Elliott Hill

I’m currently a Software Engineer at Allpay Ltd.

My recent experience includes a managerial position at Objective Standard Institute where part of my role included maintaining and developing websites
within and in connection with the organisation. While in College and University I also worked as a freelance web developer.

While at University I studied Computer Science for Games and I’ve always been an avid gamer. I also gained experience in x86 assembly and PowerPC assembly in relation to optimisation, and created a game on the PS4 using Unreal Engine 4.

Skills

Here’s a list of programming languages I have experience using:

  • C# – During my time at Allpay Ltd., I’ve been exposed to many different projects and software implementations, most of which have centred around C# and .NET. In game development, I have lots of experience building different projects in Unity using C#, this includes commercial experience while on placement at Steel Minions creating two Mobile VR applications that were published on the Google Play Store.
  • C++ – A majority of my experience with C++ comes from University, creating game systems using DirectX and developing a competitive PS4 game using Unreal Engine 4.
  • Javascript – While working at Objective Standard Institute, I created my own personal project called Enlightenmore using NodeJS, React, and NextJS.
  • PHP – From the age of 14 I started learning the basics of website development and worked as a freelance developer for various clients from the age of 17 – 21. This started as basic HTML and quickly changed to more powerful solutions such as PHP and Javascript using CMS’s such as WordPress and Processwire.
  • Other languages I’ve had exposure to include: Python, Java, x86 Assembly, PowerPC Assembly, and Powershell.

As a programmer, problem-solving is a daily reality, but my history of problem-solving doesn’t stop at my work. Since I was young I’ve always enjoyed puzzles and puzzle games, some of my favourites include Portal, The Witness, and The Talos Principle. I also always have a Rubiks Cube on my desk and enjoy physical puzzles similar to it to fiddle with and explore in my spare time.

An example of a tricky problem in my professional career that I solved with a novel solution was while I was working at Steel Minions creating mobile VR applications using Unity. My job was to get PlayStation assets running on mobile, a difficult task. Due to the limitations of mobile VR having a single 360-degree point of view, there was no need to have any full scene with their complete 3D objects. Instead, I used a reflection node to render a 360-degree view of each scene and only rendered the 3D models of objects that were close enough to the camera to cause perspective distortion. This drastically reduced the number of resources required to run the applications and they now run smoothly with zero performance issues and no noticeable reduction in quality.

I have great written and verbal communication skills for both basic and complex ideas. While at University I set up the Philosophy Society where I held regular discussion groups with each discussion starting with a short talk where I’d give an overview of the ideas we were discussing. This was great practice for when I participated in the Conservative Societies annual Port and Policy event where my speech about Theresa May’s disastrous Brexit deal was awarded best speech.

I’m also great at communicating technical knowledge of my work; once I’ve finished something challenging, doing a technical write-up is something I’ve found enjoyable and something that I excel at. I’m often complimented about the clarity and comprehensiveness of my entries in the company’s technical wiki.

While working for The Objective Standard, I took the lead on the rebuild of our website. I started by going around the team and asking them what functionality they think would be good to include in the rebuild. I took their feedback and created a priority list with a well-defined minimal viable product where we’d launch the site and then continue to make additions. Afterwards, I continued to manage the rebuild team by assigning and prioritising tasks and helping with testing and development.

During University, because I was the founder of the Philosophy Society, I was invited to partake in a leadership course which helped me gain valuable knowledge about inspiring others to follow your lead.

I’m a very punctual person and always on-time to my business meetings. I do my best to keep my environment orderly and my files and code well structured.

During my time at University and the Philosophy Society, I did a good job at organising events for speakers that visited from around the country and from the US, as well as fortnightly discussions and socials.

After my first year of University, I decided to research different ideas relating to current political trends and discovered a lot about the ideas that influenced me. I didn’t satisfy staying on the topic of politics and, by the summer after my second year of University, I was regularly reading varying philosophers to broaden my understanding of the world and life in general.

During my final year of University, I set up the Philosophy Society at Hallam where I held regular talks and conducted discussions on varying philosophers and ideas.

After University I decided to continue exploring my interest in Philosophy by working for The Objective Standard and, later, Objective Standard Institute. During my time there I was published multiple times and my review of Heroes, Legends, Champions: Why Heroism Matters by Andrew Bernstein was printed in the Fall 2020 quarterly journal.

To this day I continue to read regularly about Philosophy and current affairs to keep myself informed, my mind sharp, and continue to learn about how to live life to the fullest.

Experience

Allpay Ltd. – Junior Software Engineer (C#/.NET)

July 2022 – Present

I’m currently a member of the Optimisation Team where my responsibilities mostly include fixing bugs and expanding the functionality of old software. This requires me to quickly understand legacy systems to be able to make changes as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Objective Standard Institute – Director of Technology

January 2020 – May 2022

As Director of Technology, I developed functional and visually appealing websites (WordPress, PHP) that hosted our courses and promoted the organisation and our conferences. I also managed production of podcasts, course videos, and other digital media, including the creation of short animations promoting our ideas.

Enlightenmore – Founder & Developer (Node.JS, React)

September 2020 – April 2022

While working at The Objective Standard and Objective Standard Institute, I developed this web application from scratch using self-taught skills (Node.js, React). In the first week after launch, I rebuilt the front end with a fast turnaround to enable greater functionality (Next.JS).

The Objective Standard – Web Developer

June 2019 – May 2022

I was the manager of the web team; I organised and prioritised tasks and helped in maintenance and development (WordPress, PHP). My biggest contribution was overseeing the rebuild of the website, where I took the project from disparate ideas in the minds of our team members to finished product. See the “Leadership” tab under Skills for more information.

Steel Minions – Android VR Developer (Unity/C#)

April 2018 – May 2019

I was the sole programmer creating mobile VR experiences from PlayStation assets that were published on the Google Play store. The first application was based on a PlayStation VR title called “The Chantry” which was based on the Edward Jenner museum in Berkeley, the second was called “A Night in the Forum” and based on the Augustus Forum in Rome. See the “Problem Solving” tab under Skills for additional detail.

Education

Sheffield Hallam University – Computer Science for Games

September 2015 – June 2019, Grade: First

The course focused on programming in C++ using game engines, such as Unity and Unreal Engine, and graphics libraries, such as DirectX. The course also included the use of x86 and PowerPC (PS3) assembly.

I also completed a placement year at Hoschule Reutlingen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) on the Erasmus exchange programme.

Certifications

GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC)

Issued September 2022

This certification gives me more advanced skills and knowledge in cyber security.

GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies (GFACT)

Issued August 2022

This certification gives me foundational skills and knowledge in cyber security.

Hobbies and Extra-Curricula

Technology and Gaming

I have a good understanding of most modern technologies and I’m always up to date with soon-to-be-released tech when it’s announced.

I’ve been an avid gamer ever since I was very young and I enjoy learning about the upcoming games I’m interested in as well as how the games industry is run. My favourite documentary on video game development is Indie Game: The Movie.

In my spare time, I enjoy streaming on Twitch a variety of different games to my small fanbase.

SHSU Philosophy Society

I was the founder and President of the Sheffield Hallam Students Union Philosophy society where I did fortnightly presentations focused on a thinker or set of ideas, followed by an open discussion to give members a broad view of different philosophical perspectives as well as access to my notes so they could do more study in areas that interested them.