
    • Built and maintained full-stack web UIs for airport support workflows, including decoded message views, settings management, equipment visualization, and report generation
    • Developed a lightweight Angular application enabling support engineers to register IoT hardware via manual input or QR code scanning
    • Collaborated daily with distributed engineering teams across multiple time zones to deliver client-specific features for individual airport deployments
    • Maintained and extended Python-based test automation and documentation systems

  • Wind River Systems

    Senior Engineer

    Feb 2018 — Oct 2019

    • Led Wind River's onsite support team embedded at Honda R&D, serving as the primary point of contact between Honda project managers, remote Wind River engineers, and third-party suppliers
    • Coordinated cross-organizationally to support integration and testing for OTA updates and pre-launch market issues, navigating competing priorities across organizations
    • Supported Honda field tests by collecting logs, reproducing issues, and reporting defects related to Wind River software
    • Built a custom Raspberry Pi touchscreen tool that significantly simplified log collection during field testing — an initiative taken independently to solve a recurring team pain point

  • DCS Corp

    Computer Engineer II

    Jun 2015 — Sep 2017

    • Implemented UI features including 3D overlays over live video and user configuration screens
    • Refactored video streaming frameworks to more reliably handle high video counts
    • Developed interfaces connecting proprietary DCS software to third-party hardware devices
    • Built and tested prototype hardware solutions using microcontrollers
    • Traveled regularly to support field testing and experimentation alongside government and military customers, often solving problems quickly and under pressure

Contact

ethan.dixius@gmail.com · LinkedIn · GitHub