Keycloak Expert

• Developed browser based platform for kubernetes no-code deployment and cluster management
• Developed CLI in Typescript to deploy the resources in the cluster without leaving the browser UI.
• Implemented DevSecOps pipelines: image scanning, SBOM, policy enforcement, supply-chain security and used Kyverno. Implemented IAM integration for the command line utility tool.
• Designed role & permission models for Keycloak, oAuth/OIDC, social login flows.
• Used LLM to convert user intent into the diagram.
• Worked on integration with multiple Sovereign Cloud like stackIt, Hetzner, CIVO, UpCloud plus public clouds like AWS, GCP, Azure
• The technology stack includes Java, SpringBoot, Kubernetes, OpenAI, Kubernetes multi-tenancy using vCluster, Karpenter, RBAC for CLI, Helm, React

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.

Business analysis / requirements engineering for the introduction of a central authorization platform:

• Analysis of existing requirements for the use of IGA solutions (NetIQ, MidPoint) in an existing IAM cluster
• Capturing requirements as epics and user stories (JIRA) to provide a comprehensive description of the use of an IGA solution for central access control across connected platforms and applications.
• Functional solution descriptions (Confluence) for various lifecycle processes, such as Identity Lifecycle (ILC), Role Lifecycle (RLC), Structure Lifecycle (SLC), and Application Lifecycle
• RBAC: Design of a role model in the IGA solution to automate access provisioning as much as possible, capturing application and business roles
• Approach for onboarding applications to the IGA tool, integrating Keycloak (ID Provider).
• Functions and processes for recertifying entitlement objects and roles, and for assigning / removing them from personalized identities.
• Functions and processes for audit-proof documentation and reporting of managed data and processes in the IGA / IAM environment.
• Planning, execution, and documentation of QA / testing for the 1st implementation phase of the MidPoint IGA solution in the IAM cluster.
• Planning a roadmap for the step-by-step testing and introduction of the IGA solution.

• Industry: Insurance, Trade, IT
• Customers & Projects: Consulting and selling insurance and similar services
• Main tasks: Insurance consulting (health insurance, retirement planning, wealth building); commercial services, inside and field sales; sales data analysis and forecasting; customer consulting and support; opening a new sales headquarters for private and business customers; business development & innovation management; business use case development; process optimization; stakeholder management; team leadership and training; preparation and delivery of trainings;
• Technologies used: Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Draw.IO, Camunda 8, Java (8, 17,21,25), Git, Spring Boot, Spring Batch, Spring Data REST, Spring Web, Spring Security, J-Unit, Playwright, Lombock, Vaadin, H2, PostgreSQL (16, 17 18), pgAdmin, Docker, LLMs, JasperSoft Studio, JasperReports

Maturing their API practices on both a business and technology level. My role covers strategy, architecture, developer advocacy as well as hands-on software engineering, enabling both technical teams and business leadership to adopt and act on API-centric principles effectively. Coincidentally, we also establish GitOps, DX and platform best practices with this project.

Highlights:

• Aligning executives with the initiative by clarifying strategy, replacing misconceptions and myths with facts, clarifying the value of existing assets and enabling informed decision-making
• Formulating a way forward for API Lifecycle Management at OTTO
• Driving platform progress and fostering developer engagement by hands-on engineering work towards strategic goals

API Lifecycle Management, Team Topologies, Organizational Evolution, Regulatory, Platform Advocate, Developer Platform, Communities of Practice, Terraform, Kotlin, Kafka, Kong, WSO2, Apigee, Gravitee, Backstage, AsyncAPI, OpenAPI, API Design, AWS, React, Node.js, TypeScript, Redocly, reactive programming, CDC, Golang, Gin, GitOps, DX (developer experience), stakeholder management, roadmaps, workshops, discovery.

• Focus: System architecture, cloud-native platforms, microservices, API design
• Product: Pflege-Pfad is a digital placement platform that directly connects relatives of people in need of care 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 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 the sole 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 using presigned URLs to verify 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 the placement process.
• Development of 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.

• Designed a migration strategy for WLS applications to BKA Cloud and Stack IT

• Created a hybrid cloud for internal testing and development with Kubernetes

• Transformed the IT landscape from an outdated monolithic architecture to a cloud-based architecture

• Integrated new CI/CD processes using Azure Pipelines

• Quadrupled the processing throughput for personnel security checks

• Migrated personnel security screening applications to Docker-based applications

• Implemented CI/deployment pipelines using Azure DevOps

• Environment: Java Springboot, Kubernetes, Oracle Weblogic, OpenID, Camunda, JUnit, TOGAF

Cloud Journey Kickoff on STACKIT

• Helped the client kickstart their cloud journey on sovereign EU STACKIT platform.
• Bootstrapped IAC & GitOps architecture with Opentofu and ArgoCD.
• Setup platform fundamentals for a fresh, holistic cloud experience: Kubernetes, external secrets, certificate management, gateway API, DNS & routing, observability basics.

