- CTO and Lead Developer2014 - 2015Sea Level Research, Ltd.
- Developed a RESTful API using Django REST Framework 3.
- Built a mobile-first front-end using React.js and Bootstrap 3.
- Configured back-end machines with Ansible, deployed from Jenkins.
- Automated API deployment using Heroku and PostgreSQL.
- Carried out customer discovery with Liverpool Pilots then managed and prioritized the product backlog.
- Built the entire front- and back-end stack for an electronic tide tables application.
Technologies: Django, Python, React, JavaScript, PostgreSQL, Ansible, Jenkins - Data Scientist/Software Engineer2013 - 2014ScaperWiki, Ltd.
- Built data scrapers and aggregators, pulling, cleaning, and normalizing data from awkward sources.
- Developed reusable helper libraries and new tooling to speed up development and ease the maintenance burden.
- Introduced the team to unit testing and test-driven development.
- Worked with investigative journalists to acquire and aggregate thousands of company records, supporting a corruption investigation.
Technologies: Python, Linux, SQLite, Requests - Developer2013 - 2014Government Digital Service (UK)
- Introduced my team to Django, kicking off the Stagecraft project which allows non-technical users to create new dashboards and achieve scale.
- Used my experience of scraping poor-quality sources to build reliable collectors for government data.
- Maintained a Linux web stack with Varnish, nginx, Gunicorn, Django/Flask, MongoDB, and PostgreSQL.
- Improved reliability and repeatability with continuous integration scripts for Jenkins & Travis.
- Built automated tests for a Flask/MongoDB storage back-end system.
Technologies: Django, Flask, Python, PostgreSQL, MongoDB - Software Engineer2011 - 2013BAE Systems Applied Intelligence
- Developed high-speed C++ software using STL and Boost and targeted at 64-bit Linux.
- Ported and refactored a legacy C application into modern C++ with STL, Boost, and Protobuf.
- Developed a C++ libpcap application to inspect NAT sessions.
- Created an automated test harness in Python to inject test data into our C++ applications.
- Worked day to day with Wireshark, inspecting protocols such as TCP, SSL/TLS, and FTP.
Technologies: C++, Boost, Python, TCP, libpcap, Wireshark - Software Engineer2009 - 2009JF Machines, Ltd.
- Built an entire operator user interface for PicoColour digital printing press using Python and PyQt.
- Built an ink system controller using Arduino to replace conventional Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs).
- Created image preparation software, integrating with Ghostscript, ImageMagick, and Python Imaging Library.
- Researched and created image manipulation "screening" techniques to improve print quality.
- Created a high-speed C++ image processing module in with Cython interface for use in Python.
Technologies: Python, PyQt, C, Arduino, Python Imaging Library (PIL)
Paul M Furley
Liverpool, United Kingdom
Member since April 13, 2015
Paul is a solid engineer and an energetic teammate. He started his professional career writing high-speed C++ but now prefers Python on Linux. Most recently, he co-founded a startup as lead developer and previously spent six months with the UK Government Digital Service. He loves efficient organizations with a strong testing philosophy and focus on quality.
Paul is now available for hire
Portfolio
- Sea Level Research, Ltd.Django, Python, React, JavaScript, PostgreSQL, Ansible, Jenkins
- ScaperWiki, Ltd.Python, Linux, SQLite, Requests
- Government Digital Service (UK)Django, Flask, Python, PostgreSQL, MongoDB
Experience
- OpenPGP, 12 years
- Linux, 10 years
- JavaScript, 8 years
- Python, 6 years
- Agile Software Development, 6 years
- Test Automation, 5 years
- Django, 3 years
- Ansible, 2 years
Availability
Part-time
Preferred Environment
Ubuntu Linux, Vim, Git
The most amazing...
...thing I've built was the software stack for a digital printing machine, from a PyQt operator GUI down to Arduino-powered machine control.
Employment
Skills
- LanguagesC, Python, JavaScript, HTML5, SQL, CSS3, CSS, C++
- FrameworksDjango REST Framework, Django, Flask, Bootstrap 3
- Libraries/APIsDjango ORM, React
- ToolsGPG, Vim Text Editor, Wireshark, Ansible
- PlatformsLinux, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Heroku, Arduino
- StorageSQLite, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB
- OtherOpenPGP, SSL, Scraping, Public-key cryptography, Cryptography
- ParadigmsTest Automation, Agile Software Development
Education
- MEng 1st Class degree in Electronic Engineering2005 - 2009University of Durham - Durham, United Kingdom
