Aldo Z.

Aldo Z.

Tech Lead

Tirana, Albania
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About Me

Aldo is a Senior Software Engineer and Tech Lead with 8+ years of experience using Ruby, Ruby on Rails, Go, and React.js/Native to design and develop robust software applications with the highest security credentials on client projects. He also has experience leading small teams into building quality software, deploying on cloud platforms (AWS), and implementing good DevOps practices. Aldo is an avid learner always on the lookout for opportunities to fine-tune his skills, especially in Machine Learning and Ruby/Elixir.

Work history

UpStack
UpStack
Software Engineer
2019 - Present (5 years)
, Remote
  • Creating and developing innovative software solutions for clients across a broad range of industries.

Dealfront
Dealfront
Tech Lead
2023 - Present (1 year)
Remote
  • - Demonstrated strong leadership skills by spearheading the entire Containerized Development Environment Project, from conceptualization to successful implementation. Provided guidance and direction to the development team, ensuring alignment with project goals and timelines; - Successfully implemented optimizations for containers, incorporating cross CPU architecture support. Achieved a substantial memory reduction from 6-7GB to approximately 2MB for micro-frontends containers, significantly improving efficiency; - Equipped developers with user-friendly tools to seamlessly interact with the containerized development environment, fostering a more streamlined and accessible development process; - Led the revamping of Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipelines to automate development image creation and ensure prompt publishing on each release. This initiative has significantly improved the efficiency and reliability of the software delivery process; - Leveraged expertise in Docker to implement container optimizations effectively. Applied a deep understanding of CI/CD principles to overhaul pipelines and enhance automation in the development workflow.

Dealfront
Dealfront
Software Engineer
2021 - 2023 (2 years)
Remote
  • - Played a pivotal role in designing and implementing various charging mechanisms, such as automatic budget top-ups and credits-based charging. Effectively handled payment transactions, ensuring the smooth functioning of the billing system; - Worked closely with the Finance department to support Invoicing and Bank and Credit Card Transactions, showcasing effective cross-functional collaboration; - Successfully engineered a Unified Billing platform within three months to accommodate products from two merging, well-established companies. Adapted to evolving specifications and priorities, ensuring a seamless transition during the merger; - Contributed to transitioning the Billing system into an independent microservice, leading to improved system reliability and scalability; - Streamlined internal workflows, enhancing operational efficiency and implementing measures for the detection and management of fraudulent subscriptions. - Designed gRPC-based and Event-Driven protocols to enhance interoperability with other internal systems, contributing to a more integrated and cohesive infrastructure; - Assumed the role of go-to DevOps engineer on the team, collaborating closely with Site Reliability Engineers (SREs). Particularly involved in Kubernetes-related changes, substantial database upgrades, and migrations; - Utilized various tools, including Kibana, Grafana, NewRelic, etc., to monitor system performance, identify issues, and ensure the proper implementation of alerting mechanisms; - Participated in the Hiring and Onboarding process, conducting interviews, evaluating take-home projects, and providing guidance to new team members, contributing to the growth and development of the team.

Pair Finance
Pair Finance
Ruby on Rails Developer
2019 - 2021 (2 years)
Germany
  • - Spearheaded the development of a real-time dashboard for the internal Workflow Pipeline engine, providing actionable insights and enhancing operational efficiency; - Created a comprehensive Revision Tracking System for Outbound Communication Templates, significantly improving communication accuracy and consistency throughout the platform; - Designed and built the Courts Communications Module, serving as a message broker between the German Courts System and PAIR Finance's App. Additionally, developed an internal Ruby DSL for building and parsing courts' EDA files, optimizing communication processes; - Developed, deployed, and maintained an application for extracting data points from scanned documents, streamlining the data extraction process and contributing to enhanced data accuracy; - Actively contributed to various tasks, including bug fixing and implementing new features, ensuring the continuous improvement and functionality of the platform; - Contributed to Zendesk integration, ensuring seamless communication channels. Also played a role in GDPR exports, maintaining compliance with data protection regulations; - Demonstrated proficiency in a diverse technology stack, including Ruby, Ruby on Rails, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Vue.js, and JavaScript; - Worked collaboratively within a dynamic team, actively participating in discussions, contributing to decision-making processes, and fostering a collaborative and innovative development environment.

