About
I started out fixing things. First-line calls, failed drives, machines that only booted if you asked nicely. Somewhere along the way, fixing turned into building. Three years later I write the software and maintain the Linux servers it runs on, which makes me both the developer and the person who gets rung at eight on a Sunday. That combination has shaped how I write code more than any book ever has.
I'm studying for a BSc in Software Engineering at the University of Greater Manchester alongside my work. Most of what I know came from breaking something first and then working out how to put it back together properly.
Experience
Software Engineer
June 2025 - PresentAlpha IT Solutions Ltd, London
- Build and maintain the software the business uses and sells:
- A Windows security auditing tool written in Python
- A multi-tenant client portal in TypeScript used daily by two companies
- Two live web applications
- Provision and harden the Linux servers the business runs on:
- SSH locked to key-only
- fail2ban on exposed services
- Host firewall through UFW
- ClamAV on critical paths
- Every change re-checked against a Lynis audit
- Write hardening scripts that back up whatever they touch and can be run twice safely. That rule exists because I once changed a working config with no way back.
- Set up remote monitoring and management across client machines using MeshCentral, including nightly encrypted off-box backups over a WireGuard tunnel.
- Audit company domains for SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Most were on p=none with no reporting address.
- Still take first-line calls. Building tools doesn't replace knowing what breaks.
Junior IT Technician
June 2023 - June 2025Alpha IT Solutions Ltd, London
- Diagnosed and fixed hardware and software faults for small business clients, usually with the client standing over the machine.
- Installed and configured new hardware, software and operating systems.
- Wrote support guides for recurring issues. Repeat calls dropped off after that.
- Explained fixes in plain terms, and said clearly when a machine wasn't worth repairing.
Education
BSc Software Engineering
Expected 2029University of Greater Manchester
Modules completed so far: Introduction to Programming, Data Structures, Software Development, Network Configurations.
Skills
- Programming
- Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, C#, SQL, Bash, HTML, CSS
- Frameworks
- React, Node.js, Express, Astro, Vite, Mongoose, Tailwind CSS, Tkinter
- Data and tools
- MongoDB, SQLite, Git, VS Code, PyInstaller, Stripe API, REST APIs
- Infrastructure
- Linux administration (AlmaLinux, Debian), VPS provisioning, nginx, WireGuard site-to-site VPN, MeshCentral RMM, encrypted off-site backups, pm2
- Security
- Host hardening driven by Lynis audits, fail2ban, ClamAV, UFW and nftables, SSH key-only authentication, vulnerability assessment, patch and end-of-life auditing, SPF/DKIM/DMARC, Cyber Essentials control mapping
- Networking
- TCP/IP, DNS, router and firewall configuration, VLANs, Unifi access points, small network design
- Systems
- Windows, Windows Update and WinRM administration, macOS, Linux
- Support
- First-line support, hardware and software troubleshooting, system diagnostics, OS installation and configuration, remote support, technical documentation
Away from the screen
There's a home lab in the flat. Unifi hardware, a few VLANs, access points, and a couple of local servers talking to each other over a WireGuard mesh. Most of my networking and Linux knowledge started there, on kit I could afford to break.
I build and repair custom PCs, badly at first. I climb, and I play board games with far too many rules.
Get in touch
Freelance projects are separate from my day job at Alpha IT Solutions. I take them on self-employed and invoice them myself. Both web apps are live and you can use them today. The commercial work is closed source, but I am happy to walk through the code behind any of it on a call.
