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
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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.
LAN parties
I've been organising LAN parties for 25 years. Besides leading the crew, I also take care of the website, the catering system and various other technical bits and pieces.
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.