MySQLVue.jsDockerRubyRuby on RailsAmazon Web Services (AWS)
Catapult Ventures
Catapult Ventures
Software Engineer
2018 - 2018
London, United Kingdom
  • - Actively participated in the development of new features, leveraging expertise in React.js, Ruby on Rails, and Elixir to enhance the functionality and user experience of the Catapult platform; - Identified and addressed bugs in the software, ensuring the reliability and stability of the platform for both users and clients; - Played a crucial role in integrating the Catapult platform with third-party services, enhancing the overall capabilities and expanding the reach of the On-Demand Workforce solution; - Primarily utilized React.js for front-end development, Ruby on Rails for back-end functionality, and Elixir for specific software components, showcasing versatility in technology application; - Ensured that the pairing algorithm effectively matched individuals with shifts that aligned with their skills and experience, optimizing the workforce allocation process; - Worked collaboratively with the development team, actively participating in discussions, providing insights, and contributing to the overall success of the software development projects; - Adapted to and integrated machine learning concepts within the platform, contributing to the intelligence and efficiency of the pairing algorithm; - Adhered to coding standards and best practices, promoting code quality, maintainability, and scalability in the development of software components; - Contributed to efforts aimed at enhancing the user experience, ensuring that the Catapult platform provided an intuitive and efficient interface for both workers and employers.

Kalemi Code
Kalemi Code
Systems Architect & Software Engineer
2017 - 2017
Tirana, Albania
  • - Led the redesign of the existing PHP application, implementing necessary changes for the migration from the legacy stack (jQuery, PHP, MySQL, shared hosting) to a more modern and scalable stack (React.js, Ruby on Rails, MongoDB), hosted on AWS; - Successfully integrated Publer with various social platforms including LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Ensured seamless post scheduling and management across all integrated platforms; - Established a comprehensive test suite and maintained high test coverage, guaranteeing the stability and reliability of the system. Implemented testing best practices to ensure the robustness of the application; - Oversaw the provisioning of virtual servers and development environments, facilitating effective development and testing processes. Ensured that the development team had the necessary infrastructure for seamless workflow; - Managed the Continuous Integration and Delivery (CI/CD) pipeline, overseeing the automated processes for testing, building, and deploying new features and enhancements. Ensured timely and reliable delivery of updates to the application; - Facilitated the transition to a more modern technology stack, ensuring that the migration process was smooth, and the application's performance and scalability were enhanced. - Collaborated with cross-functional teams, including developers, designers, and operations, to align architectural decisions with business goals and user requirements; - Enforced quality assurance standards and participated in code reviews, contributing to the overall code quality and adherence to best practices.

Ruby on RailsSidekiqReact.jsMongoDBPostgreSQLChefAmazon Web Services (AWS) Amazon S3 (AWS S3) CapistranoAWS EC2
SoftLab Albania
SoftLab Albania
Lead Software Engineer
2016 - 2016
Tirana, Albania
  • - Negotiated features and solutions directly with customers, fostering a collaborative and customer-centric approach to software development; - Took the lead in designing the architecture and infrastructure of applications, ensuring scalability, and maintaining the long-term viability of the software; - Led and managed teams in the development and implementation of software solutions. Ensured teams delivered high-quality work within specified timelines; - Built and managed automated Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipelines, ensuring efficient and reliable software delivery processes; - Spearheaded several significant projects, including the development of an Event Management System, a Geohash-based Social Media platform, and a Hospital Records Management System. Demonstrated proficiency in managing diverse projects across various domains; - Collaborated effectively with cross-functional teams, including developers, designers, and project managers, to align technical solutions with business goals; - Ensured the timely delivery of software solutions, meeting both internal and customer-driven deadlines; - Implemented and enforced quality assurance measures, contributing to the overall quality and reliability of the software.

Portfolio

Mobile Developer - Wall (MVP app for iOS and Android)
Mobile Developer - Wall (MVP app for iOS and Android)

Designed and built an Instagram-like mobile application for doodles where users draw doodles and share them with their followers on the application.

Full Stack Engineer/DevOps - Noknok (Wordplay on knock-knock)
Full Stack Engineer/DevOps - Noknok (Wordplay on knock-knock)

Worked on an On-Demand Delivery service similar to Uber, using geolocation to show the coordinates of the driver in real-time and automated the job dispatching system to link clients to the closest driver. The dispatching system was designed to be fair; by not assigning all tasks to a single driver.

Backend Developer - Jap Jete
Backend Developer - Jap Jete

Implemented different access policies based on different user roles (system admin, hospital admin and the end user), Facebook login for end users, and integrated Google Cloud Messaging (now Firebase Cloud Messaging) for push notifications.

Education

Education
Machine Learning
Stanford University
2017 - 2017
Education
MSc. Computer Engineering
Polytechnic University of Tirana
2016 - 2020 (4 years)
Education
B.Eng. Computer Engineering
Polytechnic University of Tirana
2013 - 2016 (3 years)