About

A full-stack web application developer, system administrator, devops engineer, development team lead, open source contributor and business founder. With over 20 years in the internet industry, beginning in customer service, and considerable experience leading teams and managing projects, I remain passionate about software craftsmanship and the user experience, and am continuously learning to be a better developer, leader, mentor, and manager.

Skills Summary

Software Development

Ruby (Rails, Sinatra, RSpec, Cucumber), JavaScript (ES6, Node, JQuery, ReactJS), Python, Shell scripting (Bash), SQL, HTML, CSS, ColdFusion, XML, Java, Smalltalk, UML, TDD, BDD, UI design, object oriented principles & patterns, database management systems, relational theory and database design.

System Administration

Linux (RHEL, Debian), web servers (Apache, NGINX), mail systems (Exim, Postfix, Dovecot), database systems (MySQL, PostgreSQL), AWS (EC2, S3, RDS, CloudFront etc.), DevOps & IaC (CloudFormation, Chef, Capistrano), performance and scalability, security, backup systems & disaster recovery.

Project Management

Agile team leadership, agile processes (Kanban, XP, Scrum), agile project management tools (Github, Trello, AgileZen, Pivotal Tracker, JIRA), planning & estimation, requirements gathering, resourcing, mentoring & coaching, technical writing & documentation management, continuous delivery & automation.

Career Snapshot

2017 - 2020	Software Development Consultant	Oxford University Press
2016 - 2017	Platform Development Manager	Oxford University Press
2011 - 2016	Technology Lead	FutureGov
2009 - 2011	Senior Developer & System Administrator	Jobsgopublic
2006 - 2009	Lead Developer & System Administrator	Ionic
2005 - 2006	Lead Developer & System Administrator	MediaSpace
2002 - 2005	Lead Developer	Odyssey Internet
2000 - 2002	Senior Developer	DigiServe / IrishAbroad
1999 - 2000	Web Developer	Media2
1998 - 1999	Web Developer	Ireland On-Line
1996 - 1998	Customer Service	Ireland On-Line
1995 - 1996	Customer Support	Internet Éireann
1994 - 1995	Computer Sales	Harry Moore

Education

Software Development for Networked Applications using Java (Open University, 2006)

Covered Java 2 to the standard required for the Sun Certified Developer exams.

Advanced Database Technology (Open University, 2005-2006)

Distributed data management, object and object-relational databases, databases with multimedia, multi-dimensional data modelling and data warehousing.

Distributed Applications and E-Commerce (Open University, 2005-2006)

Internet protocols, web and database servers, XML, Servlets, JSP, JDBC, CORBA, RMI, JavaSpaces, concurrency and transactions, security technologies.

Object Oriented Software Development (Open University, 2004)

Domain modelling, software specification and design, architectures and design patterns, component-based development, frameworks. The UML was used for modelling and Smalltalk for implementation.

User Interface Design & Evaluation (Open University, 2004)

Design principles and rules, psychological principles, requirements gathering and analysis methods, work re-engineering, conceptual design, prototyping and usability evaluation.

Relational Databases (Open University, 1998)

Information systems, relational theory, SQL, entity-relationship modelling, normalization, database design, management & administration, data warehouses and data mining.

Fundamentals of Computing (Open University, 1997)

Modular programming with Pascal, operating systems, information systems, software design & management and an introduction to hardware/machine architecture.

Career History

Software Development Consultant - Oxford University Press, Oxford May 2017 - September 2020

After hiring my own replacement to manage the MyMaths team, I was asked to stay and run the platform, while supporting the rest of the team working on a major front-end project. I improved the infrastructure, the application code, and the release process, managed stakeholder involvment, developed new features, services and integrations, enhanced the performance, security, scalability and availability of the platform, and mentored other team members.

Platform Development Manager - Oxford University Press, Oxford May 2016 - April 2017

Interim manager for the MyMaths development team. I introduced lightweight agile processes and tools, hired new team members, added documentation, fixed numerous issues with the application code, stabilised the infrastructure, automated processes, improved system monitoring, led the initial phase of a multi-million pound project to convert e-learning content from Flash to modern HTML5, CSS & JavaScript, and then finally hired my own replacement.

Technology Lead - FutureGov, London November 2011 - April 2016

Initially a 9 month contract, I remained at FutureGov for over 4 years, during which time I grew the development team from just me to 8 developers, led development on 3 major projects (Patchwork, Casserole and Lantern), developed a SaaS hosting platform with UK Government security accreditation (CESG PGA) for services sold via G-Cloud CloudStore, and established a strong culture of continuous improvement within the development team.

Senior Developer & System Administrator - Jobsgopublic, London October 2009 - September 2011

Worked as a Ruby developer on the team building the recruitment management system that runs Jobsgopublic.com and over 100 other job boards. Also shared the responsibility for managing all Linux based web, database, email and name servers, built a reporting system using MongoDB, made huge improvements to the deployment process and other elements of project automation, and contributed significantly to increased cross-team collaboration.

Lead Developer & System Administrator - Ionic, Dublin October 2006 - September 2009

Co-founded Ionic with David Sharpe, my manager at Odyssey Internet. Developed the hosting infrastructure, expanded the Speck framework for Ionic's use, built a number of web sites, including my first Rails application, Propertyswap.ie, led the development team on key projects including web sites for ICGP and ERA Real Estate, an e-commerce solution for Albany Office Supplies, a social networking application, and a CRM system for the motor trade.

