Vlad Shvedov

Engineering Manager and Software Developer

Twenty plus years building software and leading the people who build it. Comfortable in code, in architecture reviews, and in steering teams across SaaS, hospitality, and HR tech.

Core strengths

Engineering Leadership Hands-on Development System Architecture Distributed Teams Mentorship & Coaching CI/CD & Cloud Agile Delivery Cross-functional Collaboration

Experience

Engineering Manager / Team Lead (Client Projects)
VanHack
May 2024 – Present · Vancouver, BC · Remote · Permanent Full-time
  • Manage engineering teams across multiple VanHack client projects (Rails, Flutter).
  • Lead project planning, estimation, and architecture decisions across web and mobile solutions.
  • Coordinate between product, engineering, and client stakeholders for delivery alignment.
  • Mentor developers, ensure technical quality, and foster effective collaboration.
Ruby on Rails Flutter Team Leadership Project Management
Project Manager / Co-Founder
OmniPragmatic (OmniPrag)
Dec 2013 – Present · Vancouver, BC · Hybrid · Self-employed
  • Co-founded and manage software agency serving startups and SMEs across North America.
  • Lead project scoping, roadmapping, delivery pipelines, and client relationships.
  • Oversee multiple concurrent projects using Flutter, Supabase, and Ruby on Rails.
  • Manage distributed engineering and UX teams, balancing delivery and innovation.
Notable projects
  • Cross-platform Flutter + Supabase apps (auth, realtime, storage, push).
  • Scalable Rails backends with PostgreSQL, Redis, Elasticsearch.
  • AWS-based deployments (EC2, RDS/Aurora, Docker) with CI/CD and observability.
Flutter Supabase Ruby on Rails AWS PostgreSQL Redis
Engineering Manager
Rottweiler Hardware · TastevinApp.com
Aug 2015 – May 2024 · Santa Rosa, CA · Remote · Contract Full-time
  • Managed development of guest-facing mobile and web applications for hospitality clients.
  • Directed technical strategy, roadmap execution, and delivery for cross-platform systems.
  • Oversaw infrastructure migration and cost-optimization on AWS.
  • Modernized large Ruby on Rails legacy systems (Rails 3 to 7) for reliability and scalability.
Key achievements
  • Delivered infrastructure migration reducing AWS cost by 40%.
  • Introduced team-wide CI/CD and monitoring processes.
  • Strengthened release cadence via Agile workflows and backlog prioritization.
Ruby on Rails Flutter AWS PostgreSQL Redis Docker
Senior Software Engineer
Rottweiler Hardware · TastevinApp.com
Aug 2016 – Aug 2018 · Santa Rosa, CA
  • Owned web platform (Rails) and mobile apps (Flutter) end-to-end.
  • Designed POS integrations and sync pipelines (webhooks, retries, idempotency).
  • Led roadmap definition and partner collaboration with founders and restaurant clients.
  • Conducted R&D for in-store digital signage (Arduino / Raspberry Pi).
Ruby on Rails Flutter AWS Arduino Raspberry Pi
Intelligence Team Leader (ML / NLP)
ProFinda.com
Apr 2014 – Jul 2015 · London, UK · Remote · Permanent Full-time
  • Led Intelligence Team developing ML/NLP-powered recommendation and search systems.
  • Designed distributed Ruby/JRuby microservices (Rails, Rack, Grape) with Redis, PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch.
  • Partnered with R&D and product executives to align research with strategic priorities.
Key achievements
  • Built NLP and ML architecture from scratch, including pipelines and production inference.
  • Delivered advanced recommendation features years before LLM adoption.
Machine Learning NLP Ruby on Rails JRuby Elasticsearch
Software Engineering Team Lead
Emailux
Jan 2014 – Apr 2014 · Remote · Contract Part-time
  • Provided consulting on product scope, architecture, and delivery.
  • Built MVP using Ruby on Rails and JavaScript with Redis, PostgreSQL.
  • Mentored engineers through code reviews and development standards.
Ruby on Rails JavaScript PostgreSQL
Senior Software Engineer (Ruby / Rails)
Toptal
Nov 2012 – Jan 2014 · Contract Full-time
  • Early contributor to Toptal platform, building core backend architecture and analytics.
  • Partnered with stakeholders to translate business goals into scalable systems.
Ruby on Rails Backend Architecture Analytics
Branch Director / Lead Engineer
Helios Technologies Ltd
Feb 2011 – Dec 2013 · Odesa, Ukraine
  • Established and led Helios' Odessa branch; recruited and mentored the core engineering team.
  • Directed full delivery lifecycle for ID.NET authentication platform and social search products.
  • Managed budgets, timelines, and stakeholder communication.
Key achievements
  • Built and scaled secure high-performance architecture for ID.NET.
  • Set engineering practices and quality standards across the new branch.
Co-Owner / CTO
Kenguru.TV
Aug 2007 – Jun 2011
  • Co-founded and led the company's technical direction.
  • Developed Video-on-Demand platform and managed a global engineering team.
  • Oversaw architecture, infrastructure, and long-term product vision.
Multiple Contractors' Jobs
Silicon Valley and Berlin startups and combinators
Feb 2004 – Jan 2013
  • Partnered with Silicon Valley startups (pre-seed to Series B) to build MVPs and scalable platforms.
  • Delivered modernization and integration projects for enterprise clients.
Ruby Rails JavaScript DevOps
Founder & Game Developer
Masquerade Studio
2000 – 2002
  • Built 2D engines for platformer and adventure games (C++ / Delphi).
  • Managed a 5-person cross-functional team of artists and animators.
  • Oversaw product design, scheduling, and business operations.
C++ Delphi Game Development

Education

Master's Degree in Economics
Odesa National University of Technology, Ukraine
1999 – 2004

Languages

English
Advanced (CELPIP 9/9/9/9)
Ukrainian
Native
Russian
Native
French
Basic

Technical expertise

Languages & Frameworks

Ruby, Rails, Dart, Flutter, JavaScript, Python

Infrastructure

AWS (EC2, RDS, S3, ECS), Docker, CI/CD, Redis, PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch

Management Tools

Jira, Notion, Trello, Linear, Slack, GitHub Actions, Supabase

Leadership Practices

Agile / Kanban / Lean · Mentorship & Coaching · Stakeholder Alignment