# Gareth Brown - Solutions Architect & Technical Leader ### Solutions Architecture / System Design / Cloud Infrastructure / Microservices / .NET / APIs / AI App Software Ltd, Dilton Marsh, Westbury, Wiltshire, BA13 --- ### PROFILE Solutions architect and technical lead with deep hands-on expertise across the full software development life cycle. Specialises in designing and delivering scalable, maintainable system architectures for mission-critical applications. Proven track record leading development teams through complex technical and organisational challenges, from initial solution design through to production deployment. Combines strong architectural thinking with practical engineering skills across .NET, cloud platforms, microservices, and modern web technologies. Recognised by clients for strategic technical decision-making, ownership of critical project deliverables, mentoring development teams, clear communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, and the consistent successful delivery of software projects. --- ### PUBLIC PROFILES - **Website / Portfolio:** https://appsoftware.com - **GitHub:** https://github.com/appsoftwareltd | https://github.com/gbro3n - **LinkedIn:** https://linkedin.com/in/garethrbrown --- ### CONTACT INFORMATION - **Tel:** +44 (0)7730 590785 - **Email:** gareth.brown@appsoftware.com --- ### AVAILABILITY **Based in:** Wiltshire, UK **Available for:** Remote, London, UK --- ### CORE TECHNICAL SKILLS **Architecture & Design:** Microservices, Event-Driven Architecture, REST API Design, Domain-Driven Design, Design Patterns, SOLID Principles, Solution Evaluation and Selection, Technical Strategy, Stakeholder Communication **Cloud & DevOps:** AWS (ECS, S3, Athena, SQS/SNS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Digital Ocean | Docker, Kubernetes (K8s), Flux CD, Infrastructure as Code (IaC) **Databases & Messaging:** PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, SQLite, Redis | RabbitMQ, Kafka, AWS SQS/SNS, gRPC **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 **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 **Quality & Delivery:** TDD, Unit/Integration/Load Testing, Agile/Scrum, Technical Documentation, Security Hardening **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 - https://www.appsoftware.com/portfolio - https://www.appsoftware.com/blog --- ### PROFESSIONAL PROJECT HISTORY #### January 2023 - March 2023 (Solutions Architect / Lead Engineer) 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. - Defined application architecture, developer tooling strategy and version control approach to support multiple concurrent work streams. Co-ordinated with infrastructure teams on CI/CD and DevOps. - Architected system upgrade to onboard new business clients with unique workflows and processes, including new REST API design and integration patterns. - Designed data archival architecture to migrate large audit datasets from PostgreSQL to AWS S3, integrated with AWS Athena for queryability, and implemented continuous data transfer to maintain RDBMS performance. - Evaluated, selected and integrated Hashicorp Vault for secrets management across the microservices estate (~20 environments). Balanced ease of adoption, minimal codebase impact, and zero-downtime hot-reload of configuration. - Designed and built a bespoke configuration management GUI for Hashicorp Vault, addressing limitations of the stock UI for multi-environment microservice deployments. - Optimised message queue architecture (RabbitMQ), achieving a 9x throughput increase. - Led security remediation following external penetration testing (CSP headers, HTTP security headers, script modifications). - Resolved database performance bottlenecks through index optimisation, connection management improvements, and implementation of a unit-of-work factory pattern. - Designed GitFlow branching strategy and blue/green deployment approach for phased feature rollouts. - Authored technical architecture documentation, developer guides and process documentation. --- #### November 2022 - January 2023 (Senior Software Engineer / Architect) - 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, architecting the phased rebuild of a legacy application onto Maersk's modern integrated platform. - Diagnosed and resolved fundamental architectural issues in a problematic microservice design that was blocking project progress, redesigning service boundaries and communication patterns. - Defined integration architecture for 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**