Erik Helms

About Erik Helms

Principal Software Engineer with 15+ years of hands-on experience leading and delivering full-stack solutions across complex web and mobile applications. I blend deep technical expertise with strategic leadership—owning architecture, guiding engineering teams, and staying actively involved in coding and solution delivery.Known for driving technical roadmaps, mentoring developers, and aligning engineering efforts with product vision. I’ve led cross-functional teams through major rebuilds, platform modernization, and greenfield development, all while maintaining a strong focus on performance, scalability, and user experience.Skilled in selecting and implementing modern frameworks, libraries, and infrastructure—whether designing cloud-native architectures, building CI/CD pipelines, or shaping UI/UX through clean, accessible frontends. I prioritize collaboration, clarity, and code quality, and thrive in environments where thoughtful architecture and elegant implementation go hand in hand.Always hands-on, always focused on leveling up the team, and always ready to build what’s next.

Experience

1. Principal Software Engineer

   Modernize

   Aug 2025 — Present · Morrison, CO, US

   Client: Navitus Health SolutionsPlatform Architecture & UI Engineering | Strategic Technical LeadershipPromoted from Senior Lead in recognition of deep architectural influence, strategic delivery, and cross-team leadership. Drove innovation and complexity through feature delivery, state architecture, and engineering enablement.Designed and implemented complex state management solutions using Zustand, enabling sophisticated view rendering and highly dynamic form behavior across the application.Architected and shipped a custom drag-and-drop formula builder backed by a tailored math engine, taking it from concept to production in just 3 months—a critical capability for client-specific rebate logic.Provided architectural leadership across engineering initiatives, aligning development efforts with long-term platform goals.Continued to scale and evolve the multi-tenant Cognito-based authentication solution, incorporating enhancements for tenant isolation and user role granularity.Mentored engineers across teams, guided architectural decisions, and served as a go-to technical leader on core platform initiatives.

Education

• The University of Akron

  Bachelor of Science, Computer Science

  2003 — 2008