Gareth Brown - Full Stack Software Engineering & DevOps

.NET Specialist / Full-Stack Web / APIs / Databases / Cloud Infrastructure / Microservices / AI

App Software Ltd, Dilton Marsh, Westbury, Wiltshire, BA13

PROFILE

Full-stack software and DevOps engineer, with particular specialisations in .NET web application and API development. Proven expertise and experience delivering mission-critical systems at scale. Able to lead and support development teams through complex technical and organisational challenges. Broad and deep skill set across the full software development life cycle. Prioritises pragmatism and building performant, reliable, maintainable software.

Recognised by clients for taking ownership of critical project deliverables, mentoring fellow developers, clear technical communication, and the consistent successful delivery of software projects.

PUBLIC PROFILES

CONTACT INFORMATION

AVAILABILITY

Based in: Wiltshire, UK

Available for: Remote, London, UK

CORE TECHNICAL SKILLS

Languages: C#, JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL, HTML, CSS, Bash, PowerShell

Backend Frameworks: .NET (Core, Framework), ASP.NET MVC, Node.js, Blazor, MAUI, Xamarin, Dapper ORM, Entity Framework, Mass Transit, SignalR

Frontend Frameworks: Vue.js, Angular, React, Svelte, Alpine.js, jQuery, Knockout.js | CSS, Sass, Bootstrap, Tailwind, Bulma, Foundation, GOV.uk Design System

Cloud & DevOps: AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Digital Ocean | Docker (Containerisation), Kubernetes (K8s), Flux CD

Databases & Messaging: PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, SQLite, Redis | RabbitMQ, Kafka, AWS SQS/SNS, gRPC

CI/CD & Version Control: Git, GitHub, Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Bitbucket, CodeCommit

AI Tooling: AI-assisted development workflows and app integrations, LLMs (GPT, Claude, Gemini), RAG pipelines, local AI inference (Ollama, LM Studio), prompt engineering

Architecture & Practices: Microservices, Event-Driven Architecture, REST APIs, Design Patterns, SOLID Principles, TDD, Unit/Integration/Load Testing, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Agile/Scrum

Additional Experience: Python, Dart, C++, Java, Flutter, VMWare, Selenium, SEO, PPC

EDUCATION

Professional Qualifications & Courses

  • Stanford Online / DeepLearning.AI: Supervised Machine Learning: Regression and Classification (ML / AI)
  • Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: ASP.NET
  • APM Professional Qualification: Project Management
  • Open University: Web Applications Design, Development and Management, Object Oriented Programming with Java

PORTFOLIO / DEMO PROJECTS & TECHNICAL BLOG

PROFESSIONAL PROJECT HISTORY

January 2023 - Present (Lead Software Engineer / Solutions Architect) SHARP Upgrade for Grants Finance System - UKSBS (Contract)

Technologies: C#, .NET Core, ASP.NET MVC, Hashicorp Vault, Swagger, Microservices, Okta, RabbitMQ, Redis, Dapper ORM, PostgreSQL, JavaScript, Alpine.js, Docker, Kubernetes (K8s), XUnit, JMeter, Amazon AWS, AWS S3, AWS Athena, Jira

Re-joined UKSBS to lead a major system upgrade for the GFS project, collaborating with internal development, architecture and infrastructure teams alongside external contractors (IBM) to integrate Oracle cloud infrastructure as part of the wider 'SHARP' programme.

  • Leading the development team on application architecture, developer tooling and version control strategy for supporting multiple concurrent work streams. Co-ordinating with infrastructure teams on CI/CD and DevOps tasks.
  • Delivery of a major system upgrade to support new business clients with unique workflows and processes (New REST API development and upgrading systems to support new workflows).
  • Optimization of message queue implementation RabbitMQ for a 9x throughput increase.
  • Design and implementation of an archive process to migrate and structure large amounts of audit data from Postgres to AWS S3 and integrate with the AWS Athena query service. A continuous data transfer process was included for new data, helping to keep RDBMS data volumes to a minimum.
  • Successful evaluation, design and integration of Hashicorp Vault for configuration and secrets management for the GFS application. Achieved key goals of ease of use for developers and infrastructure teams, minimal changes to the existing code base, options of both CLI and UI management of configuration and secrets and the ability to hot-reload configuration values with zero downtime.
  • Design and build of a bespoke GUI client for management of configuration data in Hashicorp Vault. Manages configuration for circa 20 deployed test environments each comprising multiple microservices. Solved challenge of keeping sensitive (non-version controlled) configuration data in sync requiring a UI solution more capable than the stock UI provided with Hashicorp Vault.
  • Design and implementation of processes to archive data no longer required for compliance (thus maintaining application database performance).
  • Design and implementation of an internal cron based scheduling and execution of background processes.
  • Evaluation and implementation of security remediations recommended by external penetration testers (e.g. CSP headers with associated script modifications and other HTTP headers).
  • Resolution of database performance issues including index optimisation, database connection optimisation, and implementation of a 'unit of work' factory pattern to better control over database connection lifetimes in the GFS application.
  • Writing of developer support documentation including processes, strategies and technical guides.
  • Implementation of GitFlow branching strategy to support multiple concurrent work streams with phased feature deployments along with blue / green deployment and environment management.

