About
I am a Senior Engineer and Technical Leader specialising in Python, Django, scalable systems, and AI, based in Cape Town and available for remote opportunities. I combine production engineering experience with research-driven thinking and practical leadership. Over the years, I have worked across higher education, e-commerce, consulting, and platform engineering, consistently focusing on reliability, maintainability, performance, and long-term technical direction. Through my involvement in Scouting, I developed strong leadership, discipline, and operational capability over many years. I was awarded the Springbok Scout Badge and BP Award, the highest national recognitions in Scouting, and also received the Gold President’s Award (Duke of Edinburgh Award). I have represented South Africa internationally on multiple occasions, operating in structured, high-performance environments. These experiences have shaped my approach to technical leadership, emphasising accountability, resilience, and consistent delivery under pressure.
What I do
My core strength is backend engineering with Python and Django, supported by experience in microservices, cloud infrastructure, CI/CD, data engineering, and search systems. I also specialise in search engineering, including ranking, vector search, and NLP-driven relevance improvements.
Alongside industry delivery, I am an MSc candidate in Computer Science with a focus on Artificial Intelligence. My research explores reinforcement learning in high-dimensional continuous action spaces, adding a strong analytical and experimental layer to my technical profile.
Beyond my professional work, I have developed strong leadership and operational capability through Scouting. I have been recognised with top national awards, including the Springbok Scout Award and the BP Award, reflecting long-term commitment, discipline, and the ability to lead and perform in structured, high-pressure environments. This foundation shapes how I approach technical leadership, with a strong emphasis on accountability, clear decision-making, and delivery.
Quick details
Key highlights
A concise snapshot of the experience and differentiators that support both technical leadership and execution.
Skills
Technical depth supported by leadership capability and strategic thinking.
Backend Engineering
Python Django REST APIs MicroservicesCloud & DevOps
AWS Docker Kubernetes CI/CD TerraformData, Search & AI
Elasticsearch Search Ranking Vector Search NLP Reinforcement LearningLeadership & Strategy
Technical Leadership System Design Tech Strategy Stakeholder AlignmentExperience
I have worked across higher education, e-commerce, consulting, and platform engineering, with a consistent focus on scalable systems, delivery, and technical direction.
Professional experience
Technical Specialist: Python and Django
- Provide technical leadership across business-critical services, systems, and infrastructure.
- Design and improve backend systems supporting key university operations.
- Lead implementation work that improves reliability, maintainability, and service delivery.
Senior Software Engineer
- Contributed to a DevOps transformation initiative for an international client.
- Worked on infrastructure and platform engineering using Terraform and AWS CDK.
- Supported the unification of systems across acquired businesses in Europe.
Software Engineer
- Built and maintained backend systems in a heterogeneous production environment.
- Worked on streaming data pipelines and search improvements using NLP and Elasticsearch.
- Supported microservices focused on reliability, scalability, and performance.
Intermediate Software Engineer / Data Engineer
- Built and maintained data pipelines for analytics and reporting.
- Worked with BigQuery and streaming data systems.
Software Engineer
- Contributed to rebuilding an e-commerce platform in the higher education domain.
- Worked closely with product and engineering stakeholders.
Software Developer
- Developed and maintained systems supporting business operations and incentives.
- Improved performance and reliability of existing applications.
Software Developer
- Built internal systems to improve operational efficiency.
- Worked on document processing and data capture solutions.
Education & leadership
MSc Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence
Comparative analysis of soft actor-critic and traditional reinforcement learning algorithms in high-dimensional continuous action spaces.
BSc Honours in Computer Science
Focused on improving search experiences using deep, reinforced, and continuous learning approaches.
BSc in Computer Science & Information Systems
Strategic Leadership
Covered strategic, behavioural, relational, and crisis leadership competencies.
SCOUTS South Africa Leadership
Held multiple leadership roles including Scout Group Leader and regional programme positions, building strong experience in accountability, coordination, operational planning, and structured delivery.
Selected work
Work that reflects my blend of engineering delivery, AI capability, and technical direction.
Search optimisation
Improved search relevance and user experience using ranking strategies, NLP techniques, and Elasticsearch-based solutions.
Backend systems
Built and maintained production-grade backend systems with focus on performance, reliability, and maintainability.
Data & infrastructure
Designed and supported data pipelines, infrastructure tooling, and service integration in cloud-enabled environments.
Publications
My academic work complements my engineering background and reflects a practical interest in how AI methods perform in real systems.
Comparative Analysis of Parameterized Action Actor-Critic Reinforcement Learning Algorithms for Web Search Match Plan Generation
Research comparing Soft Actor-Critic (SAC), Greedy Actor-Critic (GAC), and Truncated Quantile Critics (TQC) in high-dimensional continuous action spaces.
Contact
I am open to senior engineering, technical leadership, and consulting opportunities, especially where scalable systems, AI, and strategy intersect.