BBC iPlayer, Contract

CLIENT

BBC iPlayer
London, UK (Remote)

TECHNOLOGIES

AWS · TypeScript · React
Redux · Node.js
Jest · Playwright

SERVICES

Front-End Feature Delivery
AWS Infrastructure & CI/CD
TypeScript Modernisation

DATE

Aug 1, 2024

BBC iPlayer, Contract Software Engineer

Overview

Contract engagement with BBC iPlayer Web, one of the UK's highest-traffic digital platforms serving tens of millions of users. Worked across front-end feature delivery, AWS infrastructure, and CI/CD within an agile team of eight engineers.

Duration: August 2024 – March 2026
Stack: AWS · TypeScript · React · Redux · Node.js · Jest · Playwright
Team: 8 engineers, Scrum

Front-End Feature Delivery

Delivered and maintained production features across high-traffic /iplayer/**/* routes supporting millions of users. Work focused on building reusable, scalable TSX components to improve UI consistency and development efficiency across the platform.

tsx

// Reusable component pattern — typed props, single responsibility
interface MediaCardProps {
  title: string;
  imageUrl: string;
  duration: string;
  isAvailable: boolean;
}

const MediaCard = ({ title, imageUrl, duration, isAvailable }: MediaCardProps) => (
  <article className={`media-card ${!isAvailable ? 'media-card--unavailable' : ''}`}>
    <img src={imageUrl} alt={title} loading="lazy" />
    <h3>{title}</h3>
    <span>{duration}</span>
  </article>
);

Testing & Reliability

Increased platform reliability through comprehensive unit and integration test coverage using Jest and Playwright, including route behaviour and performance budgets across live, high-traffic routes. Resolved production issues and improved page performance through proactive bug fixing and optimisation.

AWS Infrastructure

Delivered AWS improvements using Lambda and EventBridge, optimising resource policies and enforcing least-privilege IAM access. Infrastructure was defined in TypeScript using AWS CDK and CloudFormation, enabling reproducible, peer-reviewable deployments with no manual console configuration.

typescript

// Least-privilege IAM — EventBridge as invoking principal
const lambdaPermission = new lambda.CfnPermission(this, 'EventBridgeInvokePermission', {
  action: 'lambda:InvokeFunction',
  functionName: targetFn.functionName,
  principal: 'events.amazonaws.com',
  sourceArn: rule.ruleArn,
});

CI/CD Pipeline

Implemented CI/CD using AWS CodePipeline and CodeBuild. Pipelines provided automated build, test, and deployment stages across environments, enabling small, frequent releases with consistent quality gates.

Collaboration

Worked within a Scrum team of eight, contributing to sprint planning, code reviews, and technical decisions alongside senior engineers. Communicated trade-offs and delivery progress clearly across the team throughout the engagement.

Outcomes

Production features delivered across high-traffic /iplayer/**/* routes serving millions of users
Reusable TSX component library improved UI consistency and development speed
Comprehensive Jest and Playwright coverage maintained across production routes
Lambda resource policies tightened with least-privilege IAM and EventBridge integration
Infrastructure defined as typed CDK code, repeatable and fully peer-reviewable
CI/CD pipelines via CodePipeline and CodeBuild enabled reliable, automated deployments

Overview

Duration: August 2024 – March 2026
Stack: AWS · TypeScript · React · Redux · Node.js · Jest · Playwright
Team: 8 engineers, Scrum

Front-End Feature Delivery

tsx

// Reusable component pattern — typed props, single responsibility
interface MediaCardProps {
  title: string;
  imageUrl: string;
  duration: string;
  isAvailable: boolean;
}

const MediaCard = ({ title, imageUrl, duration, isAvailable }: MediaCardProps) => (
  <article className={`media-card ${!isAvailable ? 'media-card--unavailable' : ''}`}>
    <img src={imageUrl} alt={title} loading="lazy" />
    <h3>{title}</h3>
    <span>{duration}</span>
  </article>
);

Testing & Reliability

AWS Infrastructure

typescript

// Least-privilege IAM — EventBridge as invoking principal
const lambdaPermission = new lambda.CfnPermission(this, 'EventBridgeInvokePermission', {
  action: 'lambda:InvokeFunction',
  functionName: targetFn.functionName,
  principal: 'events.amazonaws.com',
  sourceArn: rule.ruleArn,
});

Outcomes

Production features delivered across high-traffic /iplayer/**/* routes serving millions of users

Reusable TSX component library improved UI consistency and development speed

Comprehensive Jest and Playwright coverage maintained across production routes

Lambda resource policies tightened with least-privilege IAM and EventBridge integration

Infrastructure defined as typed CDK code, repeatable and fully peer-reviewable

CI/CD pipelines via CodePipeline and CodeBuild enabled reliable, automated deployments