Public profile
Experience
Head of Engineering | Founding Engineer | Product systems, Rails, AI-assisted delivery | Startups & Scaleups
Career highlights
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Johnny - Head of Engineering | Founding Engineer | Product systems, Rails, AI-assisted delivery | Startups & Scaleups
I’m Head of Engineering, hands on and close to the code. I build production systems where business intent, operational reality, and implementation have to line up, especially when mistakes are expensive.
Top summary points
- Head of Engineering (hands-on) - startups & scale-ups - Ruby on Rails
- End-to-end ownership: architecture -> delivery -> on-call -> stewardship
- Location: Sunderland,UK
Selected experience
Software Developer, Ruby on Rails at Savantis Ltd
2005-11-01 to 2011-10-01
- Built experience across Ruby on Rails software delivery over multiple years, contributing to web application development and consultancy-led product work
Ruby on Rails Developer (Contract) at CNS Group
2016-05-01 to 2018-05-01
- Built a Rails benchmarking application for the cyber security industry with an on-prem deployment model using Ubuntu, Nginx, Puma, and Postgres
- Implemented secure deployment and controlled release processes using GitLab CI and Capistrano
Head of Engineering (hands-on) / Tech Lead, Ruby on Rails at Materials Market
2021-11-01 to present
- First technical hire who transitioned delivery from agency to in-house engineering and owned the platform end to end
- Built and evolved the marketplace across pricing, checkout, fulfilment, invoicing, supplier workflows, APIs, integrations, reliability, and internal AI-assisted operational tooling while hiring and growing the engineering function
Tech Lead, Ruby on Rails at Happity
2018-02-01 to 2020-09-01
- Owned the lifecycle of an e-commerce Rails product with subscriptions and complex back-office workflows
- Focused on reliability, security, and user experience, and integrated services including Stripe, Intercom, SendGrid, and Google while supporting hybrid mobile apps built with web technologies
Ruby on Rails Developer at Beef (Contract)
2012-10-01 to 2012-12-01
- Delivered Ruby on Rails development work on a contract basis, contributing to product delivery in a short focused engagement
Tech Lead, Ruby on Rails at Kudocs
2020-09-01 to 2021-11-01
- Led development of a LegalTech SaaS platform, owning delivery across feature work and operational maintenance
- Built and maintained APIs and integrations including Companies House and Stripe, while improving standards, release discipline, and collaboration with product and customer-facing teams
IP Security Engineer (Placement) at O2 Ireland
2005-06-01 to 2005-10-01
- Worked on IP security during an industry placement, gaining early experience in operational and infrastructure-focused engineering work
Tech Lead, Ruby on Rails at Clixifix
2013-01-01 to 2017-09-01
- Led a small team building a SaaS platform for defect and repair management in construction
- Owned delivery end to end across design, testing, deployment, support, and maintenance, while improving operational throughput and communication at scale
Full Stack Ruby on Rails at Savantis Tech Ltd
2011-10-01 to 2018-02-01
- Worked across full-stack Rails delivery for client and product work, building and maintaining web applications during a long period of hands-on consulting and delivery
Applications Developer (Placement) at Procter & Gamble
2003-07-01 to 2004-09-01
- Worked as an applications developer during a placement, contributing to software development work in a large enterprise environment