Jakub Szafrański, Developer in Gdańsk, Poland
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Jakub Szafrański

Verified Expert  in Engineering

Full-stack Developer

Gdańsk, Poland

Toptal member since March 31, 2021

Bio

Jakub is a full-stack software developer, a Linux/Unix system administrator, and a team lead, with 10 years of experience. He has managed and created hosting solutions, including web server optimization, database management, virtualization, and Ansible automation. He has also developed a variety of software solutions, mainly hosting management systems, a complex CRM system. While Jakub started his career in early 2011, he began programming as a hobby in 2008.

Portfolio

Postmedia
Python, Python 3, Django, Google Cloud, Terraform, Redis, Elasticsearch...
Adverity
Python, Python 3, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Docker, React, Celery, Redis...
Motoinsight
Python, Django, Vue, Docker, Agile, IT Recruitment, API Architecture...

Experience

  • Python - 10 years
  • Django - 10 years
  • Front-end - 9 years
  • Back-end - 9 years
  • Agile - 5 years
  • Docker - 5 years
  • Vue - 3 years

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

Django, Vue, Python, JavaScript, Docker, Amazon Web Services (AWS), REST APIs, Full-stack Development

The most amazing...

...thing I've developed is a big, complex account management system for MyDevil. I created the app from scratch, and it's still in use years later.

Work Experience

Senior Staff Engineer

2022 - PRESENT
Postmedia
  • Optimized whole app performance by almost 65%, drastically reducing maintenance costs.
  • Identified nearly $90,000 in annual infrastructure cost savings.
  • Implemented and launched multiple initiatives and integrations related to Canada/global events.
Technologies: Python, Python 3, Django, Google Cloud, Terraform, Redis, Elasticsearch, Back-end Development

Staff Python Engineer

2022 - PRESENT
Adverity
  • Helped with the local development set up with Docker: optimized build times and performance, optimized usage of pre-commit hooks, and fixed a couple of issues related strictly to Docker for development immediately after joining.
  • Took over a project that's used to securely mirror credentials across multiple instances for better QA and development workflow.
  • Designed an improvement to credential handling through a secure micro-service that maintains authorization and logs usage for compliance and currently charged of developing this as a project.
Technologies: Python, Python 3, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Docker, React, Celery, Redis, Django, Django ORM, ETL, petl, REST APIs, Full-stack Development, Software Architecture, Redis Cache, SQL, JSON, XML, Back-end Development

Team Leader | Full-stack Engineer

2018 - PRESENT
Motoinsight
  • Led a team responsible for decoupling a big application into smaller, more manageable web services.
  • Managed the team responsible for designing and developing the architecture of the platform and took the lead on knowledge sharing and enforcing best practices.
  • Assisted with the transition of our entire infrastructure to a fully self-managed AWS account.
Technologies: Python, Django, Vue, Docker, Agile, IT Recruitment, API Architecture, PostgreSQL, Redis, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Back-end, Python 3, Python 2, Django ORM, Django REST Framework, Celery, REST, API Design, JavaScript, Networking, Web Programming, CSS, RESTful Development, APIs, Full-stack, API Integration, TypeScript, REST APIs, Full-stack Development, Software Architecture, Redis Cache, NGINX, SQL, JSON, XML, Back-end Development

Full-stack Engineer

2021 - 2022
Thought Leaders
  • Designed and initiated migration from the old AngularJS-based front end to the new Vue.js-based one, which required gradual movement by building small Vue-based web components and replacing parts of the old AngularJS legacy code with them.
  • Greatly improved the local development experience by Dockerizing our entire application stack and introducing a set of helpful Makefile commands that make managing developers' local environment much easier.
  • Introduced "Heroku Review Apps" to the client, which allowed him to have separate instances "per pull request" rather than having one "test" environment that was shared by everyone and required constant coordination on who was using it.
  • Implemented many new features and improvements to the clients' codebase, both in the front end and the back end.
Technologies: Heroku, Django, AngularJS, Vue, Docker, TypeScript, JavaScript, Elasticsearch, Redis, Redis Cache, Celery, Material UI, Memcached, REST APIs, Full-stack Development, Software Architecture, SQL, JSON, Back-end Development

Senior Full-stack Developer

2016 - 2018
STX Next
  • Broke down a big, monolith application into smaller, more manageable, and self-isolated web services.
  • Implemented a custom, in-house SSO solution for employees and clients, based on OAuth 2 and Django.
  • Rewrote a heavy, synchronous application into a more scalable, multi-worker architecture with a proper queuing system, which prevented a single user from rendering the app unusable to other clients.
  • Participated in around 80 technical interviews, which led to hiring a few very talented people who are still happy members of the company. Assisted in designing several interview questions.
  • Ran "Python Has Power Advanced" workshops to teach people how to create web apps in Python and Django. Created the workshop plan and the introductory task.
Technologies: Flask, Django, AngularJS, Angular, Plone, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Oracle, Ansible, Docker, Python, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Back-end, Oracle Database, Python 3, Python 2, Django ORM, Django REST Framework, Celery, REST, API Design, JavaScript, Networking, Redis, Web Programming, Agile, CSS, RESTful Development, APIs, Full-stack, API Integration, Scrum, TypeScript, Bootstrap, REST APIs, Full-stack Development, Software Architecture, Redis Cache, NGINX, SQL, JSON, XML, Back-end Development

