Andy Evans, senior platform engineer based in Sheffield, UK

Andy Evans

Senior Platform Engineer · Sheffield, UK

hello@andyevans.dev

Download CV (PDF)

About me

I'm Andy Evans, a platform engineer based in Sheffield, UK. I build and run the infrastructure, pipelines and tooling that development teams ship on: Azure, Kubernetes, CI/CD, and the developer experience around them. I came to it through around 15 years of hands-on software engineering, mostly in C# and .NET, so I build platforms for developers as someone who is one.

A lot of my career has been spent close to things being physically made. I work on manufacturing operations data at DataQI, I built the driver interface for a works prototype electric vehicle at McMurtry Automotive, and I started out in IT and internal systems at F1 engine suppliers Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains. I'm used to working with engineers who aren't software people, data that comes off real machines rather than out of a clean database, and code that has to keep running where nobody can reach it.

I'm a resilient and logical problem solver. I build systems using whatever tools the problem demands, I care about the codebase being simple enough for the next person to understand, and I've spent most of my career as the person a team turns to when something is broken or unclear. I'm also passionate about mentoring and building great teams.

Skills

Cloud & platform

  • Azure
  • Kubernetes
  • AKS
  • Backstage
  • Ansible
  • Infrastructure as Code
  • Cloudflare
  • On-prem infrastructure

DevOps & CI/CD

  • Argo CD
  • GitOps
  • Azure DevOps
  • GitHub Actions
  • CI/CD
  • Docker
  • Containerisation

AI

  • LLM API integration
  • AI-assisted development
  • Agentic coding tools
  • Claude Code

Languages

  • C#
  • .NET 10
  • TypeScript
  • JavaScript
  • Python
  • Kotlin
  • SQL
  • .NET Framework

Data & web

  • SQL Server
  • Entity Framework
  • REST APIs
  • Vue
  • Nuxt

Testing

  • XUnit
  • TestContainers
  • Functional testing
  • Integration testing
  • Test automation

Architecture & leadership

  • Software architecture
  • Microservices
  • Technical leadership
  • Mentoring
  • Backlog management
  • User stories & estimation
  • Client workshops

Experience

Senior Software Developer

Razor Ltd

– Present

Sheffield, UK

Senior engineer at a software consultancy, delivering client solutions across the full stack. Also owning the platform engineering role for DataQI, an AI platform.

  • Own the platform engineering role for DataQI, covering cloud and on-prem infrastructure, Kubernetes deployments and the CI/CD pipelines the team ships through.
  • Investigated and introduced Argo CD, then made GitOps the way the whole business deploys. It now runs every DataQI environment.
  • Introduced ephemeral environments on top of Argo CD, initially hosted on AKS. Labelling a pull request now gives any developer or tester their own deployment of DataQI in about 10 minutes, where before it took the best part of a day and so rarely happened at all.
  • Later moved those environments off AKS and onto an on-prem Kubernetes cluster, cutting £600 a month from the Azure bill. Built and provisioned the cluster myself with Ansible.
  • Built self-service environments with Backstage, so non-technical colleagues can create their own instance of DataQI on demand, without needing an engineer.
  • Built an AI code summariser for the team, fronted by an Azure DevOps extension and backed by a secured Azure Functions API running the LLM calls.
  • Own the technical direction of client solutions and provide technical oversight in client-facing workshops.
  • Lead multi-skilled delivery teams and bring clarity to projects through backlog management and estimation.
  • Mentor other engineers across the business, formally and informally.
  • Kubernetes
  • Argo CD
  • GitOps
  • Backstage
  • Ansible
  • CI/CD
  • GitHub Actions
  • IaC
  • On-prem infrastructure
  • C#
  • .NET 10
  • Azure
  • SQL Server
  • Entity Framework
  • XUnit
  • Vue
  • Python
  • AI tooling
  • Technical leadership

Solution Architect

Arcadis Gen

–

Sheffield, UK

Technical leader on a microservice-based SaaS platform that sat at the core of a new business offering.

