Avi Flax
Software Engineer/Architect
Summary
- Deep expertise in the Web (especially the back
end), APIs, architecture, documentation, data pipelines, stream
processing, automated testing, cloud infrastructure,
infrastructure-as-code, automated deployments, and continuous
delivery
- Extensive experience in the end-to-end software
development process: requirements, planning, design, implementation,
testing, deployment, operations, support, maintenance
- Highly engaged: collaborative, conscientious,
curious, diligent, meticulous, mission-oriented
- Dedicated to diversity, efficiency, equity,
inclusion, justice, kindness, & sustainability
Experience
2015–2025
2024–2025
Chief Software Architect Omne
- Built and refined the team and its strategy, processes, and
culture
- Designed and built an ERP system for the manufacturing market
- Tech: PostgreSQL, C#, Playwright, GitHub Actions, Kafka, Azure
Cloud, Terraform, Bicep, Docker
2023–2024
Principal Software Engineer Trudy
- Designed, implemented, and maintained:
- An internal prompt engineering tool for rapidly testing many
variations of LLM invocations
- A prototype SaaS product to enable non-experts to craft, test, and
use LLM prompts with multiple LLM providers
- Tech: JavaScript, Google Apps Script, Google Workspace APIs,
PostgreSQL, HTMX, Python, Django, Clojure
2022–2023
Staff Software Engineer Latacora
- Designed, implemented, and maintained:
- A system that manages access to many AWS accounts via AWS SSO and Pulumi
- A system for deploying multiple tools to many AWS accounts via
Pulumi
- A custom database for crucial business data & CLI tools for
integrating the DB with tools such as Fibery and JIRA
- Tech: Clojure, AWS, Pulumi, GitHub Actions, Docker
2020–2021
Senior Director of Technology Modern Energy
- Helped bootstrap a new Retail Energy Provider (REP) in Texas’ ERCOT
market
- Automated wholesale energy trades for a few different markets via APX
MarketSuite
- Helped bootstrap a new HVAC optimization startup by integrating with
InfiSense and MelRok
- Tech: Clojure, Kafka, Airflow, Python, Docker, Pulumi, Google
Workspace APIs
2017–2020
Principal Software Engineer Funding Circle
- Leveled-up documentation & knowledge sharing at a 250-person
software product org
- Conceived, built, released, and maintained FC4, an open-source framework
for authoring software architecture diagrams
- Tech: Clojure, Ruby, Kafka, GitHub Actions, Docker, C4 Model, Structurizr
2015–2017
Principal Software Architect Park Assist
- Rewrote a critical data pipeline using stream processing to reduce
latency and improve reliability
- Designed, built, maintained, and operated stream data topologies for
high-throughput & low-latency data processing
- Leveled-up engineering culture & practices, e.g. introduced
infrastructure-as-code, immutable infrastructure, and continuous
delivery
- Tech: Ruby, JRuby, Kafka, Kafka Streams, SQL Server, Kubernetes,
AWS, Terraform, CircleCI, Ansible, Datadog
2005–2015
2015 Timehop
- Rewrote a critical data pipeline using stream processing to reduce
latency and improve reliability
- Designed and implemented:
- A sophisticated integration with Twilio for SMS-based signup
- A tool for quickly processing billions of records
- Tech: Go (Golang), AWS, Redis, DynamoDB, Kinesis
2014 Thinkful
- Designed and implemented an event-driven system to automate Stripe
subscription management
- Tech: Python, Django
2013–2014 CTO
SFX Entertainment
- Led the design and implementation of an ambitious
new-from-the-ground-up streaming music platform
- With multiple teams: platform, Web, iOS, Android
- Recruited key team members
- Tech: Clojure, REST APIs, AWS
2005–2013 Arc90
- Wore many hats: developer, architect, tech lead, director,
partner
- Worked with teams to design, build, and maintain sophisticated
software platforms, including:
- A Web/SOA insurance platform covering all key aspects of policy
origination and management
- A Web-based search engine and reference platform for engineers
- A Web API at the heart of a new-from-the-ground-up news distribution
platform for Reuters
- Conducted technical audits of clients’ acquisition targets
- Helped manage the business
- Managed client relationships
- Invested much time and effort in recruiting and retaining
exceptional team members
- Started practice of regular company-wide code review
- Tech: ColdFusion,
Groovy, Java, Python, XQuery, XSLT, XSD, Relax NG, eXist, MarkLogic, MongoDB,
SQL Server, AWS
1997–2005
2001–2004 ADP
- Refactored, enhanced, and maintained a sophisticated application for
producing custom financial documents for on-demand
printing
- Tech: Microsoft SQL Server, ColdFusion, XSLT,
XSL-FO
2001 register.com
- Team lead position for large high-traffic auction site
- Responsibilities included designing, implementing, and maintaining
features; reengineering site technology and architecture
- Created new internal tools and development procedures
- Tech: ColdFusion
2000 RewardsPlus
- Maintained and enhanced a large-scale online employee benefits
enrollment system for diverse clients with diverse needs
- Tech: ColdFusion
1998–2000 Words
In Progress
- Developed requirements and specifications for high traffic websites
directly with clients; crafted application architecture and database
design
- Maintained one of the earliest major e-commerce Websites for
T-Mobile
- Tech: Microsoft Access, ColdFusion, HomeSite
1998
Ideal Computer Strategies
- Worked with teams of designers, coders, and project managers to
concurrently develop and deploy client websites with basic dynamic
features
- Tech: Microsoft Access, ColdFusion, HomeSite
1997–1998 PCC
Internet Design
- Founded and managed a small Web design shop in Baltimore, MD
providing full-service Web design and development to small businesses in
the area
- Tech: Windows Notepad, HTML
Output
Code
- I’m currently working on a side project: a Web app to help
community organizers create digital calendars for their community
programs
- In 2021 I built and launched the Web app
ny.vax.help to
help people get appointments for COVID-19 vaccines in New York State (repo)
- In 2018 I released FC4,
an open-source framework for authoring software architecture
diagrams