Software Architect in Germany

Product:

• Built a production-ready AI platform for generating brand-aware marketing images and videos from product data, user requirements, and uploaded media.
• Own the platform architecture, technical roadmap, API design, security, deployment workflow, operational reliability, and model-provider strategy.
• Developed the core platform in .NET and built supporting AI and workflow prototypes in Python, applying language-independent API contracts and structured interfaces between services and model providers.
• Implemented reliable background processing with RabbitMQ, persisted workflow state, idempotent handling, retries, failure recovery, logging, secure storage, authorization, and credit accounting.
• Made pragmatic build-versus-buy and model-routing decisions based on reliability, latency, cost, and maintainability rather than novelty.

Agent Orchestration & RAG Systems

• Built and compared agent workflows using Microsoft Agent Framework, LangGraph, and LangChain, including tool use, conditional routing, clarification steps, state management, and hand-offs between agents.
• Implemented reusable .NET components for agents, prompts, tools, model providers, structured responses, and retrieval with pyvector, making it easier to change AI providers without rewriting the core workflow.

• Building a data integration platform for high, medium, and low voltage assets for contextual analysis of time series with master data from the SCADA control system (IEC 60870 104), INIS, and SAP.
• Responsibility for the architecture and implementation of the solution, as well as sparring partner for the Product Owner.
• Use of Kotlin, Spring Boot, Maven, TimescaleDB, PostgreSQL, liquibase, Elements IoT, Docker, Kubernetes, Grafana, Python, jupyter, and various API gateways.

• Development of a browser-based platform for no-code deployment and cluster management in Kubernetes
• Implementation of a CLI tool in TypeScript to provision resources directly from the browser interface into the cluster
• Development of a expression parser in Go and delivery as a microservice to extract Helm expressions from values files
• Use of LLMs to turn user intent into Kubernetes diagrams
• Technology stack: Java, Go, OpenAI API, React, Azure, Next.js, Strapi, Stripe Connect

• Architected the Yatta Integration Layer – a config-driven integration platform on Java 25, Spring Boot 4 (WebFlux), Temporal, gRPC and Kafka, enabling new third-party integrations (e.g. AVS fulfillment) via declarative JSON configs with zero code changes.
• Designed and implemented Tink integration with 0Auth IBAN verification to enhance fraud prevention and account validation workflows with Adyen payByBank.
• Architected and implemented an OpenFGA-based authorization model for centralized management of users, groups, and fine-grained access control in the vendor portal.
• Architected and led delivery of the Yatta API Gateway platform using GraphQL Federation, providing a unified enterprise API layer across distributed microservices with centralized authentication, authorization and request orchestration.
• Replaced NGINX + NLB with Istio service mesh and AWS ALB; rolled out WAF, OAuth (Cognito), IP whitelisting and RBAC across environments.
• Migrated CDC from Confluent Cloud connectors to a self-hosted Kafka Connect + Debezium stack, reducing operational cost by ~80% across multiple environments.
• Implemented the Transactional Outbox pattern with Debezium for reliable, exactly-once event publishing to Kafka with Avro and Schema Registry.
• Migrated dunning/payment-recovery workflows from Airflow to Temporal, achieving 99.9% reliability for settlement handling.
• Optimised Apache Airflow with deferrable sensors to handle 1000+ concurrent DAG runs without scaling the worker pool.
• Refactored a monolithic Terraform codebase into 3 modular projects, cutting deployment time by ~45%.
• Stood up full observability with OpenTelemetry, Tempo, Prometheus and Loki; automated dev/staging/prod with ArgoCD, Image Updater and Helm.
• Collaborated with product, operations and engineering stakeholders to define scalable platform architecture and integration standards aligned with long-term business and operational goals.

• Focus: system architecture, cloud-native platforms, microservices, API design
• Product: Pflege-Pfad is a digital matchmaking platform that connects relatives of people in need of care directly with verified care services and caregivers - without an agency and without ongoing fees.
• Business analysis & process design:
• Analysis of the German care market and identification of the key pain points of both target groups.
• Modeling of the core business processes: registration, verification, care request, application, placement, and rating.
• Definition of the business model as a freemium/premium model with optional contact unlocking.
• Creation of user stories and requirements documentation for relatives, care services, and administrators.
• Design of trust and quality assurance mechanisms with document upload, admin review process, and rating system.
• Coordination with stakeholders and validation of product decisions with potential users.
• Technical implementation:
• Design and implementation of the entire platform architecture as a solo developer.
• Design and implementation of a REST API with Spring Boot and Kotlin, including JWT-based authentication.
• Development of the frontend as a single-page application with Angular 17.
• Implementation of the AWS infrastructure with EC2, RDS PostgreSQL, S3, CloudFront, and IAM.
• Document upload with AWS S3 via presigned URLs for verification of care services.
• Email notifications via Resend API.
• AI-supported care service search via OpenAI API.
• Implementation of complete user flows such as registration, login, password reset, and placement process.
• Building an admin panel for user and care service management as well as analytics.
• CI/CD with GitHub Actions and containerized deployments with Docker.
• End-to-end tests with Playwright.