November 2022 - January 2023 (Senior Software Engineer) - A.P. Moller Maersk

Technologies: C#, .NET Core, Web APIs, React, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Entity Framework, XUnit, Moq, Azure

  • Contributed to the Customs House Brokerage AppLite product, a phased rebuild of a legacy application migrating to Maersk's modern integrated platform.
  • Resolved architectural issues in a problematic microservice design that was hindering project progress.
  • Integrated with Maersk APIs and automation platforms using .NET Core and Entity Framework.

July 2022 - October 2022 (Senior Software Engineer) - Forestry Commission via Quicksilva Limited (Contract)

Technologies: C#, .NET Core, MVC, PostgreSQL, Entity Framework, XUnit, Moq, GOV.uk Design System (GDS), Azure B2C, Azure Active Directory, Bitbucket

  • Drove application development against functional specifications to meet strict MVP milestones for the FLO software redevelopment (Felling Licence Applications).
  • Developed an internally facing administrative system with complex identity and authorisation requirements.
  • Integrated Microsoft Azure B2C with federated Active Directory tenants and implemented a roles/claims-based permissions system for Forestry Commission employees.

February 2022 - July 2022 (Lead Software Engineer) - Zircon Software Ltd (Contract)

Two projects for Zircon Software:

Cavendish Nuclear Waste Management Automation Project (OptiSort)

Technologies: C#, .NET Core, WPF, Python, gRPC, SQL Server, Entity Framework, XUnit, Moq, Stateless, Docker, UML, Enterprise Architect, Azure DevOps

  • Designed and implemented prototype control software for a hazardous waste automation system comprising robots and sensors ("OptiSort").
  • Led a team of three developers and a test engineer, with responsibilities including mentoring, sprint planning, story writing, and client liaison.
  • Owned and maintained the Enterprise Architect (Sparx Systems) model, updating interface definitions and UML diagrams.
  • Implemented a robust set of state machines (3 machines, 50+ states) with customised observability and pause/resume/synchronisation using the Stateless .NET library.
  • Delivered 300+ unit and integration tests ensuring correct operation of the highly automated system.
  • Delivered project ahead of schedule with high customer satisfaction.

GPS Rail Asset Location Project

Technologies: C#, .NET Core, Xamarin, ASP.NET MVC, PostgreSQL, NUnit, Docker, JSON APIs, Wireshark, Plant UML

  • Extended a Xamarin-based mobile application to report connectivity status with GNSS receivers and web services.
  • Reverse-engineered third-party GNSS receiver protocols using Wireshark and implemented Multicast DNS client functionality.
  • Adhered to SIL (Safety Integrity Level) coding standards with detailed technical documentation.

April 2021 - January 2022 (Software Engineer) - Home Buying and Conveyancing Platform - Veyco Ltd (Contract)

Technologies: C#, .NET Core, ASP.NET MVC, XUnit, Swagger, Microservices, Angular, JavaScript, Okta, Docker, Amazon AWS (ECS (Fargate), ECR / SQS / SNS), JSON REST APIs, SOAP XML Services, Mass Transit, Dapper ORM, MariaDB, MongoDB, Azure Cloud, Azure DevOps

Investor-backed FinTech start-up building services for home buyers, sellers, estate agents, mortgage brokers, lenders and conveyancers.

  • Designed and implemented infrastructure and application architecture for a multi-portal FinTech platform.
  • Configured CI/CD pipelines via Azure DevOps to deploy containerised applications to AWS ECS (Fargate) with load balancing.
  • Integrated Okta SSO and HMLR (Land Registry) APIs.
  • Designed workflow and message bus systems using Mass Transit.
  • Implemented database integration across RDBMS (MariaDB) and NoSQL (MongoDB) stores.

October 2018 - March 2021 (Senior Software Engineer) - Grants Finance System - UKSBS (Contract)

Technologies: C#, .NET Core, ASP.NET MVC, Swagger, Microservices, Okta, RabbitMQ, Dapper ORM, PostgreSQL, JavaScript, Docker, XUnit, JMeter, Amazon AWS, GDS, Jira

Developed a replacement Grant Finance System (GFS) managing funding allocation for government-backed research projects. Microservices architecture on AWS/Kubernetes with full CI/CD. Successfully moved to production December 2020.

