Ypsilanti, Michigan  |  Open to procurement, inventory and junior developer roles

Jean-Paul van Staden

A buyer and stock controller who builds software with AI tools

I spent ten years in procurement and inventory control in South Africa, and I now work as an Assistant Manager at a paint store in Ann Arbor. In 2026 I also taught myself to build software by directing AI tools. I've released a game on Steam, built a private messaging app that is now in testing, and set up a system that builds websites automatically.

See what I've built Get my resume

✓ Authorized to work in the United States, no visa sponsorship required

About me

I didn't come to software through a computer science degree. I came to it after ten years of working next to software, as a procurement buyer, an IT stock controller, and in IT procurement and support.

In those jobs I got quotes and placed orders, held suppliers to the prices and lead times we agreed on, counted stock every week and checked it against the system, and built Excel and Power Query reports for management. In 2026 I started building my own software with AI tools, and I found I love the moment an idea turns into something that works.

I'm looking for a procurement, inventory or junior developer role where I can do good work for a team and keep learning from people with more experience than me.

How I work

I build software with AI coding tools, mainly Claude Code, and I'd rather say so plainly.

In practice I decide what to build and why, describe it, test the results on real phones and computers, report what breaks, and keep going until it works. Every project below is real, and I can walk you through what each one does and the decisions behind it.

What it doesn't mean is that I could write all of that code by hand today. I'm learning to read and judge the code the AI writes, one project at a time, so that I can explain each part rather than just point at the result.

I'd rather tell you that up front than have you find out in an interview.

What I've built

Each of these started as my idea and became working software, built by directing AI tools. The code is private, but I'm happy to walk you through any of them.

Released on Steam

Deepclaim, a deep sea mining game

Out on Steam since August 2026, and still getting updates.

Drill down through a seabed you can dig apart, fill a limited cargo hold, and get back to the surface to sell and upgrade before your oxygen runs out. Claiming a world's core resets your run and pays out a reward you keep for good.

What makes it interesting

  • Released and kept up to date. Two updates since launch, including a Daily Dive with Steam leaderboards and Steam Cloud saves.
  • Tested by bots. Automated test bots play the game to check the balance and catch bugs before each release, on top of more than a thousand automated checks.
  • Saves survive updates. A save made in an older version still loads after new features arrive.
Godot 4GDScript SteamworksAutomated testing
See it on Steam →

Xelvo, a private messaging and calling app

Android and web, now in testing.

A one to one messaging app. Sign in with your phone number, add a contact with an invite link, then chat in real time with sent, delivered and read ticks, photos and videos, and voice and video calls.

What makes it interesting

  • Calls that ring a closed app. Push notifications wake the phone, so a call still rings when the app isn't open.
  • Privacy enforced by the database. Row level security in Supabase means a user can only read the conversations they are part of.
  • Built for other people's phones too. Many of the bugs I chased only showed up on friends' phones, so it gets checked against different settings.
  • Honest about its limits. It isn't end to end encrypted yet, and the privacy page says so plainly.
ReactViteCapacitor SupabasePostgreSQLCloudflare R2
🔒 Private code, demo on request

An automated website builder

For a small web design business my brother and I are starting.

My brother fills in one form with a business's details, pasted straight from its Google page. The system builds the website, checks it, publishes a preview, and emails us the link with a phone screenshot.

What makes it interesting

  • Changes by reply. Replying on the form with something like "Phone: new number" rebuilds the site and reports what changed, and "Undo" puts it back.
  • Well tested. 180 automated tests cover the builder, and the first real business site came out right the first time.
PythonGitHub ActionsCloudflare
🔒 Private code, walkthrough on request

Snake World

A competitive arcade game with worldwide leaderboards.

A neon take on Snake with monthly seasons, daily challenges and global leaderboards. The server checks every score, so a changed game can't post a fake one.

Godot 4Supabase

Couples Budget

Shared money tracking for two people.

Paired accounts, category budgets against actual spending, recurring bills that post themselves, and export to Excel or PDF.

PythonStreamlitSQLite

OrderFlow

A ticketing system on AWS, retired in 2026.

A ticket and workflow system designed for a warehouse and delivery operation, with five user roles and delivery photos from drivers. It ran on AWS in 2026 and has been retired.

AWSPython

Skills

Split by how well I actually know each one, because a flat list would tell you nothing.

Used in paid work 10 years

Real jobs. Ask me anything here.

  • Procurement and purchasing
  • Supplier negotiation
  • Inventory control and cycle counts
  • Advanced Excel
  • Power Query
  • Power BI reports
  • SAP

Built and shipped with AI tools

I've built working software with these by directing AI tools. I can explain what each one does in my projects, and I'm still learning how they work inside.

  • React
  • Capacitor for Android
  • Supabase and PostgreSQL
  • Godot
  • Python
  • GitHub Actions
  • Cloudflare
  • Git and GitHub

Working on now

Where my learning time goes.

  • Reading and judging the code AI writes
  • How my own projects work, layer by layer
  • Next: Kotlin and Swift for native mobile apps

Work experience

Ten years in procurement and inventory control in South Africa, and now retail management in Michigan.

  1. Oct 2026 to now

    Assistant Manager

    Anderson Paint Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan

    Promoted from Sales and Customer Service Associate after two months. I open and close the store, reconcile the day's cash and card totals, supervise the team on shift, and run the store when the manager is away.

  2. Aug 2025 to Jun 2026

    Procurement Buyer

    SKG Properties, Centurion, South Africa

    Handled purchasing for property operations, about $330K to $1M a year, with at least three quotes on every purchase. Held suppliers to the prices and lead times we agreed on, and tracked spending in Excel.

  3. Feb 2025 to Aug 2025

    Procurement Officer

    GoBid, Pretoria, South Africa

    Processed RFQs and bills of quantities, compared supplier quotes, and analyzed purchasing data for management reports.

  4. Nov 2023 to Dec 2024

    IT Stock Controller

    First Technologies, Centurion, South Africa

    Ran weekly cycle counts and checked them against the system, ordered IT components by part number, and built Power Query and Power BI stock reports for management.

  5. May 2023 to Oct 2023

    Procurement and IT Officer

    LTM Energy Group, Midrand, South Africa

    Bought solar equipment, components and batteries, and handled inventory control with weekly counts.

  6. 2015 to 2023

    Earlier roles

    Deltrolux, X-Technologies, my own IT business, Barloworld, Salvage Management and Disposals

    IT support, stock control, sales quotes and IT procurement: RFPs and RFQs, supplier negotiation, and accurate procurement records.

Certifications and courses

  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (2023)
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals (2023)
  • Microsoft SQL for Beginners, Udemy (2022)
  • Power BI, The Practical Guide, Udemy (2022)
  • Excel from Beginner to Advanced, Udemy (2025)

Education

  • National Senior Certificate (2012)
    Rustenburg High School, South Africa

No computer science degree. What I know about software I taught myself, by building projects with AI tools and learning from each one. I expect to keep learning for a long time.

Get in touch

I'm looking for procurement, inventory or junior developer work, and I can start right away. If you think I might be a fit, I'd love to hear from you.

✉

Email

jpvanstaden94@gmail.com

 in

LinkedIn

Jean-Paul van Staden

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Resume for procurement

Download as PDF

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Resume for software

Download as PDF

Based in Ypsilanti, Michigan | Authorized to work in the U.S., no sponsorship required