Hi, my name is Nicholas Wieland,

I worked on the Prisoner Escort and Custody Services as my first project for the UK government. It was a tough and demanding experience and definitely a baptism by fire, but I learned a tremendous amount from it.

We created a Ruby on Rails app that works together with a Node.js frontend, and also developed and launched libraries to gather data about UK prisons from several contractors.

Throughout my involvement in the project, I single-handedly took charge of the backend. I specifically engineered the API to handle file uploads, restructured the internal library to enable external data source retrieval, actively engaged in the development of Docker images, introduced webhooks and ensured smooth maintenance of the system.

I still love to think about that time. I loved working on a project that had clear benefits for society. I appreciated the challenge and importance of working closely with researchers who conducted user research and were deeply invested in the project.

I am proud to have been a part of the top-notch security team at Funding Circle. Our team comprised of Ruby and Clojure developers and DevOps experts who collaborated to strengthen the security of Funding Circle's extensive microservices ecosystem. We continuously updated and improved security measures to provide the highest protection for our users' data.

I've personally updated tens of Ruby applications, rewriting most Dockerfiles to follow their new standards, updating all dependencies and deploying them in production. I learned more about Ruby's ecosystem, designing and managing a microservice structure, organizing a larger system, and exploring the exciting Clojure language.

My tenure at Funding Circle stoked my enthusiasm for Docker, considerably enhanced my engineering know-how, and bolstered my capabilities as a DevOps professional.

When Ruby on Rails first emerged as the new technology, a startup approached me seeking an experienced Ruby developer to join their team, as they were having difficulty finding one on their own. I was intrigued by the opportunity to work with such cutting-edge technology and help this startup reach their full potential.

After a year and a few releases, I was promoted to CTO and tasked with managing a team of young developers. Our goal was to fix a web application that had no testing and scalability issues. We turned it into a reliable app that can handle high traffic and serve major clients such as Google, Nike, Microsoft, AT&T, and Procter & Gamble.

I was responsible for all technical aspects, including growing the team, managing the product, creating a scalable architecture for the application, and conducting usability tests.

I adore greenfield projects, the ones I can start anew "in the right way". This one was particularly interesting and useful, mixing two fields I'm deeply fond of: software engineering and technical SEO.

The CDDO data-catalogue is a robust search engine that enables easy exploration of government APIs and datasets. It's the perfect tool for accessing departmental data resources, given its wide-ranging database. With this impressive platform, users can effortlessly filter and search for relevant information, thanks to its user-friendly interface.

Working with user researchers and quality assurance technicians helped me grow as an engineer. I faced several challenges while designing a platform for all government agencies, such as dockerizing it and ensuring it met the latest accessibility standards.

The alpha release of the project on Heroku caught the attention of the project owner and exceeded expectations, leading to its approval for further development.