Derek Smart
Head Of Development, Jetpack.com at Automattic
Portland, Maine, United States
Summary
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Rockstar🎓
Top SchoolDerek Smart is a seasoned software leader with 13 years of experience currently serving as Head of Development for Jetpack at Automattic, where he blends infrastructure, product, growth, and AI initiatives. He has led multiple engineering teams and platform efforts—owning developer experience, monorepo scalability, and release infrastructure—moving from hands-on code wrangling to strategic leadership. Derek contributes to high-profile open-source work, including front-end improvements to Automattic’s wp-calypso React codebase that powers WordPress.com, demonstrating a knack for shipping UI and platform features that improve discoverability and user flows. Based in Portland, Maine, he pairs a communications-focused BA with deep technical chops, which helps him translate complex engineering tradeoffs into product and growth outcomes. Colleagues describe him as pragmatic and curious, comfortable toggling between shipping code and shaping long-term platform strategy.
13 years of coding experience
10 years of employment as a software developer
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at University of South Florida
English, Spanish
Stackoverflow
1reputation
0reached
0answers
0questions
Github Skills (7)
wordpress10
javascript10
front-end-development10
react10
s69
nodejs8
redux8
Programming languages (7)
Github contributions (5)
Automattic/wp-calypso
Nov 2015 - Apr 2022
The JavaScript and API powered WordPress.com
Role in this project:
Front-end Developer
Front-end DeveloperContributions:45 reviews, 23 commits, 85 PRs in 6 years 6 months
Contributions summary:Derek primarily contributed to the front-end components of the WordPress.com platform built with React. Their commits focused on modifying UI components, such as the marketing connections controller and the hosting settings, and integrating features like the Jetpack Social plugin redirect. The user also added discoverability keywords for a spoiler block. Their work indicates involvement in site functionality and user interface enhancements.
apireactwordpressjavascriptes6
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