Development and further development of an internal platform for managing and providing technical resources, virtual machines, and infrastructure services. The platform supports self-service processes and covers functions that are conceptually comparable to cloud management solutions like Azure or AWS.

• Responsible involvement in the design, development, and implementation of new backend and frontend features
• Hands-on development with Java, Spring Boot, Python, and Angular
• Implementation of REST interfaces, business logic, validations, and integrations into existing system landscapes
• Further development of modern web interfaces with Angular, including connection to backend services
• Participation in architecture and design decisions within the team, especially with regard to scalability, maintainability, and clean interfaces
• Containerization and deployment of applications with Docker, Kubernetes, and Helm
• Support with CI/CD processes and deployment to Kubernetes-based environments
• Work in the environment of vSphere, Broadcom, GitLab CI/CD, ArgoCD, Maven, npm, and NuGet
• Close collaboration with developers, business teams, DevOps, and other technical stakeholders
• Analysis of technical requirements, deriving suitable solutions, and independent implementation in an agile team
• Use of GitHub Copilot to support code generation, refactoring, test case creation, and technical documentation

Methods/ tools/ technologies: Languages & frameworks: Java (21), Spring Boot (4.x), Python, Angular, Robot Framework, Kubernetes, Helm Persistence: PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Hibernate, Liquibase Architecture & communication: REST, gRPC, GraphQL, Apache Kafka, OpenAPI, Microservices, Event Driven, Domain Driven Design Cloud & infrastructure: Terraform, Docker, Rancher, Helm, Ansible Security: OAuth2, MS (Entra ID), web security, Keycloak (extensions for detailed group rights) DevOps: GitLab CI/CD, Ansible, Maven, Gradle, Grafana, Prometheus, Git, GitHub Copilot Testing & QM: JUnit, Robot Framework, automated component and integration tests, E2E tests with Playwright, Testcontainers, EasyMock Methodology & approach: Kanban, JIRA, Confluence, Clean Code

Procure Ai builds a procurement platform with tools to optimise purchasing and supplier management, delivering real-time analytics, cost-saving insights, and automated workflows. A common data model integrates and enriches data from multiple ERP and e-procurement systems including Ivalua, SAP, Coupa, WPS, and Jaggaer.

06/2025 – TODAY:

• Architecting and building a new AI-native procurement platform with document intelligence, an agent orchestration layer using Mastra and LLM-based workflow automation across supplier, intake and category management use-cases
• Shipped agentic engineering workflows across the development team, enabling LLM-assisted code generation and review automation, measurably reducing cycle time on repetitive development tasks
• Migrating the Design System from Material UI to shadcn/ui with Tailwind, improving consistency and reducing frontend build overhead
• Staying hands-on across frontend, backend and AI features while the engineering team grew from 10 to 20+ engineers: hiring, onboarding, 1:1s and mentoring

06/2020 – 06/2025:

• Joining as the first engineer after the two founders; shaping platform architecture and product vision from scratch in close collaboration with the CTO, growing the platform to serve 10 enterprise customers
• Leading fullstack feature development on the core procurement platform, with focus on Analytics, Search, and Autonomous Negotiations use-cases: defining MVP scope, aligning technical decisions to customer outcomes, and cutting work that wasn't delivering value
• Challenged a field-based configuration request for Autonomous Negotiations and instead built a node-based rule builder matching how category managers think in conditions and branches; later reused across other workflow and decision configuration use-cases
• Designing and implementing multi-tenant authentication and fine-grained authorisation based on organisational units
• Architecting and building a multi-tenant Admin Application for managing customer installations across environments, covering configuration, feature flags, and i18n
• Creating and maintaining a custom Design System built on Material UI, used across the full product
• Setting up and maintaining CI/CD pipeline and full QA suite (linting, unit, integration, and e2e testing)
• Architecting and implementing a multi-environment release process using Helm and Helmfile; owning infrastructure as code across AWS and Azure
• Researching and piloting new tools and frameworks; making build-vs-buy decisions to balance velocity, cost, and long-term maintainability
• Grew the engineering team from 4 to 10+ engineers, mentoring engineers and building a culture of ownership, code review and iterative delivery

Technologies: TypeScript, JavaScript, React, Node.js, Fastify, GraphQL, GraphQL Codegen, GraphQL Mesh, GraphQL Yoga, Hasura, Apollo Client, REST, CubeJS, PostgreSQL, Prisma, Elasticsearch, Meilisearch, Typesense, Kafka, Avro, Karapace, Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform, OpenTofu, Helm, Helmfile, GitLab CI, Keycloak, Better-Auth, OpenFGA, Nx, Vite, Vitest, Playwright, Testing Library, Storybook, Chromatic, Material UI, shadcn/ui, Tailwind, React Flow, recharts, i18next, Backstage, Grafana, Sentry, Zod, Claude Code, Codex, Mastra, Vercel AI SDK, Vercel AI Elements, AWS, Azure

• Delivered a new notifications platform implementation built from scratch to replace existing and upcoming services
• Collaborating with other teams to integrate more domains

Tech stack:

• Data: Scala 3, Apache Kafka, Python, Airflow, Astronomer
• BE-FE: TypeScript, NestJS, Java, Spring Boot, Vue
• Dev-ops: AWS, PostgreSQL, Docker, GitHub Actions, Kubernetes, Helm, ArgoCD

Building an open-source CRM with AI integrations

Open-source CRM for small teams, offered as a cloud version and as a self-hosted core product. I own the product technically end-to-end: user interface, business logic, data model, interfaces and operations. Since December 2025, I have been working full-time on Customermates.

