Desmond Zhu
Full Stack Engineer · Web Scraping Engineer · Power BI / Reporting Analyst
Full Stack Engineer, Web Scraping Engineer, Power BI / Reporting Analyst
Houston, Texas, United States
Building for the web since 2014 — starting with frontend development, then over seven years deep in web scraping and data analytics. I write responsive, animated frontends (React, Eleventy, R Shiny), pull data out of sites that weren't built to be scraped — forms to fill, AJAX to parse, sessions to manage — and automate the reporting on the far end with Power BI and R, routinely cutting week-long manual workflows down to minutes. Day-to-day in R, JavaScript, and Chrome, with Python and SQL filling out the toolkit. Lately almost everything ships through AI-assisted coding, which lets me move 2–3x faster and build more per project.
01
Projects
DZ
2026-04 – Present
Tech:Eleventy
My first project with 99% code written rapidly by AI agents. An online resume featuring animations and effects, a separate print version for ATS, language switches, and a chatbot. Possible expansion to free tools in the future.
Interactive Portfolio Tracker
2025-05 – 2026-03
stable
Tech:R ShinyPlotly
My first R Shiny project. Learned and built rapidly through AI assistance. Tracker for a mock investment portfolio featuring rebased comparison of investments, animations and interactivity, a glass effect theme for maximum visibility, and responsive design.
SHPS
2014-07 – 2017-06
Phase 2 | stable
Tech:React.jsProgressive Web App
A demo of my frontend web dev skills and creative ideas. Revamp of phase 1. Added CSS 3D effects and animations, React components, responsive design, progressive loading, local storage caching for offline usage, and many more.
SHPS
2010-01 – 2011-12
Phase 1 | superseded
Tech:Vanilla HTML5Vanilla CSSVanilla JS
This was my first website project. After self-studying web development, I wanted to build my creative ideas into a website.
01
Timeline
All types hidden — re-enable one above.
2019-10 – 2019-11 · 2 mo
AI Programming with Python Nanodegree
Remote
National College English Testing Committee
2010-01 – 2010-06 · 6 mo
CET Band 6 (College English Test)
Score 616 · No. 092231007002095
Shanghai, China
2008-09 – 2009-12 · 1 yr 4 mo
CET Band 4 (College English Test)
Score 587 · No. 091131007001078
Shanghai, China
State Commission of the Chinese Proficiency Test
Issued 2008-05
Certificate of Chinese Proficiency (HSK)
Grade A, Intermediate level · No. 0808006414
Shanghai, China
Eduvos (fmr. Pearson Institute / CTI)
2014-10 – 2017-04 · 2 yr 7 mo
Information Systems (Internet Development)
Higher Certificate · WES: U.S. equiv. one-year certificate from a two-year institution (2026)
Bedfordview, South Africa
Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
2008-09 – 2012-06 · 3 yr 10 mo
Business English
Coursework toward Bachelor of Arts
Shanghai, China
Woodlands International College
2005-07 – 2007-06 · 2 yr
High School
Senior Certificate · WES: U.S. equiv. high school diploma (2026)
Boksburg, South Africa
Desmond Zhu2026-04 – Present
Houston, United States
Eleventy
My first project with 99% code written rapidly by AI agents. An online resume featuring animations and effects, a separate print version for ATS, language switches, and a chatbot. Possible expansion to free tools in the future.
Current
Independent
2021-04 – Present
Web Scraping & Reporting Automation Consultant
|
Remote
Data analysis, website scraping, marketing data automation, report and dashboard automation, data reconciliation, documentation, stakeholder management, coworker training, translation, market research.
- Used AI-assisted coding to ship reports 2–3x faster and pack 2–3x more features per report.
- Built scraping pipeline in R + Chrome that auto-fills forms and retrieves AJAX responses, replacing manual click-work with a 100x speedup.
- Automated data processing, report generation, and emailing with R and Power BI, improving processing and reporting speed by 10x.
- Managed and oversaw different data sources, ensuring data correctness and identifying suitable sources for automation.
Interactive Portfolio Tracker
2025-05 – 2026-03 · 11 mo
stable
Johannesburg, South Africa
R ShinyPlotly
My first R Shiny project. Learned and built rapidly through AI assistance. Tracker for a mock investment portfolio featuring rebased comparison of investments, animations and interactivity, a glass effect theme for maximum visibility, and responsive design.
Ivy Digital
2019-12 – 2021-03 · 1 yr 4 mo
Data Analyst
|
Sandton, South Africa (Hybrid)
Data analysis, data reconciliation, website scraping, data processing automation, documentation, stakeholder management, machine learning, coworker training, translation, market research.
Show achievements
- Experimented with deep learning churn prediction model using Keras, R, and SQL — 80% overall accuracy, 50% predicted churn accuracy, 90% predicted not-churn accuracy (churners were 25% of customer base).
- Actively checked and investigated data issues, ensuring data correctness at all times.
