Avi Flax: Software engineer/architect; experienced generalist

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

Avi Flax

Software Engineer/Architect