Software architect with more than 20 years of experience in designing, building and running scalable web and backend systems. Since 2016 I have been responsible for architecture and implementation in long-running client projects at Leading Lights, from the business domain and microservices to Kubernetes platforms on AWS. I work pragmatically and mentor teams on architecture, code quality and testing strategy.

Core competencies

• Architecture: design of robust, scalable backend systems, including data models, technology choices, security and quality
• Cloud & platform: building and running Kubernetes platforms on AWS following GitOps and infrastructure-as-code principles, including observability
• Engineering: high standards for code quality, documentation and well-thought-out testing strategies
• Agentic coding: daily use of AI coding agents (Claude Code) with custom skills, MCP integrations and structured workflows from specification to review
• Team: mentoring and technical leadership of development teams, close collaboration with business stakeholders

Professional experience

Software Architect, Leading Lights GmbH

formerly BDE Software Services GmbH · April 2016 – present · Hamburg

Architecture, development and operations in long-term client projects: microservice architectures, modernisation of legacy systems, Kubernetes and GitOps platforms on AWS, single sign-on with Keycloak, web frontends and mobile apps. Architect and lead developer in teams of up to six developers.

Mobile Software Architect, I.C.N.H GmbH

July 2012 – March 2016 · Kiel and Hamburg

Software development and consulting for mobile apps on iOS and Android, including Node.js backends with RESTful APIs, as well as architecture consulting for platform projects.

Senior Software Engineer, CoreMedia AG

April 2006 – June 2012 · Hamburg

• Rebuilt the CMS editor as a rich internet application (ExtJS), including the ActionScript3-to-JavaScript compiler Jangaroo and the declarative UI language EXML
• Designed and developed a video streaming extension for the CMS
• Developed and maintained the digital rights management platform
• Research project on microblogging in companies, with prototypes in Python and Django

Earlier positions

• Software Architect, MaK DATA SYSTEM Kiel GmbH · October 2005 – March 2006
• Intern, Semantic Web Services research team, DERI, Galway, Ireland · August – December 2004
• Software Engineer, MobilCom Communicationstechnik GmbH · October 1999 – September 2003

Education

• M.Sc. Computer Science, University of Applied Sciences Wedel · 2003 – 2005
  Focus on functional programming (Haskell), compiler construction, expert systems and cryptography
• Diplom-Wirtschaftsinformatiker (BA), Berufsakademie Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel · 1999 – 2002
  Including the German trainer aptitude certificate (AEVO)

Skills

• Architecture: software and target architecture, microservices, legacy modernisation, API design
• Cloud & platform: AWS (EKS), Kubernetes, Docker, GitOps, ArgoCD, Terraform
• Observability: Grafana, Prometheus, Mimir, Loki, Alloy, OpenTelemetry
• Security: single sign-on, Keycloak, OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0
• Backend: Java, Spring Boot, Node.js, MongoDB, PostgreSQL
• Frontend & mobile: TypeScript, Angular, Preact, D3, Flutter
• AI & agentic coding: Claude Code, agent skills, MCP
• Methods: Agile/Scrum, test-driven development, DevOps, mentoring

Languages

German (native) · English (fluent, C1) · French (basic, self-study since 2024)

Interests

Bouldering and climbing · home automation · music (bass)