Experience | Technical Skills | Education | Interests | Contact
A highly capable and experienced software craftsperson focused on creating readable, maintainable, and test-driven code. I thrive in collaborative environments that value learning, craftsmanship, and delivering high-quality software solutions.
Regulus (UK Home Office via Capgemini) – Software Engineer (Developer) May 2025 – Present
- Contributed to the core AWS serverless ingestion pipeline and Visualise API for the National Crime Data Service (NCDS).
- Built reliable S3 event-driven ingestion flows using AWS Lambda, Step Functions, implementing concurrency control, retry/back-off logic, and Dead Letter Queues to ensure fault tolerance.
- Developed multiple Lambda functions in Python using dataclasses for schema validation, adhering to DRY principles through shared data model libraries across services.
- Implemented business rule validation workflows for user-visualisation assignments, including role-based access control and organisation-level authorisation checks.
- Designed and implemented SQL repository patterns for PostgreSQL database access, including user authentication contexts, visualisation restriction status queries, and assignment operations.
- Created comprehensive test suites achieving high coverage across Lambda functions and repository layers using pytest and mocking strategies.
- Worked with Elasticsearch and Kibana for data visualization and search capabilities.
- Improved data consistency and performance across the Visualise API through careful database schema design and optimized SQL queries.
- Collaborated closely with engineers to refine shared architecture and enforce clean, maintainable design across multiple AWS Lambda services.
- Strengthened observability and system reliability by working with CloudWatch, structured logging, and distributed tracing.
- Gained extensive hands-on experience with secure AWS workloads, Terraform infrastructure as code, and public-sector engineering practices including GitLab CI/CD pipelines.
- Fixed critical production issues including JWT token claim extraction for WSO2 Identity Server integration and database schema mismatches in multi-tenant assignment operations.
Capgemini, London – Software Engineer February 2023 – Present
- Built a modular monolith with separate deployments on Azure App Services for DEFRA's NIRMS export applications.
- Worked with Azure Service Bus, Function Apps, and decoupled service communication.
- Praised as a "valued team member."
Codurance, London – Software Engineer
March 2020 – January 2023
- Delivered interoperability solutions for a large US Electronic Medical Records provider using the FHIR standard.
- Implemented a REST API consuming data from Azure Service Bus.
- Collaborated with client developers and business owners to ensure project success.
Homeflow – Software Developer
March 2018 – February 2020
- Developed APIs for an online real estate CMS and site provider.
- Improved testing quality and coverage using TDD and OOP principles.
- Delivered complex business solutions and technical enhancements.
Makers Academy – Bootcamp Graduate
September 2017 – December 2017
- Focused on TDD, OOP, web development, and data persistence.
- Gained experience in JavaScript, front-end engineering, and collaborative projects.
The Cedars School – Latin and French Teacher
January 2015 – July 2017
- Developed and delivered the Latin curriculum for students aged 11–16.
- Organized extracurricular activities, including music and coding clubs.
- Languages: Python, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby, SQL
- Frameworks & Tools: Spring Boot, React, Ruby on Rails, Cucumber, JUnit, Mockito, pytest
- Cloud & DevOps: AWS (Lambda, Step Functions, S3, CloudWatch, Secrets Manager), Azure (Service Bus, DevOps, Function Apps), Terraform, Docker, GitLab CI/CD
- Data & Search: PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch, Kibana, MySQL
- Practices: Test-Driven Development (TDD), Agile, XP Values, REST API development, Repository Pattern, Event-Driven Architecture
- Security & Identity: WSO2 Identity Server (SSO), JWT token validation, Role-based access control
- Other: Git, GitHub, GitLab, Python dataclasses, Liquibase
Makers Academy
- Software development skills
- Job readiness training
Bristol University
- PhD in Classics, 2009
- MA in Classics, 2002
- BA in Classics with French, First-Class Honours, 2001
King’s College London
- PGCE in Classics, 2013
South Thames College
- Cambridge CELTA (TEFL), 2010
- Music: Jazz trumpet and piano; member of various orchestras, including the Rebel Yell Orchestra.
- Reading: Lifelong learner focused on acquiring new skills across Software Development, Mathematics, Music and Literature
- GitHub: TomSpencerLondon
- Twitter: @tomspencerr
- Blog: Blog about coding