2018-07 – 2019-11 · 1 yr 5 mo
Junior Retention Marketer
|
Sandton, South Africa
Data reconciliation, website scraping, data processing automation, documentation, stakeholder management, machine learning, predictive modelling, coworker training, translation, market research.
Show achievements
- Created linear combination model predicting monthly revenue with 80–90% accuracy.
Osiris Trading
2017-07 – 2018-06 · 1 yr
Junior Retention Marketer
|
Sandton, South Africa
Customer data processing, retention offer calculation, translation, market research, product testing, reporting.
Show achievements
- Automated large-scale data processing and reporting using Excel, minimising errors from manual processing.
- Applied mathematical models for more accurate customer experience estimation.
- Applied data-driven decision making for improved retention offer calculation, resulting in increased retention and profitability.
- Provided unique insight and market research in the Mandarin market.
SHPS
2014-07 – 2017-06 · 3 yr
Phase 2
stable
Boksburg, South Africa
React.jsProgressive Web App
A demo of my frontend web dev skills and creative ideas. Revamp of phase 1. Added CSS 3D effects and animations, React components, responsive design, progressive loading, local storage caching for offline usage, and many more.
2015-06 – 2015-08 · 3 mo
Delivery Configuration Engineer
|
Sandton, South Africa
Data processing and configuration of back-end systems.
Show achievements
- Created Excel templates with formulas for data calculation and management, increasing data processing speed by 10x.
- Inspired and popularised the use of technology to automate data processing tasks.
2015-05 – 2015-05 · 1 mo
Director Assistant
|
Sandton, South Africa
Reporting and internal operations coordination.
Show achievements
- Created and managed Excel reports.
Happy 5 Rand
2013-08 – 2014-02 · 7 mo
Assistant Manager
|
George, South Africa
Inventory management, bookkeeping, payment processing, customer assistance.
Show achievements
- Ensured smooth operation of the shop.
- Created promotions that improved sale of unpopular items, making more efficient use of space.
Pig & Swizzle
2013-07 – 2013-07 · 1 mo
Barman
|
Cape Town, South Africa
Customer assistance, payment processing.
Show achievements
- Ensured quick and satisfactory customer service.
Independent
2013-06 – 2013-06 · 1 mo
Personal Interpreter
|
Cape Town, South Africa
Interpretation.
Show achievements
- Improved client communication in English by 1000x.
Mysterious East
2013-02 – 2013-05 · 4 mo
Assistant Manager
|
Cape Town, South Africa
Logo design, social media marketing, order taking, table setting, serving, cleaning, payment processing.
Show achievements
- Improved branding by creating logo and social media marketing for the restaurant.
Carrefour
2007-12 – 2008-03 · 4 mo
PC Customer Assistant
|
Shanghai, China
Customer assistance, PC recommendations.
Show achievements
- Improved sales by locating products for confused customers.
- Improved sales by enabling communication with English-speaking customers.
- Improved sales by providing product knowledge and recommendations.
02
02
Skills
AI & Automation
Image gen and text analysis only used occasionally as needed.
Web Development
Early career focus; foundational knowledge now applied primarily to web scraping and agentic coding.
Web Scraping
Mostly headful Chrome; headless rarely used.
Data Processing & Analysis
Visualization & Reporting
Machine Learning
From coursework and side projects; not a primary day-to-day toolkit.
03
Work Experience
Current
Independent
2021-04 – Present
Web Scraping & Reporting Automation Consultant
|
Remote
Data analysis, website scraping, marketing data automation, report and dashboard automation, data reconciliation, documentation, stakeholder management, coworker training, translation, market research.
- Used AI-assisted coding to ship reports 2–3x faster and pack 2–3x more features per report.
- Built scraping pipeline in R + Chrome that auto-fills forms and retrieves AJAX responses, replacing manual click-work with a 100x speedup.
- Automated data processing, report generation, and emailing with R and Power BI, improving processing and reporting speed by 10x.
- Managed and oversaw different data sources, ensuring data correctness and identifying suitable sources for automation.
Ivy Digital
2019-12 – 2021-03 · 1 yr 4 mo
Data Analyst
|
Sandton, South Africa (Hybrid)
Data analysis, data reconciliation, website scraping, data processing automation, documentation, stakeholder management, machine learning, coworker training, translation, market research.
Show achievements
- Experimented with deep learning churn prediction model using Keras, R, and SQL — 80% overall accuracy, 50% predicted churn accuracy, 90% predicted not-churn accuracy (churners were 25% of customer base).
- Actively checked and investigated data issues, ensuring data correctness at all times.
Ivy Digital
2018-07 – 2019-11 · 1 yr 5 mo
Junior Retention Marketer
|
Sandton, South Africa
Data reconciliation, website scraping, data processing automation, documentation, stakeholder management, machine learning, predictive modelling, coworker training, translation, market research.
Show achievements
- Created linear combination model predicting monthly revenue with 80–90% accuracy.
