Zwolle, the Netherlands
Martin Schimmel
Senior backend developer · devops engineer · tech lead
I've been making software for about 25 years. I started out as a web developer; these days I mostly work on backends, devops, cloud infrastructure and leading a small team. On weekends you'll find me in the workshop, covered in sawdust.
I like working for organisations that make a positive impact on society, such as renewable energy, environment, education, healthcare or government.
What I'm looking for
I want my work to matter. I'm looking for a place where technology contributes to something bigger than quarterly numbers: think renewable energy, environmental organisations, education, healthcare or government.
What I bring: a broad technical foundation, from PHP monolith to serverless on AWS, experience building and operating platforms, and a healthy dose of pragmatism.
How I work
- I'm one of those developers who actually enjoys writing documentation.
- Efficiency is in my system: from application performance to time management.
- Linux guru and open source enthusiast. Critical of big tech.
- Excited about AI tools, but clear-eyed about their impact on society.
- Not a born leader, but perfectly comfortable steering a small team.
- Regularly found at meetups and conferences.
Work experience
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2020 — present
Sollit — tech lead
Started as a backend developer (PHP/Node.js), grew into DevOps, AWS cloud engineering and the tech lead role. Co-responsible for ISO 27001.
- Migration from traditional hosting to AWS
- Observability platform: Grafana, Prometheus, Tempo, Loki, Sentry
- Data warehouse built on Snowflake
- GitLab to GitHub migration, including all CI/CD pipelines
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2013 — 2020
Drukwerkdeal.nl — full-stack developer & scrum master
Logistics, purchasing automation and API integrations of every kind: from modern JSON APIs to FTP and email integrations. Part of the team that rebuilt the backend as a serverless platform. Worked extensively with colleagues in Ukraine, India and the US.
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2012 — 2023
Noque — own company
A variety of web development jobs alongside my day job.
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2006 — 2013
Solutior — web developer
ASP, JavaScript, HTML/CSS and SQL for a wide range of clients. This is where I learned the trade.
Toolbox
Daily drivers
- PHP
- Node.js
- AWS
- Docker
- OpenTofu
- Linux
- MySQL
- GitHub Actions
Comfortable with
- Python
- React
- Symfony
- Kubernetes
- DynamoDB
- Snowflake
- Grafana stack
- Serverless Framework
Past lives
- jQuery
- ASP / JScript
- Gearman
- Gatsby
Certifications
- AWS Solutions Architect Associate
- AWS Developer
- Professional Scrum Master II
- Professional Scrum Master I
Hobby projects
-
Doorbell
Smart doorbell on a Raspberry Pi: GPIO, MQTT and a Node.js service. Part of my home automation setup.
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Homelab & home automation
Self-hosted services and home automation on my own hardware. The lab is never finished, which is exactly the point.
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The web game
"Almost done" for years now. Like every good hobby project.
Woodworking
If you spend all day working behind a screen, you know how satisfying it is to make something you can actually hold. Furniture and smaller pieces, from design to finish.
Beyond the keyboard
At home I enjoy home cinema, amateur video, electronics and other DIY projects. I closely follow the world of electric cars and renewable energy. And now and then: a board game, a good film or a series.
And yes: the sticker styling on the right wasn't my idea, but I fully stand behind it.
Contact
The tea is ready. A video call works too, of course.