App Software Ltd, Dilton Marsh, Westbury, Wiltshire, BA13
Senior Software Engineer and Solutions Architect with 18+ years architecting enterprise solutions for public sector organisations and FTSE 100 companies including UKSBS, Maersk, Dyson, and O2:
I specialise in full-stack web application and API development, with a focus on .NET. and have proven expertise and experience delivering mission-critical systems at scale. I'm able to lead or support development teams through complex technical and organisational challenges, prioritising a pragmatic approach to building performant, reliable, maintainable software that meets compliance and security requirements.
I'm recognised by my clients for for taking ownership of critical project deliverables, mentoring fellow developers, and the consistent successful delivery of software projects.
Based in: Wiltshire, UK Available for: Remote, London, UK
Languages: C#, JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL, HTML, CSS, Bash, PowerShell
Backend & Frameworks: .NET (5-9, Core, Framework), ASP.NET MVC, Node.js, Blazor, MAUI, Xamarin, Dapper ORM, Entity Framework, Mass Transit, SignalR
Frontend: Vue.js, Angular, React, Svelte, Alpine.js, jQuery, Knockout.js | CSS, Sass, Bootstrap, Tailwind, Bulma, Foundation, GOV.uk Design System
Cloud & DevOps: AWS (EC2, ECS, Fargate, S3, CloudFront, Route53, RDS, SNS, SQS, SES, Athena, + more), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Digital Ocean | Docker, Kubernetes (K8s), Containerization, NGINX, IIS
Databases & Messaging: PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, SQLite, Redis | RabbitMQ, Kafka, AWS SQS/SNS
CI/CD & Version Control: Git, GitHub, Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Bitbucket, CodeCommit
AI Tooling: Experience with Github Copilot, Claude Code, ChatGPT Cline
Architecture & Practices: Microservices, REST APIs, Design Patterns, SOLID Principles, TDD, Unit/Integration/Load Testing, IaC, Agile/Scrum
Additional Experience: Python, Dart, C++, Java, Flutter, VMWare, Selenium, SEO, PPC
Since much of my professional project work is for enterprise clients and is delivered within team environments, I maintain some hobby projects and tools that allow me to demonstrate UI / front-end design capability. These can be found at:
https://www.appsoftware.com/portfolio
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
Here I re-joined UKSBS (following October 2018 - March 2021 contract) to continue work on the GFS project during a major upgrade following the successful delivery of the original project. I have worked hands-on alongside the permanent development, architecture and infrastructure teams to lead and support on key goals and support the wider 'SHARP' project (focused on the integration of Oracle cloud infrastructure) including collaboration with external contractors (IBM).
Specific technical contributions have included:
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.
Technologies: C#, .NET Core, Web APIs, React, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Entity Framework, XUnit, Moq, Azure
At Maersk I worked on the Customs House Brokerage AppLite product. This was a phased deployment to rebuild a legacy application and move it to a Maersk's modern integrated / in house platform. I was able to make key contributions to the project and assist the team on a problematic microservice architecture that was hindering project progress and help to move the project. The Customs House Brokerage AppLite was a .NET Core / Entity Framework based project integrating with Maersk APIs and automation platforms.
Technologies: C#, .NET Core, MVC, PostgreSQL, Entity Framework, XUnit, Moq, GOV.uk Design System (GDS), Azure B2C, Azure Active Directory, Bitbucket
This project for the Forestry Commission required integrating with the existing Quicksilva development team to assist with meeting the MVP milestone for redevelopment of the FLO software for both internal and external user management of Felling Licence Applications.
My brief here included the progression of application development against the functional spec to meet project deadlines. Specifically, I undertook the development of an internally facing administrative system, with particular focus around identity and authorisation including the integration of Microsoft's Azure B2C. This included federated Active Directory tenants and the development of a roles / claims-based system to help manage a complex matrix of permissions for Forestry Commission employees.
I was able make key contributions to the project early, being familiar with common agile development processes and technologies used in the project, and with significant experience of identity and authorisation platforms.
This contract for Zircon Software Comprised two short projects:
Technologies: C#, .NET Core, WPF, Python, gRPC, SQL Server, Entity Framework, XUnit, Moq, Stateless, Docker, UML, Enterprise Architect, Azure DevOps
This project for Cavendish Nuclear, under Zircon Software required the design and implementation of prototype control software for a hazardous waste system comprising a collection of robots and sensors ("OptiSort"). OptiSort manages logic, state and communications between subsystems.
Requirements were captured in a client supplied Enterprise Architect (Sparx Systems) model, which I was given ownership of to update with design and implementation detail consisting of interface definitions and UML diagrams.
As the lead developer on this project I was responsible for architecture, coding, configuration and implementation of the software along with leading a team of three developers and a test engineer. Leadership responsibilities included mentoring, story writing, sprint planning, estimating, reporting and detailing of low-level design of features with the client and management.
Key technical achievements include the design and implementation a robust set of state machines with customised state observability, pause / resume / synchronisation (based on the Stateless .NET library). This highly automated system relies heavily on a set of 300+ well-maintained unit and automated integration tests to assure the correct working of 3 state machines comprising 50+ states and associated triggers. Clean, SOLID, dependency injection-based architecture has facilitated pain free testing and development collaboration.
The project was a great success and was delivered ahead of schedule with a high degree of satisfaction expressed by the customer throughout the project.
Technologies: C#, .NET Core, Xamarin, ASP.NET MVC, PostgreSQL, NUnit, Docker, JSON APIs, Wireshark, Plant UML
This was a short project while the company waited for work to begin on the main project to which I would be assigned (See 'Cavendish Nuclear Waste Management Automation Project (OptiSort)'). I was able to get up to speed quickly and contribute modules to cover key requirements. My work on this project required extending a Xamarin based mobile application to facilitate comms and report on connectivity status with a GNSS receiver and web service.
