vlad.codes

Vlad Shvedov

Technical Engineering Manager / Project & Portfolio Leader
20+ years of experience delivering software solutions, managing engineering teams, and leading cross-functional collaboration across SaaS, hospitality tech, and HR tech. Combines hands-on technical expertise with strong experience in project delivery, stakeholder alignment, and distributed team management.
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Core Strengths

Technical & Project Leadership
Portfolio & Stakeholder Management
Architecture & System Design
Hands-on Software Development
Agile & Lean Team Management
Cross-functional Team Building
Product Delivery & Process Improvement
CI/CD & Cloud Infrastructure

Professional Experience

Engineering Manager / Team Lead (Client Projects)
VanHack
May 2024 – Present • Vancouver, BC • Remote • Permanent Full-time
  • Manage engineering teams across multiple VanHack client projects (Rails, Flutter)
  • Lead project planning, estimation, and architecture decisions across web and mobile solutions
  • Coordinate between product, engineering, and client stakeholders for delivery alignment
  • Mentor developers, ensure technical quality, and foster effective collaboration
Ruby on Rails Flutter Team Leadership Project Management
Co-Founder
Itsy Bitsy Pixels
Jan 2023 – Present • Victoria, BC • On-site • Self-employed
  • Co-founded a children's edutainment studio creating learning and amusement experiences
  • Oversee product design, game development, and cross-platform releases
  • Manage creative, technical, and marketing directions for all studio projects
Game Development Product Management Project Leadership
Project Manager / Co-Founder
OmniPragmatic (OmniPrag)
Dec 2013 – Present • Vancouver, BC • Hybrid • Self-employed
  • Co-founded and manage software agency serving startups and SMEs across North America
  • Lead project scoping, roadmapping, delivery pipelines, and client relationships
  • Oversee multiple concurrent projects using Flutter, Supabase, and Ruby on Rails
  • Manage distributed engineering and UX teams, balancing delivery and innovation

Notable Projects

  • Cross-platform Flutter + Supabase apps (auth, realtime, storage, push)
  • Scalable Rails backends with PostgreSQL, Redis, Elasticsearch
  • AWS-based deployments (EC2, RDS/Aurora, Docker) with CI/CD and observability
Flutter Supabase Ruby on Rails AWS PostgreSQL Redis
Engineering Manager
Rottweiler Hardware • TastevinApp.com
Aug 2015 – May 2024 • Santa Rosa, CA • Remote • Contract Full-time
  • Managed development of guest-facing mobile and web applications for hospitality clients
  • Directed technical strategy, roadmap execution, and delivery for cross-platform systems
  • Oversaw infrastructure migration and cost-optimization on AWS
  • Modernized large Ruby on Rails legacy systems (Rails 3→7) for reliability and scalability

Key Achievements

  • Delivered infrastructure migration reducing AWS cost by 40%
  • Introduced team-wide CI/CD and monitoring processes
  • Strengthened release cadence via Agile workflows and backlog prioritization
Ruby on Rails Flutter AWS PostgreSQL Redis Docker
Senior Software Engineer
Rottweiler Hardware • TastevinApp.com
Aug 2016 – Aug 2018 • Santa Rosa, CA
  • Owned web platform (Rails) and mobile apps (Flutter) end-to-end
  • Designed POS integrations and sync pipelines (webhooks, retries, idempotency)
  • Led roadmap definition and partner collaboration with founders and restaurant clients
  • Conducted R&D for in-store digital signage (Arduino/Raspberry Pi)
Ruby on Rails Flutter AWS Arduino Raspberry Pi
Intelligence Team Leader (ML/NLP)
ProFinda.com
Apr 2014 – Jul 2015 • London, UK • Remote • Permanent Full-time
  • Led Intelligence Team developing ML/NLP-powered recommendation and search systems
  • Designed distributed Ruby/JRuby microservices (Rails, Rack, Grape) with Redis, PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch
  • Partnered with R&D and product executives to align research with strategic priorities

Key Achievements

  • Built NLP and ML architecture from scratch, including pipelines and production inference
  • Delivered advanced recommendation features years before LLM adoption
Machine Learning NLP Ruby on Rails JRuby Elasticsearch
Software Engineering Team Lead
Emailux
Jan 2014 – Apr 2014 • Remote • Contract Part-time
  • Provided consulting on product scope, architecture, and delivery
  • Built MVP using Ruby on Rails and JavaScript with Redis, PostgreSQL
  • Mentored engineers through code reviews and development standards
Ruby on Rails JavaScript PostgreSQL
Senior Software Engineer (Ruby/Rails)
Toptal
Nov 2012 – Jan 2014 • Contract Full-time
  • Early contributor to Toptal platform, building core backend architecture and analytics
  • Partnered with stakeholders to translate business goals into scalable systems
Ruby on Rails Backend Architecture Analytics
Branch Director / Lead Engineer
Helios Technologies Ltd
Feb 2011 – Dec 2013 • Odesa, Ukraine
  • Established and led Helios' Odessa branch; recruited and mentored the core engineering team
  • Directed full delivery lifecycle for ID.NET authentication platform and social search products
  • Managed budgets, timelines, and stakeholder communication

Key Achievements

  • Built and scaled secure high-performance architecture for ID.NET
  • Set engineering practices and quality standards across the new branch
Co-Owner / CTO
Kenguru.TV
Aug 2007 – Jun 2011
  • Co-founded and led the company's technical direction
  • Developed Video-on-Demand platform and managed a global engineering team
  • Oversaw architecture, infrastructure, and long-term product vision
Multiple Contractors' Jobs
Silicon Valley and Berlin startups and combinators
Feb 2004 – Jan 2013
  • Partnered with Silicon Valley startups (pre-seed to Series B) to build MVPs and scalable platforms
  • Delivered modernization and integration projects for enterprise clients
Ruby Rails JavaScript DevOps
Founder & Game Developer
Masquerade Studio
2000 – 2002
  • Built 2D engines for platformer and adventure games (C++/Delphi)
  • Managed a 5-person cross-functional team of artists and animators
  • Oversaw product design, scheduling, and business operations
C++ Delphi Game Development

Education

Master's Degree in Economics
Odesa National University of Technology, Ukraine
1999 – 2004

Languages

English
Advanced (CELPIP 9/9/9/9)
Ukrainian
Native
Russian
Native
French
Basic

Technical Expertise

Languages & Frameworks

Ruby, Rails, Dart, Flutter, JavaScript, Python

Infrastructure

AWS (EC2, RDS, S3, ECS), Docker, CI/CD, Redis, PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch

Management Tools

Jira, Notion, Trello, Linear, Slack, GitHub Actions, Supabase

Leadership Practices

Agile / Kanban / Lean • Mentorship & Coaching • Stakeholder Alignment