Jakub Sowiński

Solution Architect

2024-04 — present | Connectis

As a solution architect in Connectis, I am responsible for providing architectural support and expertise to external, large, corporate clients. It is my job to understand client's requirements, design and document software structure, development processes, standards, good practices, and all technical decisions, and then help product development teams implement solution according to the plan by guiding, teaching, negotiating, and drawing from my experience to combat day to day software development complexity, all while cooperating with central enterprise architecture body in order to ensure compliance with wider company standards when it comes to software development.

Responsibilities

• Designing and documenting full solution architecture for multiple projects
• Architectural governance for multiple scrum teams
• Planning and cost-optimizing cloud-based infrastructure
• Cooperation with central enterprise architecture body
• Negotiating requirements and solutions with business
• Explaining architecture to developers and governing implementation

Lecturer in Software Architecture

2021-10 — present | Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology

As a lecturer in Software Architecture at PJAIT university, I am responsible for creating entire course for my students, facilitating classes on a weekly basis (lectures and laboratories), and assessing progress of my students through homework and exams.

Responsibilities

• Creating software architecture course for Master's students
• Facilitating classes (lectures and laboratories)
• Evaluating students

Solution Architect

2022-04 — 2024-01 | StepStone Services (Axel Springer SE)

As a solution architect in Stepstone, I was solely responsible for designing, documenting, and governing implementation of global approach for Stepstone's core product to frontend development. The task was to create a solution that could support tens of different brands across multiple continents with the same codebase, highly integrated with configuration store, data platform, and other projects that embodied company's efforts towards globalization. The solution had to take into account all concerns in regards to security, performance, accessibility, internationalization, releasability, scalability, and developers experience, among other things. The task was completed with the help of microfrontend approach with centralized templating solution based on NextJS and centralized design systems build with React and a little bit of Weback Module Federation.

Additionally, as a solution architect, I was involved in recruitment, job interviews, peer-to-peer evaluations, mentoring for developers, etc. I reported to director of architecture, who reported directly to CTO, and I cooperated with C-level leadership on a daily basis.

Responsibilities

• Cooperation with all scrum teams in the project in regards to frontend development
• Cooperation with internal client on C level
• Cooperation with architecture department
• Designing and documenting architecture
• Negotiating requirements and solutions with business
• Explaining architecture to developers and governing implementation
• Facilitating job interviews and internal evaluations
• Facilitating internal trainings

JavaScript Chapter Lead

2022-07 — 2024-01 | StepStone Services (Axel Springer SE)

JavaScript chapter lead was an additional role that I assumed as an informal leader of Stepstone's community of JavaScript developers, when the company was formalizing such initiatives in the form of "chapters". The job was to build a community of developers working with particular programming language, in this case JavaScript, and help them become more efficient. It included facilitating meetings, gathering feedback, defining competency matrix, defining coding standards and good practices, defining and evaluating trainings needs, organizing trainings, creating employee development plans, and sharing knowledge, among other things.

Responsibilities

• Leading community of JavaScript developers
• Defining and documenting competency matrix
• Defining and documenting coding standards and good practices
• Defining and evaluating trainings needs
• Organizing trainings for developers
• Creating and evaluating employee development plans
• Writing tutorials for internal documentation
• Writing articles for company's tech blog

Computer Programming Teacher

2021-09 — 2023-06 | Academic High School of Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology

As a computer programming teacher in high school, I was responsible for creating entire course for my students, facilitating lessons on a weekly basis, and assessing progress of my students through homework and exams, as well as helping them with other challenges of a daily life, such as tying their shoes.

Responsibilities

• Creating computer programming course for high school students
• Facilitating lessons
• Evaluating students

Software/Solution Architect

2019-04 — 2022-03 | StepStone Services (Axel Springer SE)

As a software/solution architect in Stepstone, I mainly cooperated with centralized architecture department, while supporting a number of multi-national scrum teams, which worked on various parts of Stepstone's core products. The job was multi-dimensional: I was working with architecture team on defining and documenting global architectural standards and guidelines; I was working with product development teams on designing architecture for their product, governing its implementation, making technical decisions, and mentoring developers; I was working with business on defining their goals and negotiating solutions, while offering technical subject matter expertise.

Additionally, as a software/solution architect, I was involved in recruitment, job interviews, peer-to-peer evaluations, mentoring for developers, among other things. I also remained an informal leader of Stepstone's community of JavaScript developers, in which I was responsible for defining and guarding software development standards and guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Cooperation with development teams
• Cooperation with internal clients
• Cooperation with architecture department
• Designing and documenting architecture
• Negotiating requirements and solutions with business
• Explaining architecture to developers and governing implementation
• Leading community of JavaScript developers
• Mentoring developers
• Facilitating job interviews and internal evaluations
• Facilitating internal trainings
• Giving talks on international software development conferences
• Writing articles for company's tech blog

Senior Software Engineer

2017-09 — 2019-03 | StepStone Services (Axel Springer SE)

As a senior software engineer in Stepstone, I cooperated with a number of multi-national scrum teams, which worked on various parts of Stepstone's core products. At the time, the project's codebase was mostly refactored to service-oriented and event-driven architecture with React, TypeScript, NodeJS, .NET, and RabbitMQ. It's also around that time that Stepstone started transition of its frontend codebase to microfrontends, and I took more interest in frontend development.

Additionally, as a senior software engineer, I was involved in many tasks not directly related to software development, such as recruitment and job interviews, peer-to-peer coachings and evaluations, and close cooperation with architecture department on establishing coding standards and guidelines. I was also heavily involved in Stepstone's community of JavaScript developers, leading meetings, facilitating trainings, and giving talks, including those on external, international software development conferences.

Responsibilities

• Cooperation with development teams
• Cooperation with internal clients
• Cooperation with architecture department
• Full-stack development
• Monitoring and maintenance of the product
• Quality assurance
• Code reviews
• Leading community of JavaScript developers
• Coaching developers
• Facilitating job interviews and internal evaluations
• Facilitating internal trainings
• Giving talks on international software development conferences

Software Engineer 2015-07 — 2017-08 | StepStone Services (Axel Springer SE)

Software Engineer 2014-09 — 2015-06 | Pretius

Founder, Lead Web Developer 2012-09 — 2013-06 | RandomCREATION

Freelance Web Developer 2009-06 — 2014-08