Lead Developer & System Administrator - MediaSpace, Dublin September 2005 - September 2006

Initially a short term contract to redevelop Fashion.ie using Speck, I remained to lead the development of new projects including WeddingsIreland.com, Sports.ie, IrishConstruction.com, Novadance.com and Muse.ie. I also developed the Linux hosting infrastructure necessary to support the new projects.

Lead Developer & System Administrator - Odyssey Internet, Dublin March 2002 - August 2005

Led a team of 7 developing web applications, mostly using ColdFusion and Oracle. Introduced the company to open source tools and the Speck content management framework, for which I became the lead developer. Developed content management solutions and an integrated webmail system for large web portals, a CRM application for healthcare professional associations, and assisted with the development of many other web sites and applications.

Senior Developer - DigiServe, Dublin November 2000 - February 2002

Senior developer and system administrator for IrishAbroad.com. Also worked on projects for Online.ie and Hotpress.com and developed e-commerce solutions using Interchange. Mostly worked with ASP, ColdFusion and SQL Server, but also dabbled with Tcl, Perl, PHP, Oracle and PostgreSQL.

Web Developer - Flunk.net, Dublin September 2000 - October 2000

Flunk.net was an irreverent guide to student life in Ireland. I had developed most of the site while working at Media2 and was asked to join the team full time on my return from San Francisco. Planned funding for the company fell through, so my employment at Flunk ended much sooner than expected.

Web Developer - IrishAbroad.com, San Francisco May 2000 - August 2000

Following the acquisition of IrishAbroad.com by Dublin-based DigiServe, I was offered a contract web development role in San Francisco. I developed applications using ASP, ColdFusion, JavaScript and SQL Server, and helped with system administration and other IT issues as necessary.

Web Developer - Media2, Dublin April 1999 - May 2000

Co-founded web development agency Media2 with a colleague from Ireland On-Line. Worked on a number of projects for third parties, including RTE, BuyandSell.ie, Ireland On-Line and Flunk.net. Developed our personalizable portal and news aggregator, ilike.net, and learnt some Perl, for my sins.

Web Developer - Ireland On-Line, Dublin December 1998 - May 1999

After teaching myself ASP and ColdFusion, I moved to the web development team where I redeveloped the internal and external customer support sites, developed a web-based call tracking system for the corporate sales department and began work on the redevelopment of the channel sales extranet.

Customer Service Technical Coordinator - Ireland On-Line, Dublin February 1998 - November 1998

Developed and successfully implemented a strategy, coordinated with other departments, to both improve customer service satisfaction levels and reduce costs. Customer service satisfaction levels were measurably improved during a period of rapid growth, whilst significantly lowering required staffing levels.

Senior Technical Support Engineer - Ireland On-Line, Dublin March 1997 - January 1998

Led a team of 8 support engineers, supervised the department in the manager's absence, trained new staff, wrote technical documentation for both customers and support staff, developed the customer support web sites, and assisted with interviewing job applicants, staff appraisals and rosters.

Technical Support Engineer - Ireland On-Line, Dublin February 1996 - March 1997

I started my employment with Ireland On-Line supporting Windows and Mac customers having trouble with their dial-up internet connections.

Customer Support Technician - Internet Éireann, Dublin November 1995 - January 1996

Crazy days in a basement surrounded by servers and a pile of modems. I did what I could with a BSD terminal and some printed screenshots.

Department Manager & Sales Assistant - Harry Moore, Dublin November 1994 - October 1995

Managed the computer software department at a busy branch of Harry Moore, now Dixons. Also sold computer hardware and hi-fi equipment.

Referees

Neil O'Connell - Head of Technology at Jobsgopublic, Head of Platforms SDC at Oxford University Press

A couple of months after starting at JGP, Mark asked for some feedback on his performance, and my answer was simply that I would clone him if I could. Almost two years later, my answer remains the same. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending him to any future employer.

Barry Flanagan - Founder of Ireland On-Line, Creative & Technical Director at DigiServe

Mark has, over the course of many years and in multiple roles, proven himself to be a capable, conscientious and thorough worker and colleague. I would not hesitate to recommend him for any role which he chooses to undertake.

Bill Hanafin - Founder of IrishAbroad.com, IT Director for USA at DigiServe

Mark's initiative and ability to work independently was highly valued at IrishAbroad. His care and attention to detail has left us with code that we are still using unchanged, up to four years after it was developed. I would be more than happy to recommend him to any future client or employer.

David Sharpe - Technology Manager at Odyssey Internet, Founder & Managing Director of Ionic

Mark's high standards and ability to identify, and avoid, potential problems with development projects means that everything he turns out works and keeps working. His interest in technology means his range of expertise continues to expand, despite chalking up many years of experience already. He also has a great influence on the people he works with, as his attention to detail and reluctance to waffle rubs off on everyone around him. (Except me).

Hugh Durkin - Founder of MediaSpace

Mark played a pivotal role in getting a large number of projects off the ground. He was instrumental in developing our hosting infrastructure and portal development system, and also helped us develop data collection and analysis tools, which were ahead of their time in terms of feature set and usability. If you're looking for a thorough individual with the ability to think of every possible outcome resulting from the delivery of a project, Mark is your man!