Alen Rafagudinov, Developer in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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Alen Rafagudinov

Verified Expert  in Engineering

Bio

With an MS in data science and a BS in computer science, Alen brings 20+ years of professional experience and a commendable remote work record. He's proficient in various programming languages: Python is his favorite, and he treats software development as a career and hobby. He is dedicated to continuous learning, keeping up with industry news, exploring new technologies, and engaging in conferences like PyCon. As a friendly, passionate team player, he aims to contribute positively to the world.

Portfolio

Dubizzle
Python, Django, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Docker, Kubernetes, Django REST Framework
PalCar
Amazon Web Services (AWS), Jenkins, Ansible, Docker, ELK (Elastic Stack)...
Core Carbon Group ApS
NGINX, Apache, Memcached, jQuery UI, ETL, MySQL, Dancer, Perl

Experience

  • SQL - 18 years
  • Python - 10 years
  • Pytest - 6 years
  • Flask - 6 years
  • FastAPI - 4 years

Availability

Full-time

Preferred Environment

Python

The most amazing...

...project I've designed and developed was an emission tracker for monitoring gas emissions under the UN Kyoto Protocol.

Work Experience

Technical Lead

2022 - 2023
Dubizzle
  • Developed a robust and scalable auction system for Dubizzle marketplace, a leading online classifieds platform in the Middle East region. This system enabled buyers to place instant bids, enhancing the user experience.
  • Led the system design and development of the application tracking system (ATS), an innovative solution that streamlined the hiring process for businesses using the Dubizzle platform.
  • Conceptualized, designed, and developed an internal gamification tool for Dubizzle to motivate developers to perform code reviews more frequently, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
Technologies: Python, Django, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Docker, Kubernetes, Django REST Framework

Founder

2014 - 2020
PalCar
  • Developed the front-end system utilizing JavaScript, HTML, and CSS while engineering the back-end system using Python.
  • Implemented comprehensive unit, integration, and functional testing.
  • Configured ELK Stack and Sentry for real-time system monitoring.
  • Identified and resolved performance bottlenecks regularly through diligent system profiling.
  • Designed scalable microservice architecture and established efficient CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins.
  • Implemented effective SEO techniques, including on-page optimization and link-building, to improve search rankings.
  • Learned vital lessons in prioritizing customer needs and market insights over product features and technologies, embracing methodologies like Lean startup, business model generation, and value proposition design.
Technologies: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Jenkins, Ansible, Docker, ELK (Elastic Stack), Sentry, REST APIs, RESTful Development, HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, RabbitMQ, Neo4j, Elasticsearch, Redis, MySQL, Perl, Python

IT Architect

2009 - 2013
Core Carbon Group ApS
  • Developed an emission tracker for monitoring gas emissions under the UN Kyoto Protocol.
  • Provided on-demand system support and maintenance following the active development phase.
  • Engaged in setting up an emissions monitoring system within the plant while working remotely, in an office, and within a large chemical plant.
Technologies: NGINX, Apache, Memcached, jQuery UI, ETL, MySQL, Dancer, Perl

Remote Software Developer

2010 - 2010
DoctorBase (https://doctorbase.com)
  • Developed a core part of a geospatial search engine.
Technologies: Apache, Solr, MySQL, CSS, JavaScript, HTML, Perl

Senior Software Developer

2008 - 2009
OneAgile
  • Developed an analytical system for Philip Morris International. It collects raw marketing data, and then processes it (ETL) to a usable format.
Technologies: Crystal Reports, ETL, Perl

Senior Software Developer

2007 - 2008
Rambler (https://www.rambler.ru)
  • Participated in the development of the search engine and high traffic mail system. Gained experience in developing and maintaining services that are used by millions of users daily.
  • Developed control interface for ads displaying. It was the primary source of the company's multi-million dollar income.
Technologies: NGINX, Apache, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, MySQL, C++, C, Perl

Senior Software Developer

2006 - 2007
Universal Valuables
  • Developed a digital currency exchange service. Gained experience of how to process and store digital currencies in a secure way.
  • Designed and developed a control system for shareholders of Alfa Capital (alfagroup.org).
Technologies: NGINX, Apache, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, MySQL, Perl

Department Head

2005 - 2006
Diamond Scent
  • Developed a web interface for emails (like Gmail). Got a good knowledge of how to work with mail protocols (SMTP, POP3, IMAP) and many mail tools (Postfix, sendmail, qmail).
Technologies: Apache, Courier, Qmail, Sendmail, Postfix, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, MySQL, C++, C, Perl

Software Developer

2004 - 2005
IPONWEB
  • Developed a testing framework for Right Media. Later this project was acquired by Yahoo!
Technologies: Test-driven Development (TDD), Unit Testing, Perl

Software Developer

2003 - 2004
Sema.Ru
  • Developed a content management system. With a team of great graphic designers created 30+ nice websites and landing pages using this CMS.
Technologies: Apache, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, MySQL, Perl

PalCar

A service for buying used cars from friends of friends. I'm very proud of the resolved technical challenges of this project. Unfortunately, the startup failed as a business. Until it finally closed, there were several crises and pivots.
2020 - 2022

Master of Science Degree in Data Science

HSE University - Moscow, Russia

2006 - 2011

Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science

National Research University of Electronic Technology (MIET) - Moscow, Russia

JUNE 2012 - PRESENT

Letter of Recommendation

Core Carbon Group ApS

Libraries/APIs

Flask-RESTful, SQLAlchemy, Flexbox, NumPy, jQuery, jQuery UI, Python Asyncio, PyTorch, Mypy, Pandas, REST APIs, Keras, Jenkins Pipeline, Facebook API

Tools

Celery, Pytest, NGINX, Docker Compose, Git, Atom, MySQL Workbench, RabbitMQ, Workbox, Webpack, Apache, OpenVPN, Crystal Reports, Ansible, Jenkins, Sentry, Solr, GitHub, Postfix, Sendmail, Slack, Subversion (SVN), Trello, VMware, ELK (Elastic Stack), Sketch

Languages

Python, HTML, CSS, SQL, Perl, Regex, JavaScript, XPath, HTML5, C, C++, XML

Frameworks

Flask, Alembic, Jinja, Bootstrap, JSON Web Tokens (JWT), Dancer, Django, Django REST Framework

Paradigms

MVC Design, Test-driven Development (TDD), Agile, Microservices Architecture, Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Unit Testing, RESTful Development, Scrum, ETL, Functional Programming

Platforms

Docker, Linux, Ubuntu, MacOS, Windows, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon EC2, FreeBSD, Kubernetes

Storage

MySQL, Neo4j, Redis, Memcached, Database Replication, Elasticsearch, MongoDB, PostgreSQL

Other

Hardware, SSL Certificates, System Administration, Back-end Development, Gunicorn, Progressive Web Applications (PWAs), Ajax, DOM, IT Security, Lean Startups, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Quality Assurance (QA), SSL, SSL Configurations, Oracle VM VirtualBox, Bcrypt, Firewalls, Security, Computer Security, Optimization, Profiling, FastAPI, Code Review, Debugging, Cloud, Courier, FastCGI, I2P, Qmail, TCP/IP, Customer Development, A/B Testing, Team Leadership, Web Scraping, Big Data, APIs, Data Science, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Computer Science, WebSockets

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