The Xamarin application used underlying Android APIs to gather the required information. Some reverse engineering of the third party GNSS receiver companion app using Wireshark was required to discover means of interacting with the device, resulting in my implementing Multicast DNS client functionality in the app to improve on current network scanning mechanisms.
This project required adherence to SIL (Safety Integrity Level) coding standards and detailed technical documentation.
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
Veyco is an investor backed start-up building services to support home buyers, sellers, estate agents, mortgage brokers, mortgage lenders and conveyancers. Further information regarding the business is restricted by NDA.
As a full stack Software Engineer, I led the design and implementation of the the infrastructure and application code to support this ambitious financial services (FinTech) application. Using Azure DevOps to configure CI/CD to deploy containerised applications to AWS ECS (Fargate) services covering multiple load balanced applications for web portals, database migrations and workflow, I set up a robust and low maintenance architecture that has enabled rapid code deployments and progress.
My role was primarily back-end development for this project, which has included (alongside general .NET Core application development): Okta SSO integration, HMLR (Land Registry) API integration, Workflow and message bus system design using Mass Transit, Database integration (RDBMS and NoSQL), Swagger API UI integration, Docker file curation, Integration Testing and Unit Testing.
The project was progressed to a stage with demonstrable multi-portal user interfaces over multiple environments and advanced workflow management, which supported further advancement of business goals.
Technologies: C#, .NET Core, ASP.NET MVC, Swagger, Microservices, Okta, RabbitMQ, Okta, Dapper ORM, PostgreSQL, JavaScript, Docker, XUnit, JMeter, Amazon AWS, GDS, Jira
UKSBS is a public sector service provider. Here I worked within an agile team of 15 including 3 developers, a technical architect, a DevOps engineer, and two testers, a BA and a project manager. The project was the development of a replacement for the existing Grant Finance System (GFS) which manages the allocation of funding to government backed research projects. This project was successfully moved into production in December 2020 and is now in the maintenance phase.
The new GFS system is a set of microservices running on AWS / Kubernetes. Microservice architecture was specified to facilitate fault tolerance and the potential future replacement of individual services. Well defined APIs and distinct databases were to be developed for each service while using a consistent technology stack and coding standards that would set a precedent for new software development projects within UKSBS. The project implemented full CI/CD and was deployable to multiple environments within AWS from early on.
My role within the team was to lead on implementation of core design choices as specified by the technical architect. I was responsible for coding, configuration and integration of key application features including single sign on (SSO) integration (Okta / OAuth / OpenID Connect), inter-process comms including API development and messaging framework (RabbitMQ), concurrency handling, internal code libraries, UI framework and general application architecture.
In addition to core development activities, I was tasked with mentoring junior team members, requirements gathering and story creation, with frequent contact with end users and project stakeholders. Towards the end of the project my role moved towards training of technical members of the permanent staff and maintenance of the applications.
Technologies: C#, ASP.NET MVC, Dapper ORM, SQL Server, SignalR, JavaScript, jQuery, Amazon AWS, NUnit
Much of my time during this assignment was spent developing upgrades for IMImobile's social media aggregation product - IMISocial. This product is used by several large clients including the BBC, and its primary purpose is managing large streams of messages from the major social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, facilitating the curation of information for use by TV and radio presenters. Tasks included maintenance and extensions to API consumption modules and application / UI features.
An additional project with which I was involved was the development of client code for consumption of the Netflix partner API for use in O2 customer promotion workflows.
Technologies: C#, ASP.NET MVC, Entity Framework, Dapper ORM, SQL Server, SignalR, JavaScript, jQuery, Amazon AWS
This project was for the re-design and maintenance for existing ASP.NET MVC website to improve device compatibility (responsive design) and image management. Other upgrades included implantation of a new payment processor, and a solution for managing a large and specialised product catalogue. As the sole developer on this project, I was able to design and advise on the most complete, robust and cost-effective solutions for the various challenges facing this small business.
Technologies: C#, ASP.NET MVC, Dapper ORM, SQL Server, JavaScript, jQuery, Knockout.js, mustache.js, Amazon AWS
Along with assisting on other web-based projects for major UK telecommunications providers, my primary task at IMImobile was the development of a management portal for O2 tariff management. O2 required the development of a management tool for creating and maintaining tariffs and special offers. The solution comprised an internal facing web-based GUI and development of an accompanying database. A UI capable of managing complex state, business logic and extensive validation of input was key to the success of the system, which was achieved by a largely JavaScript driven ASP.NET MVC web portal. Enterprise grade security and user management was also a key component of this project.
Technologies: C#, ASP.NET MVC, Entity Framework, MSMQ, JavaScript, jQuery, SQL Server, Amazon AWS
Providing cover following departure of a permanent senior developer. Dyson required assistance extending existing CRM systems to support expansion to new markets in China and Europe along with the implementation of new APIs to support device diagnostics applications and IoT devices.
New APIs built as part of Dyson's upgraded digital presence were built for high availability running in the AWS cloud. Verification of fitness for purpose included the development of the API (C# / Web API 2), a JavaScript test client application, stress testing and documentation.
Technologies: C#, ASP.NET MVC, JavaScript, AngularJS, jQuery, Massive, MySQL, MongoDB, Amazon EC2, S3
Internal project developing a headless content management and distribution platform.
Technologies: C#, ASP.NET MVC, JavaScript, AngularJS, jQuery, Massive, MySQL, Amazon EC2, S3
Redevelopment of social networking platform for armed forces community. Full-stack development including database design, API development, and responsive front-end implementation.
Technologies: C++, C#, SQLite
Development of secure, offline media browsing application with encrypted data storage.
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.
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.
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