Technologies: Kotlin, Spring Boot 3, Spring Security, JWT, JPA/Hibernate, PostgreSQL, Angular 17, TypeScript, RxJS, AWS (EC2, ECS, S3, CloudFront CDN, RDS PostgreSQL, IAM), nginx, GitHub Actions, Playwright, Maven, Git, OpenAI API, Resend API, Docker, Scrum, i18n (DE/EN/TR), Kiro, feature-flag architecture.

• Conceptual design and implementation of modular AI assistants for sales and business processes in the Microsoft ecosystem (Agentic AI, Copilot extensions)
• Frontend architecture and development with React + TypeScript for embedded chat and assistant surfaces (streaming UI, hooks, React Query, OpenAPI clients)
• Enterprise-level agent development: reusable skill/agent library, MCP server, review and compliance gates
• LLM integration into the user experience: Anthropic (Claude), OpenAI, tool use, RAG pipelines, prompt engineering, guardrails
• Architecture and code review consulting as well as mentoring in the AI development team
• Integration with Microsoft Graph, Power Platform, and Azure services
• Technologies: React, TypeScript, Anthropic Claude, OpenAI, MCP, RAG, Microsoft Graph, Power Platform, Azure

Embedded Analytics & AI-assisted BI

Design and development of an integrated analytics solution based on ASP.NET Core, Power BI Embedded, and LLM services to provide contextual business information.

Development of an AI agent with Function/Tool Calling for secure orchestration of REST APIs, SQL data sources, and technical services within defined business processes.

Build-up of automated BI workflows including workspace management, deployment processes, and scheduled refresh via the Power BI REST API.

Implementation of secure service-to-service communication with Microsoft Entra ID and service principal, as well as integration into existing enterprise system landscapes.

Technologies: ASP.NET Core, C#/.NET, Power BI Embedded, Power BI REST API, LLM API, AI Agents, Function/Tool Calling, Entra ID

• Short description: Lead of a group-wide project to establish standardized cloud governance for Microsoft Azure, including policies, security and compliance controls, automation, and cost and operations management, while maintaining the autonomy of decentralized business units within regulatory frameworks.

• Tasks and activities:

• Overall responsibility for the design, setup, and implementation of a company-wide cloud governance structure (Azure), including target picture, roadmap, and operating model.

• Management of internal and external stakeholders (C-level, IT, Security, Compliance, Cloud Architecture, DevOps), including decision and escalation management.

• Planning and facilitation of workshops on cloud strategy, governance principles, and the design of areas such as Identity, Connectivity, and Platform Management.

• Definition, implementation, and rollout of cloud policies (Azure Policy / custom policies), security standards, and compliance requirements (including GDPR, ISO 27001, BSI C5).

• Building a cloud governance framework based on the Azure Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF), including landing zone and guardrail concepts.

• Introduction of automation solutions for governance, security, and cost control (policy/control automation, IaC, CI/CD-based control mechanisms).

• Implementation of cloud security and compliance monitoring mechanisms as well as continuous improvement processes.

• Establishment and operationalization of FinOps in an enterprise environment (central and decentralized FinOps teams), including cost management strategies, reporting, and guardrails.

• Integration of governance policies into DevOps processes (e.g. CI/CD principles for security and compliance checks, GitLab Runner concept in spokes, GitLab CI/CD for CAF landing zones).

• Implementation of access concepts including RBAC design and "breaking glass" mechanisms (emergency access) as well as certificate automation (ACME / step-ca).

• Achievements:

• Created a consistent, auditable governance and control set for Azure (policies, standards, compliance mapping), laying the foundation for scalable cloud usage in a regulated environment.

• Established repeatable automation for governance, security, and cost control (IaC + CI/CD), reducing manual effort and implementation risks.

• Improved operating and decision-making capabilities across central and decentralized units (clearer roles, responsibilities, escalation paths, balance between autonomy and corporate rules).

• Significantly increased workload compliance during lift-and-shift migrations.

• Technologies used:

• Microsoft Azure Policy, custom policies.

• Terraform, OpenTofu, Terragrunt.

• step-ca (ACME).

• Entra ID.

• Azure Firewall.

• Azure networking, hub-and-spoke architecture.

• Azure vWAN (evaluation).

• Azure Front Door, Azure Application Gateway.

• Azure ExpressRoute.

• Azure Key Vault.

• NetBox.

• GitLab (on-premises).

• Infrastructure, concepts used:

• Cloud Shared Responsibility Model.

• Hub-and-spoke connectivity / central shared services (from hub-spoke context).

• Central governance with decentralized delivery (business unit autonomy with guardrails).

• Methods used:

• Scrum.

• Stakeholder management (C-level to engineering).

• Cloud governance, Azure Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF).

• DevOps, CI/CD.

• Cost and FinOps approaches: tagging/chargeback models, budget/alert concepts, reserved instances/savings plans vs. on-demand scenarios, sensitivity analyses.