Osiris Trading
2017-07 – 2018-06 · 1 yr
Junior Retention Marketer
|
Sandton, South Africa
Customer data processing, retention offer calculation, translation, market research, product testing, reporting.
Show achievements
- Automated large-scale data processing and reporting using Excel, minimising errors from manual processing.
- Applied mathematical models for more accurate customer experience estimation.
- Applied data-driven decision making for improved retention offer calculation, resulting in increased retention and profitability.
- Provided unique insight and market research in the Mandarin market.
2015-06 – 2015-08 · 3 mo
Delivery Configuration Engineer
|
Sandton, South Africa
Data processing and configuration of back-end systems.
Show achievements
- Created Excel templates with formulas for data calculation and management, increasing data processing speed by 10x.
- Inspired and popularised the use of technology to automate data processing tasks.
2015-05 – 2015-05 · 1 mo
Director Assistant
|
Sandton, South Africa
Reporting and internal operations coordination.
Show achievements
- Created and managed Excel reports.
Happy 5 Rand
2013-08 – 2014-02 · 7 mo
Assistant Manager
|
George, South Africa
Inventory management, bookkeeping, payment processing, customer assistance.
Show achievements
- Ensured smooth operation of the shop.
- Created promotions that improved sale of unpopular items, making more efficient use of space.
Pig & Swizzle
2013-07 – 2013-07 · 1 mo
Barman
|
Cape Town, South Africa
Customer assistance, payment processing.
Show achievements
- Ensured quick and satisfactory customer service.
Independent
2013-06 – 2013-06 · 1 mo
Personal Interpreter
|
Cape Town, South Africa
Interpretation.
Show achievements
- Improved client communication in English by 1000x.
Mysterious East
2013-02 – 2013-05 · 4 mo
Assistant Manager
|
Cape Town, South Africa
Logo design, social media marketing, order taking, table setting, serving, cleaning, payment processing.
Show achievements
- Improved branding by creating logo and social media marketing for the restaurant.
Carrefour
2007-12 – 2008-03 · 4 mo
PC Customer Assistant
|
Shanghai, China
Customer assistance, PC recommendations.
Show achievements
- Improved sales by locating products for confused customers.
- Improved sales by enabling communication with English-speaking customers.
- Improved sales by providing product knowledge and recommendations.
04
Certifications
2019-10 – 2019-11
AI Programming with Python Nanodegree|Remote
National College English Testing Committee
2010-01 – 2010-06
CET Band 6 (College English Test)|Shanghai, China
Score 616 · No. 092231007002095
National College English Testing Committee
2008-09 – 2009-12
CET Band 4 (College English Test)|Shanghai, China
Score 587 · No. 091131007001078
State Commission of the Chinese Proficiency Test
Issued 2008-05
Certificate of Chinese Proficiency (HSK)|Shanghai, China
Grade A, Intermediate level · No. 0808006414
05
Education
Eduvos (fmr. Pearson Institute / CTI)
2014-10 – 2017-04
Information Systems (Internet Development)|Bedfordview, South Africa
Higher Certificate · WES: U.S. equiv. one-year certificate from a two-year institution (2026)
Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
2008-09 – 2012-06
Business English|Shanghai, China
Coursework toward Bachelor of Arts
Woodlands International College
2005-07 – 2007-06
High School|Boksburg, South Africa
Senior Certificate · WES: U.S. equiv. high school diploma (2026)
03
06
Languages
04
Let's Talk
05
07
FAQ
Work logistics
- Are you authorized to work in the US?
- Yes.
- Will you need visa sponsorship now or in the future?
- No.
- Are you open to remote, hybrid, or on-site?
- Yes to all.
- Are you willing to relocate, and if so, where?
- Yes, anywhere.
- What time zones can you work in?
- Any time.
- When can you start / what's your notice period?
- Immediately if remote; otherwise, 1 month notice.
- Are you currently employed, freelancing, or available immediately?
- Freelancing; available immediately.
Engagement type
- Are you looking for full-time, contract, contract-to-hire, or part-time?
- Any type.
- What's your target salary range (full-time) or hourly rate (contract)?
- Flexible - depend on your budget.
About you and your work
- Why does your resume live on a .za domain if you're in the US?
- Legacy reasons - I used to live in South Africa.
- Which of your three lanes are you actively pursuing — web dev, R scraping, or Power BI? (or all three?)
- Pursuing all three. Equally strong with the help of AI.
Fit and preferences
- What kind of company are you looking for — startup, mid-size, enterprise?
- Any kind.
- What does your ideal next role look like?
- Any role.
- Are there industries or types of work you won't take?
- No.
- Why are you job searching right now?
- Looking to establish US experience and income.
- Do you prefer working solo, on a small team, or in a large org?
- Flexible - whatever the work requires.
Contact and process
- What is your contact info?
- Contact me on LinkedIn or use the chatbot on this page.
- Do you prefer an intro call, written brief, or going straight to a technical screen?
- Written brief.
- Can you provide references, and when?
- Yes; upon request.
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