James Wolfisz

I’m a highly motivated tech professional who’s always looking for ways to grow, both personally and as part of a team. I’m passionate about learning, improving, and helping those around me do the same. There’s nothing more rewarding to me than seeing people I work with develop and succeed. I embrace change and challenge because they push me to think differently, stay sharp, and keep moving forward.

Outside of work, I’ve had a love for close-up and macro photography since 2010. Capturing tiny details most people miss is something I find really rewarding. I’m also inspired by manga, anime, ARPG games, and folk metal, which fuel both my creativity and my love for immersive, unconventional storytelling.

Key Skills

• Technology & Team Leadership

• Engineering Mentorship & Development

• DevOps Culture Transformation

• Infrastructure Automation & Self-Service Systems

• Relational & NoSQL Database Design and Performance Optimisation

• Python (Data & Infrastructure Automation)

Experience

Tech Manager (Data Infrastructure)

Just Eat Takeaway.com
Feb 2022 / Present

Lead a high-performing team through a strategic shift from traditional DBA roles to a self-service DevOps culture, championing automation and robust disaster recovery solutions. Mentor team members via continuous training and personalized growth plans. Contribute to global architecture hubs and the Python Guild, driving cross-organizational standards and innovation.

Key Achievements:

• Migrated disaster recovery to AWS Backup, improving scalability and resilience.

• Unified five platforms into a single global self-service DevOps system.

• Developed always-on global auditing with automated compliance reporting.

• Leading multi-cloud self-service initiatives to meet evolving business needs.

Senior Engineer (Data Infrastructure)

Just Eat Takeaway.com
Sept 2016 / Jan 2022

Designed and implemented scalable global disaster recovery for AWS services using Python and serverless technologies. Maintained SQL Server performance as the lead expert in relational database design and optimization. Collaborated with engineering teams to architect data solutions and provided company-wide mentorship.

Served as Scrum Master and deputy Tech Manager, leading team operations, improving workflows, and shaping roadmaps. Delivered workshops and training on Python, Serverless Framework, and DynamoDB best practices.

Lead Data Engineer

ASOS
March 2016 / Sept 2016

Worked with eCommerce and Product teams to design and optimize customer systems (Basket, Checkout, Order Processing, Catalogue). Collaborated with architects to establish best practices for data management and security. Led cross-team training on data engineering. Delivered PoCs for scalable Azure SQL monitoring, hybrid SSIS farm, and operational analytics.

Senior DBA

ASOS
Jan 2015 / Feb 2016

Led project delivery and research on data technologies including SQL Server, MongoDB, ElasticSearch, and Azure Table Storage. Key contributor to ASOS’s eCommerce replatforming to Azure. Delivered internal training for DBAs and engineers. Major projects included upgrading P1 systems to SQL Server 2014, stabilizing MongoDB, and re-architecting a core microservice in Azure for scalability.

Database Developer / DBA

Dune London
Sept 2012 / Jan 2015

Led development of a bespoke data warehouse and self-service reporting platform using SQL Server 2012 and IBM Cognos, becoming the primary MI tool. Integrated third-party systems via ETL and supported IT and business teams. Managed SQL Server estate across e-commerce, retail, and finance, including backups, disaster recovery, high availability, and performance tuning.

Earlier Career Summary

Various roles in database administration, IT support, and technical services
2000 / 2012

Managed and maintained SQL Server environments (2005/2008) including performance tuning, disaster recovery, backup strategies, and change control across retail and eCommerce sectors.

• Developed ETL pipelines and custom database solutions to support data warehousing and business reporting needs.

• Supported 24/7 IT infrastructure including VMware, Windows Server domains, Exchange, and network security for retail and education clients.

• Delivered technical support and maintenance for a broad range of IT systems including servers, desktops, peripherals, and network equipment in both corporate and small business environments.

• Developed internal tools and applications (e.g., ASP.NET staff training management system) and managed intranet content and user support during university placement.

• Strong customer-facing and SLA-driven service delivery experience, supporting large client bases in fast-paced environments.