Hi,
I'm Brandon!

I am a software engineer with 3 years development experience in an agile team, producing and maintaining new products. I have a strong technical skill set using AWS services, python, terraform and even niche technical products, like GovService, to deliver scalable and durable software solutions.

I possess extra skills from two and a half years in a marketing role, such as presenting to senior executives, considering the user experience, working with content management systems as well as boosting my soft skills (communication, time management, leadership and flexibility).

Tech experience

AWS
Python (Flask, Django)
Terraform
GovService
SQL & databases
GitHub
Bash
Unit/smoke testing
API development
CI/CD pipelines
JavaScript (jQuery)
HTML & CSS

Work experience

Office for National Statistics, Software Engineer: July 2022 - Present
During this role, I developed and improved services for statistical processing, involving:

Creating and unit testing object orientated classes for Lambda functions
Improving security through terraform misconfiguration checks and front-end CSFR protection
Building and testing an AWS Appsync (GraphQL) API
Constructing a notification trigger for new uploads, using AWS and Python
Setting up project infrastructure in Terraform
Migrating CI/CD pipelines
Perform updates to upgrade the Terraform provider version
Creating unit/smoke tests
Automating yml files from a Python script

Waltham Forest Council, Digital Development Officer: September 2020 - July 2022
Throughout this role I led development on several high profile projects and supported ongoing projects using GovService technology, SQL and AWS. I created the team's documentation library, completed a backup appraisal and provided time efficiencies through Python automation. I also:

Took responsibility for and significantly reduced the teams support requests backlog
Created a RESTful API as part of my qualification
Constructed a number of GovService forms (Request a tree, Self Isolation form, Housing PDF Generator etc.) and associated SQL tables
Maintained and improved existing forms
Produced the website redeisgn test plan
Redesigned the MyAccount portal to improve usability

Miller Insurance Services LLP, Marketing Assistant: September 2017 - February 2020
I worked on projects, such as the website migration and intranet management. This significantly improved my soft skills, such as communication, project management and adaptability.

Skills & Qualities

Leadership

In the teams I have been part of I have always built up the team and people around me. I’ve done this through disseminating knowledge to junior colleagues, providing support and encouragement as necessary. I have guided junior colleagues through tasks and mentored colleagues to boost their career opportunities, which creates a positive working environment. In addition to improving individuals knowledge and experience I have also improved team standards, directly impacting overall team output.

Technical

I’ve got experience delivering software solutions based on the cloud, but I am also experienced in niche technical products like GovService. My work with python, AWS and terraform ranges from creating the base infrastructure of a project to adding complex object oriented classes for maintainability, scalability and ease of testing. I’ve also worked on unit tests to mock objects and ensure functionality works as expected. My work has improved product security, ensuring products are not vulnerable to common security issues like cross-site request forgery.

Communication

In addition to scrum ceremonies, I will regularly communicate with my colleagues to draw on their expertise after conducting my own research, or to question and understand their approach when code reviewing their PRs. I can simplify concepts to explain to others as necessary, from junior developers to non-technical senior executives while also being able to explain technical details to my technical seniors. In order to influence the people around me I will use various communication methods, depending on the scenario.

Stakeholder Management

In addition to leading development, I have also managed stakeholder expectations on projects. This included managing senior colleagues expectations in my own team, as well as business stakeholders. I communicated early and often to stay on top of expectations, provided demonstrations to gain feedback and confidence, established the MVP needs and discussed realistic timelines with stakeholders. This created strong rapport, which helped me smoothly handle projects.

Problem Solving

I enjoy solving problems at work. There are technical problems, where I will need to break down technical issues into smaller chunks of work to help me achieve the overall functionality. I’ll also use the rubber duck method of debugging to explain my work to help diagnose issues. I will solve recurring issues through solutions like automated python scripts to increase efficiency. I look into team problems through appraisals to decide the best use of team resources to solve team-wide problems.

Taking Initiative

I have always taken the initiative at every stage of my life to expand my experiences. Early on this involved taking on the Extended Project Qualification and Young Enterprise during my studies. During my professional career this has involved taking on additional responsibilities in my role to help the teams overarching objectives, taking qualifications to further my knowledge (such as the AWS Associate Solutions Architect) and work on my own projects to learn new things not available to me in my role.

Hobbies

Piano - I am learning to play, practising daily to develop my ability. To learn songs I break it up into sections and learn each section before moving onto the next, until I can play the entire piece coherently.

Outdoor activities - I have taken part in the Duke of Edinburgh and 3 Peaks Challenge. These took considerable dedication and preparation to be physically ready for the treks, but the end results and views made it worthwhile. These challenges created a passion for fitness, including running, walks and attending the gym.

Programming & research - In my spare time I enjoy programming and using new technology. I created this CV website using AWS to host it. I am also working on creating an API in python frameworks to broaden my experiences. I am fascinated by learning more and expanding on my current knowledge, so have researched new areas like networking.

Credentials

Qualifications
Software Developer Level 4 Apprenticeship: Distinction