System Administrator | Programmer

2014 - 2016
AIS.PL
  • Assisted in transitioning the entire infrastructure of the company to a new location, focusing on the office and data center setup.
  • Developed an internal hub/intranet system that allows users to start on-demand virtual machines for testing purposes, managed personal data/LDAP profiles, and synchronized phone contact lists.
  • Automated deployment of various internal, Linux-based systems using orchestration tools, such as Ansible.
Technologies: Ansible, JavaScript, HTML, Python, Django, MySQL, Linux, Back-end, Python 2, Django ORM, REST, Networking, Web Programming, CSS, RESTful Development, REST APIs, API Integration, Bootstrap 3, Bootstrap, Redis Cache, NGINX, SQL, JSON, XML, Back-end Development

System Administrator | Software Developer

2011 - 2014
MyDevil.net
  • Developed an account management app/platform that allows hosting customers to manage their accounts, including creating databases, websites, and emails. The app was introduced in 2013 and is still running on the platform.
  • Created a custom CRM system tailored for the company, which handled automatic account creation, renewals, payment processing, and other financial and accounting processes.
  • Assisted with redesigning the brand from an old-school IRC shell provider to a more developer-oriented (and later, business client-oriented) hosting provider.
Technologies: Django, FreeBSD, Python, Bootstrap, jQuery, Ansible, System Administration, Domains & Hosting, Back-end, Python 3, Python 2, Django ORM, Django REST Framework, Celery, REST, API Design, MySQL, JavaScript, Networking, Redis, Web Programming, CSS, RESTful Development, REST APIs, Full-stack, APIs, API Integration, Bootstrap 3, Redis Cache, NGINX, SQL, JSON, XML, Back-end Development

Experience

MyDevil.net | Hosting Account Management System

https://mydevil.net
I developed the entire application stack for the hosting management system, including the front and the back end. The back end, called Devil2, is the core that manages all services offered by the company. I developed it in Python (Django framework), and it uses a variety of solutions, including message queues; multithreaded and multiprocessing programming; and various libraries, including PostgreSQL and MongoDB.

I created the front end, called DevilWeb2, using Django and jQuery. The whole suite allows any customer of MyDevil.net to easily manage their hosting account, including websites and DNS zones, mail accounts, databases, and FTP accounts. MyDevil.net still uses DevilWeb2, which is fast and secure and has been acknowledged as the best, easiest-to-use web-based management system. Implementing this system and the CRM system (described below) made it possible for the company to increase its userbase by more than 300%.

Finance CRM System

The essential utility allows customers to order new services and pay for their current ones. It's the biggest system I created while working at MyDevil.net. I developed it using Python (Django framework) and integrations with many third-party services. The CRM system supports new and recurring payments, notifications, invoices, and automatic account management, such as creation and blocking. It also supports a variety of automatic online payment systems. This system and the account management system (described above) made it possible for the company to increase its userbase by more than 300%.

gComply Plus Formula App

https://decernis.com/solutions/gcomplyplus/
A data analytics app used to provide food-related regulatory compliance information to corporate clients. I led the development of the app as a fresh start project. It was created using Angular (two at the time, five when I left), Django, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Oracle Database, and Redis. The app was a major step forward for the company, as it was a rewrite (plus new features) of a legacy app, using modern technologies and a much more pleasant design.

Thoughtleaders.io web application

https://www.thoughtleaders.io/
A Django, Vue, and AngularJS-based app for context-based ad intelligence. The app allows you to target your ads/collaborations better and collaborate with content creators that match your target audience. As a software developer, I contributed to the application in basically all areas: I worked on the back end (bugfixes, maintenance, new features, and improvements), front end (planning and coordinating AngularJS to Vue migration), and DevOps (managing deployments, Dockerizing the application, configuring the CI/CD pipeline).

Education

2012 - 2017

Engineer's Degree in Computer Science

Nicolaus Copernicus University - Torun, Poland

Certifications

OCTOBER 2019 - OCTOBER 2021

AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate

AWS

FEBRUARY 2016 - PRESENT

Cisco Certified Network Associate: Routing and Switching Essentials

Cisco

JUNE 2014 - PRESENT

Cisco Certified Network Associate: Network Fundamentals

Cisco

JUNE 2011 - PRESENT

Certificate in Advanced English (Cambridge ESOL Level 2 Certificate in ESOL International)

University of Cambridge

Skills

Libraries/APIs

Django ORM, REST APIs, Vue, jQuery, React

Tools

NGINX, Ansible, Celery, Logstash, Kibana, Terraform

Languages

Python, JavaScript, HTML, Python 2, Python 3, CSS, TypeScript, SQL, XML

Frameworks

Django, Django REST Framework, Flask, AngularJS, Angular, Bootstrap, Plone, Bootstrap 3, Material UI

Paradigms

API Architecture, REST, RESTful Development, Agile, Scrum, ETL

Storage

PostgreSQL, JSON, Redis, MySQL, Redis Cache, MongoDB, Elasticsearch, Memcached, Google Cloud

Platforms

Docker, FreeBSD, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Heroku, Oracle, Linux, Oracle Database

Other

Web Programming, Domains & Hosting, Web Hosting, Front-end, Back-end, Full-stack, APIs, API Integration, Full-stack Development, Back-end Development, Linux Administration, Networks, Networking, English, Software Architecture, Algorithms, IT Recruitment, System Administration, Cisco, API Design, CRM Systems, petl

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