Responsibilities:

• Designed and built the CRM workflows for contacts, organizations, deals and tasks, with configurable table and board views.
• Frontend with Next.js, React, Tailwind CSS and MobX; backend business logic with Node.js, Prisma and PostgreSQL, input validation with Zod.
• Built a REST API, webhooks and an MCP interface that lets external applications and AI clients work directly with the CRM.
• Integrated AI assistant based on the Vercel AI SDK, with stored conversations and streamed responses.
• Developed and maintain an n8n community integration for CRM operations and event-driven automations.
• Build, delivery and operations with Docker, GitHub Actions and Vercel, both as a cloud offering and for self-hosting.

Results:

• Product live as a cloud and self-hosted version; source code and integrations public on GitHub.
• More than 200 GitHub stars for the CRM repository (as of 09/2026).

Frontend: TypeScript, React, Next.js, Tailwind CSS, MobX

Backend and data: Node.js, Prisma, PostgreSQL, Zod

APIs and AI: REST, Webhooks, MCP, Vercel AI SDK, n8n

Cloud and CI/CD: Docker, GitHub Actions, Vercel

• Automated Kubernetes deployments to over 400 customer target environments (Rancher/RKE2) using versioned Helm charts and Argo CD ApplicationSets for daily releases.
• Created self-service customer onboarding based on versioned runbooks, reducing the process from days to hours; coordinated with customer IT teams (AD/LDAP, SMB/DFS, network).
• Migrated selected services to AWS alongside the Open Telekom Cloud platform: provisioned VPC, EC2, and IAM roles with least-privilege policies using Terraform; operated workloads on EC2.
• Set up Keycloak realms and OIDC/SAML clients for product SSO, federated with customers’ Active Directory.
• Set up tenant-specific strongSwan IPsec sidecars on Kubernetes instead of a central transit VM, with keys in HashiCorp Vault: reduced connectivity costs by approximately 80%, with DFS indexing over the tunnel.
• Designed the high-availability migration of the Redis environment to managed OTC DCS; set up alerting and on-call rotations with incident.io by severity, and improved Grafana queries and indexing.

• Client: Prime Force Group GmbH

Technologies used: Java 25, Spring Boot 4, MapStruct, JSpecify, PostgreSQL, Redis, Liquibase, REST/OpenAPI, Apache Kafka, Apache Solr, OpenID Connect via IronGate/Keycloak, SAP Customer Data Cloud, JUnit, Testcontainers, Karate, Playwright, GitLab monorepo with CI/CD, Jenkins, JFrog Artifactory, FluxCD, Docker, Kubernetes on Azure, OpenTelemetry, arc42, Jira, Confluence

The Team Management Center is the new central platform of the DFB for planning, managing, and carrying out team activities for the national teams - from squad selection and training camps to communication with players, clubs, and legal guardians. The platform is designed for multi-tenancy for the DFB and regional associations; player, club, and master data are intentionally not copied, but connected at runtime via the DFBnet APIs.

I have been involved in the project continuously since the architecture and concept phase (Sprint 0) and work in a distributed Scrum team in two-week sprints. In addition to implementation, my focus is on architecture alignment, connecting the DFBnet interfaces, as well as code reviews and test automation as quality assurance in the team.

Focus areas:

• Development and implementation of the multi-tenancy concept (tenant model for the DFB and regional associations), including data model, access layer, and Liquibase migrations.
• Design of the person service and the search concept based on Apache Solr.
• Integration of the DFBnet APIs (player, person, and club search, club data), including authentication and synchronous master data synchronization.
• Hardening the integration through resilience patterns: separate read timeouts for each search path, correction of circuit breaker counting, limiting parallel requests, and a club cache to reduce load on the external system.
• Development of self-service endpoints for players (own activities, activity details, games), including an access concept for participants, as well as person documents and file uploads.
• Standardization of API design: OpenAPI annotations, nullability model via a custom ModelConverter, JSpecify migration of the DTOs, and documented API guidelines.
• Build and maintenance of Karate-based API and integration tests, integration tests with Testcontainers, test guidelines, and bug triage from the integration and reference environments.
• Code reviews via merge requests, architecture documentation according to arc42, and architecture decisions (ADRs) in Confluence.
• Automated deployment to the integration and reference environments, analysis of login and OIDC issues in combination with IronGate.

Status: ongoing - as of 08/2026 in Sprint 17, around 940 person hours worked; testable delivery to the integration environment every two weeks.