  • Architect and lead developer for a greenfield microservice SaaS platform, including its deployment and verification.
  • Set the technical standards and Azure deployment approach the delivery teams built against.
  • C#
  • Azure
  • Microservices
  • Vue
  • Kubernetes
  • SQL Server
  • Entity Framework
  • Software architecture

Senior Software Engineer

SEAMS

–

Sheffield, UK

Senior developer on the company's enterprise software and a new microservice-based SaaS application.

  • Feature development, bug fixing and maintenance of the company's enterprise software.
  • Led a test automation project that cut the manual effort in regression testing.
  • Coached new developers and drove adoption of newer technologies across the team.
  • C#
  • Azure
  • Vue
  • Microservices
  • CI/CD
  • SQL Server
  • Entity Framework
  • Test automation

Career break

New Zealand and Australia

–

Five months travelling in New Zealand and Australia.

Software Engineer

McMurtry Automotive Ltd

–

Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, UK

Built a driver interface for a high-performance electric vehicle, integrating software with in-car electronics over CAN bus.

  • Delivered the in-car driver interface end to end for a works prototype, integrating directly with vehicle electronics over CAN bus. The prototype laid the groundwork for McMurtry's record-setting Spéirling.
  • Produced development tooling for the engineering team, including an ECU configuration tool and remote data logging via AWS.
  • Android
  • Python
  • C#
  • WPF
  • AWS
  • CAN bus
  • Embedded integration

Software Developer

Active Risk

–

Maidenhead, Berkshire, UK

Web developer on a leading enterprise risk management product.

  • Maintenance and development of the flagship enterprise risk management product, including a major rewrite of the front-end in AngularJS.
  • Introduced test automation suites and maintained the build and deployment pipelines, increasing reliability and confidence in the finished product.
  • C#
  • .NET Framework
  • AngularJS
  • SQL Server
  • Oracle DB
  • Entity Framework
  • CI/CD
  • NUnit

Business Development Project Team

Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains

–

Brixworth, Northamptonshire, UK

Co-ordinator on a business-wide efficiency improvement project, acting as liaison between business stakeholders and an external software development team to replace existing SAP procurement processes.

  • Gathered requirements from stakeholders across the business, often with conflicting views, and turned them into a single coherent specification for the external development team.
  • Co-ordination
  • Requirements scoping
  • SAP

IT Graduate

Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains

–

Brixworth, Northamptonshire, UK

Two-year graduate rotation programme covering 1st, 2nd and 3rd line support of daily IT operations, and improving internal software systems. Became Microsoft certified as a Windows 7 Enterprise Desktop Support Technician.

  • IT Support
  • Networking
  • SAP

IT Intern

Macquarie Bank

–

Bristol, UK

Developed custom SQL reports and Excel macros to assist the Banking and Financial Services team with account reconciliation and internal auditing.

  • SQL
  • Excel

How I work

I solve problems

I'm a resilient and logical problem solver, with creative ideas on solutions. I work hard to find the ideal solution, but I'm pragmatic enough to know when to look for alternative options.

I own delivery end to end

It's no good writing code unless you can deploy it somewhere. I take the lead on deploying solutions to Azure, building CI/CD pipelines, and running workloads on Kubernetes and on-prem infrastructure. I own work from user story through development, testing and release.

I learn what the problem needs

Tech is constantly evolving. If my existing skillset doesn't contain the tools for the problem at hand, I set about learning what I need - languages, tools, libraries - to get the job done. That's led to adventures in Vue, Python, Kotlin and Android alongside my day-to-day C#.

I simplify what I inherit

I've taken tangled, confusing codebases and turned them into the simple solutions they always could have been. Leaving a codebase easier to work in than I found it is one of the most valuable things I can do for a team.

I mentor and build teams

One of my most important roles is mentoring other team members, formally or informally. I like to be a person who is trusted and approachable, and who can help build the careers of others.

Education

BSc Computer Science

University of Sheffield

2008 – 2011

2:1

Certifications

Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate

Microsoft

Issued Jul 2023

Selected writing

I write up the problems I solve. These are a good way to see how I work in practice.

Read all posts →