  • Led implementation of core design choices within an agile team of 15, setting technical precedent for future UKSBS projects.
  • Integrated Okta SSO (OAuth/OpenID Connect) and designed inter-process communication via REST APIs and RabbitMQ messaging.
  • Implemented concurrency handling, internal code libraries, and UI framework.
  • Mentored junior team members and led requirements gathering with end users and stakeholders.
  • Transitioned to training permanent staff and application maintenance post-launch.

February 2018 - September 2018 (Senior Software Engineer) - IMI Social / O2 Netflix API Integration / PayForIt - IMImobile (Contract)

Technologies: C#, ASP.NET MVC, Dapper ORM, SQL Server, SignalR, JavaScript, jQuery, Amazon AWS, NUnit

  • Developed upgrades for IMISocial, a social media aggregation product used by major clients including the BBC.
  • Extended API consumption modules and UI features for managing high-volume message streams from Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
  • Developed Netflix partner API integration for O2 customer promotion workflows.

December 2017 - January 2018 (Software Engineer) - Plumbing and Heating Retail Web Application - House of Radiators (Contract)

Technologies: C#, ASP.NET MVC, Entity Framework, Dapper ORM, SQL Server, SignalR, JavaScript, jQuery, Amazon AWS

  • Redesigned ASP.NET MVC e-commerce website for responsive design and improved image management.
  • Integrated new payment processor and built solution for managing a large, specialised product catalogue.
  • Sole developer: designed and delivered cost-effective solutions for all technical challenges.

July 2016 - November 2017 (Senior Software Engineer) - O2 Tariff Management - IMImobile (Contract)

Technologies: C#, ASP.NET MVC, Dapper ORM, SQL Server, JavaScript, jQuery, Knockout.js, mustache.js, Amazon AWS

  • Developed O2 tariff management portal for creating and maintaining tariffs and special offers.
  • Built JavaScript-driven ASP.NET MVC web portal with complex state management, business logic validation, and enterprise-grade security.
  • Assisted on additional web-based projects for major UK telecommunications providers.

January 2016 - July 2016 (Senior Software Engineer) - International CRM System - Dyson (Contract)

Technologies: C#, ASP.NET MVC, Entity Framework, MSMQ, JavaScript, jQuery, SQL Server, Amazon AWS

  • Extended CRM systems to support Dyson's expansion into China and Europe markets.
  • Implemented high-availability APIs on AWS for device diagnostics and IoT devices.
  • Developed Web API 2 endpoints, JavaScript test client, and performed stress testing with full documentation.

October 2015 - December 2015 (Senior Software Engineer) - I/O Content - App Software Ltd (Internal Project)

Technologies: C#, ASP.NET MVC, JavaScript, AngularJS, jQuery, Massive, MySQL, MongoDB, Amazon EC2, S3

Internal project developing a headless content management and distribution platform.

January 2015 - October 2015 (Senior Software Engineer) - Armed Forces Social Network Website Redevelopment - Clever Digit Media (Contract)

Technologies: C#, ASP.NET MVC, JavaScript, AngularJS, jQuery, Massive, MySQL, Amazon EC2, S3

Redevelopment of social networking platform for the armed forces community. Full-stack development including database design, API development, and responsive front-end implementation.

November 2014 - December 2014 (Senior Software Engineer) - Secure Media Data Browsing Application - Clever Digit Media (Contract)

Technologies: C++, C#, SQLite

Development of secure, offline media browsing application with encrypted data storage.

September 2013 - October 2014 (Senior Software Engineer) - Back End Processing Systems - Clever Digit Media (Contract)

Technologies: C#, ASP.NET MVC, Windows Services, Entity Framework, SQL Server

Development of automated back-end processing systems including Windows Services for scheduled tasks and data processing workflows.

May 2013 - August 2013 (Senior Software Engineer) - Email Marketing System - Clever Digit Media (Contract)

Technologies: C#, ASP.NET MVC, Windows Services, Entity Framework, SQL Server

Design and implementation of email marketing platform including campaign management, subscriber management, and delivery tracking systems.

EARLIER EXPERIENCE (2007-2013)

Senior Software Engineer - Clever Digit Media (2010-2013)

Multiple contracts including genealogy website redevelopment, SaaS price monitoring service, and enterprise data processing frameworks. Technologies: C#, ASP.NET MVC, Entity Framework, MySQL, SignalR, NServiceBus.

Software Engineer - Multiple Contracts (2009-2011)

Included financial services systems (Richmond Group), point of sale systems (House of Radiators), and rail infrastructure testing (WRSL/Zircon Software). Technologies: C#, ASP.NET, SQL Server, Windows Forms.

Earlier project experience (pre-2009) available on request