• RBAC, "breaking glass" concepts.

• ACME / certificate automation.

• GitLab Runner concept in spokes, GitLab CI/CD pipelines for CAF landing zones.

Project for a leading German email and cloud service provider: As Senior Frontend Developer and Technical Web Architect, I developed an international, multi-tenant white-label consent management layer for several brands.

Main tasks:

• Architecture and implementation with Vue 3, TypeScript, and Vite
• Development of automated tests with Vitest and Playwright
• Creation of brand-specific CMP configurations, CSS themes, i18n structures, and vendor settings
• Implementation of the playout and initialization logic as well as backend integration
• technical decision support, project and code documentation

Impact: Replacement of external CMP solutions with a reusable and long-term maintainable in-house base for several international brands and rollouts.

Technologies: Vue 3, TypeScript, Vite, Vitest, Playwright, IAB TCF, Google Additional Consent, i18n, Git, CI/CD.

• Delivered MVP-focused full-stack architecture for a health-sector client: Vite/React frontend, backend services on Google Cloud Run, and Supabase for database plus IAM/authentication.
• Supported product requirements engineering and prioritized cost-aware workload placement, implementing browser-side/edge computation where feasible before moving logic to backend services.

• AI Integration (LLM & RAG): Design and build of an internal intelligent RAG system (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) based on LLMs, n8n, and vector data for the automated analysis of technical documents and error logs.
• Design & Implementation: Design of a robust RS-232/UART communication interface for an SBC-based embedded device to control medical shaker systems.
• Architecture & Protocol Design: Implementation of a highly maintainable software structure (OOP, SOLID) and definition of hardware-close, resilient communication protocols including multithreading and advanced error handling.
• Quality Assurance & DevOps: Test automation using xUnit, integration tests directly on the hardware target, and maintenance of technical documentation according to strict medical technology standards via Azure DevOps.

Label: C#, .NET, LLMs, RAG, n8n, RS-232, UART, Multithreading, async/await, xUnit, gRPC/protobuf, Blazor, MudBlazor, EF Core, Visual Studio 2026, Azure DevOps

• The goal of BIENE is to provide a uniform program for tax collection for all states.

• In tax collection, the aim is to collect the assessed taxes. This includes handling due dates, documenting incoming and outgoing payments, triggering reminders or refunds. Statute of limitations and payment reminders also play an important role. All payment transactions with banks and accounting are mapped in BIENE.

• Setting up the architecture and coordinating the provisioning of development and test environments at the Hanover location

• Installing and configuring environments on Linux servers (Apache Kafka, PostgreSQL)

• Interface tasks: coordinating and aligning the integration of software products from other departments and their test data

• Upgrading application server, JDK, Maven project structure

• Environment coordination and build management

• Implementing external interfaces

• Implementing business requirements

• Designing and implementing RESTful APIs and OpenAPI specifications

• Designing and implementing microservice architecture

• Setting up and maintaining CI/CD pipelines

• Deploying applications on OpenShift

• Creating technical documentation and diagrams

• Working with SQL databases (Oracle and PostgreSQL)

• Setting up authentication and authorization for the application and users

• Containerizing the application (automated deployment via CI/CD pipeline)

The combined experience from recent project years shows that two hearts beat in my chest: on the one hand, working in and for organizations to develop new, innovative products, ideally as part of a digitization strategy or business development – and the closely related change and transformation process expertise as part of holistic organizational consulting. For this, I have established the Change Bakery and Product Validators offerings.

On the other hand, my heart and mind are fired up to find my own products, evaluate markets and potentials, and test ideas. Currently, I am proactively and part-time, in addition to ongoing projects, working on a product idea in the mental health area and have founded Therapymate.

• Development and implementation of operational processes
• Preparation of complete documentation packages (including emergency management and operations management) to meet compliance requirements
• Introduction of workshops on IaC (Infrastructure as Code)
• Technical consulting for the project's security concept (ISMS)
• Installation and operation of Kubernetes clusters on AWS, on-prem and Azure
• Hybrid cloud architecture design (on-prem, Hetzner, AWS)
• Incident and system outage analysis and troubleshooting
• Network adjustments to firewall rules, gateways, OpenVPN settings and IPsec tunnels (pfSense)
• Technical consulting on Bitbucket, Jenkins and GitLab CI/CD pipelines
• Consulting on Ansible deployments and infrastructure automation
• Consulting on building a scalable system in the cloud (AWS / Azure)
• Technologies / Tools: Ansible, Terraform, AWS, Azure, VPN, pfSense, Jenkins, Bitbucket, Kubernetes, GitLab Runner, ISMS, Golang, Prometheus, Grafana, S3, Lambda, RDS, ECS, Cognito, OIDC, Harbor, MinIO, Postgres, Redis, Keycloak, Ceph, Proxmox, CloudFormation, PostgreSQL, Flux CD, Hetzner, IONOS, Sonatype Nexus Repository, Entra ID, Dex IdP, Pulumi