Tessa Smit

I am an avid reader with a voracious appetite for knowledge. I find solace in creative expression and indulge my passions for music and art, playing the violin and creating stunning charcoal sketches and oil paintings.

I also take pleasure in the meditative process of knitting and crochet, allowing me to unwind after a long day.

By embracing a diverse range of interests and hobbies, I am able to maintain a balanced and fulfilling lifestyle that fuels my passion for creativity and learning.

About Me

Autonomy

I thrive when given the freedom to take ownership of my work and operate with autonomy.

Management Skills

While I possess a strong technical background, I am also committed to enhancing my management skills. I am eager to leverage my technical expertise and problem-solving abilities to effectively lead and inspire others, fostering a culture of excellence that drives innovation and promotes success.

Problem Solving

As a natural problem solver, I relish the opportunity to tackle complex challenges that require creative solutions.

Learn & Grow

My insatiable thirst for intellectual stimulation motivates me to seek out new opportunities to learn and grow, allowing me to adapt to changing circumstances.

Passion

I am a firm believer that passion and pride in one's work are critical components of success. As such, I approach each task with unwavering enthusiasm and strive to consistently exceed expectations.

Teamwork

My ideal work environment is one in which I am surrounded by individuals who share my passion for technology, as I firmly believe that collaborative and innovative teams are essential to achieving transformative outcomes.

Resume

9 Years of Experience

Experience

June 2023 - Current
Kastelo

Senior Full Stack Engineer

As full-stack engineer at Kastelo, I have the opportunity to work on both front-end and back-end development. On the front-end, I use Next.js with Vercel, and on the back-end, I work with Django. This role involves integrating third-party APIs into our projects, which adds a layer of complexity and functionality to our web solutions. It allows me to further develop my skills in a dynamic and collaborative environment while delivering effective solutions that improve user experiences.

July 2022 - May 2023
ScoutCloud AI (Alphawave)

Technology Lead

Scout required a software engineer and I was thrilled to take on the role of Technology Lead. In this capacity I continued the development of the backend API, which was built in AWS Chalice and involved seamless integration with several other API. My management of the app developer team played a key role in fast-tracking the productionization of the app. Drawing on my machine learning knowledge, I also developed a predictive model for business process improvement and increased ROI. I spearheaded the usability testing of the app.

I took on the mantle of driving another product from ideation to execution, which involved meticulous planning, wireframing, collaboration with a graphic designer, and supervising the work of the front-end developer. I was responsible for the development of the backend API and integration with other APIs.

I created a user management console in order to learn Flutter and also contributed to building a meal management app in Flutter. All the projects I worked on were hosted in GitHub and utilized CI/CD. In addition, I had the opportunity to work with Google Analytics (GA4) and a CRM tool.

My versatility shone through when I assited with sales and represented the company at an organization-wide event. By combining my knowledge of machine learning with my software engineering expertise, I was able to make a significant contribution to the Scout team, playing a key role in the development of cutting-edge solutions that leverage the latest tools and technologies.

April 2021 - May 2023
ByteFuse (Alphawave)

Machine Learning Engineer

Upon joining ByteFuse as Machine Learning Engineer, I quickly recognized the opportunity to bring my software engineering skills to the forefront. In this regard, I designed and developed a API using Flask, architected within AWS and utilizing Docker and Terraform to ensure a seamless deployment process.

Additionally, I utilized the latest tools, such as PyTorch and AWS Sagemaker to build machine learning models as part of the ongoing research at ByteFuse.

April 2018 - March 2021
Sudonum

Senior Software Engineer

I started at Sudonum building a keyword detection from transcribed phone calls using Google Speech-to-Text engine. I am responsible for data analytics using Google Data Studio, setting up and maintaining the BI data pipeline. I also created our Sudonum Connector built in Google Apps Script to link clients directly to their data in Google Big Query. I am currently responsible for the project of redesigning and rewriting of our frontend console for clients. Other responsibilities include work on the REST API as well as the voice boxes for bug fixing and product development.

February 2017 - March 2018
JourneyApps

Solutions Engineer

The responsibility of the Solutions Engineer is to develop business process solutions in the form of mobile applications using the JourneyApps platform. This requires an understanding of modeling processes and developing integration solutions using the REST API. Also gained business analytics experience with the creation of dashboards using PowerBI.

January 2015 - February 2017
Institute of Mine Seismology

Scientific Software Engineer

Responsible for development of algorithms used in the classification of seismic data recorded in mines, maintaining of the signal processing software and refactoring, as well as implementation on new data.

February 2013 - November 2014
University of Stellenbosch

Teaching Assistant

Applied Mathematics B154: Mechanics for Engineers, Dynamics; Applied Mathematics 214: Applied Linear Algebra

July 2010 - February 2013
Vinlab

Analytical Chemist

Responsible for routine analysis in the laboratory as well as residue analysis using gas chromatography, design of a water bath for cooling and the design and implementation of a nitrogen degassing unit.

February 2010 - July 2010
Origin Wine / Distell

Laboratory Technician and Analyst

December 2008 - November 2009
Private family, Mühlenbarbek (Germany)

Au Pair

Education

2013 - 2016
University of Stellenbosch

Master of Science (MSc) in Applied Mathematics

Majors: Machine Learning, Image Processing

Shark Identification Using the Notches in the Dorsal Fin.

Dr. S.J. van der Walt, Prof. B. Herbst

The serrated edge of the dorsal fin of a shark serves as the shark’s fingerprint, unique to every individual shark. Using path finding algorithms to extract this edge, a Hidden Markov model is used to match photographs belonging to the same shark, with the help of a cost matrix. This method of identifying sharks replaces the laborious method of manual photo identification which in turn serves to more accurately estimate shark populations for conservation purposes.

2021
ABRSM

Violin Grade 6

2003 - 2008
University of Stellenbosch

Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) in Chemical Engineering

2002
Worcester Gymnasium

National Senior Certificate

Passed with distinction: Afrikaans 1st, English 1st, Mathematics, Physical Science, Accounting, Design

Preferred Tech Stack

  • Python

  • Amazon Web Services

  • GitHub

  • Docker

  • JavaScript / Node.js

  • Flutter

Other Tech

  • HTML / CSS

  • Google Cloud Platform

  • Next.js (React.js)

  • Django

  • Terraform

  • WordPress

Contact

Get in Touch

082 556 4024

Somerset West

tessmara@gmail.com