Dillon Kavanagh
§01Curriculum Vitae
Senior Software Engineer

Dillon Kavanagh

Operator-grade engineer with founder and enterprise execution depth. I build data and automation systems that remain legible under scale, ambiguity, and cross-region delivery pressure.

Data systemsAutomationQuery semanticsApplied ML trajectory

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§02Timeline

Experience and education mapped as systems progression.

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Now
Ap
Now exploringTrajectory

Local-first agents and evaluation-led delivery

Applied ML Systems

Personal / Side Project

Extending platform engineering habits into applied ML workflows with privacy and reliability as first-class constraints.

  • Prototype local agents that keep sensitive context on-device whenever practical.
  • Design evaluation loops before scale-up so quality decisions remain explicit.
  • Carry forward data-contract and observability patterns from production platform work.

Impact

Creates a practical path from experimentation to trustworthy ML-assisted product workflows.

Systems Built

Local orchestration patterns for task agents; Evaluation harness patterns for prompt and behavior regression; Contract-first data flows between app layers and model interfaces

Constraints

Privacy-first handling of user context; Deterministic fallback paths when model confidence is low; Clear operator visibility into failures

Tooling

TypeScript · Node.js · Prompt evaluation patterns · Telemetry instrumentation

2022
2022-PresentRole

Senior Software Engineer

Apple · Cork, Ireland

Lead engineer for regional (EMEIA) and global initiatives spanning data, automation, and platform workflows.

  • Translate cross-region delivery goals into shippable architecture and execution plans.
  • Build internal systems for query workflows, communication tooling, and automation services.
  • Support Kubernetes-aligned standards and technical hiring while staying hands-on in core code paths.

Impact

Improves delivery consistency across distributed stakeholders by reducing ambiguity at architecture and execution boundaries.

Systems Built

Internal query-building platform patterns; Automation services for operational workflows; Communication tooling for distributed engineering execution

Constraints

Cross-region coordination across AMR, PAC, and EMEA; Sanitized internal context and privacy boundaries; High change velocity with reliability expectations

Tooling

React · TypeScript · API design · Kubernetes workflows · SQL

2022
2022-PresentRecognition

Engineering recognition

Apple

Recognition tied to delivery outcomes across cross-region initiatives.

  • Awarded Apple Over & Above and Apple Innovation BPR Summit recognition for contribution quality.

Impact

Signals sustained execution quality across complex and high-visibility delivery tracks.

Systems Built

Cross-functional programme delivery; Operational automation support; Platform workflow improvements

Constraints

High-trust internal environments; Cross-team dependency management

Tooling

Delivery planning · Technical leadership · Hands-on implementation

2020
UCD
2020-2022Education

MSc Computer Science (Part-time)

University College Dublin

Postgraduate study focused on AI, machine learning, linear algebra, Python, and game theory while continuing full-time production delivery.

  • Focused coursework on AI, machine learning, linear algebra, Python, game theory, and software development.
  • Completed Microsoft-sponsored project work while balancing postgraduate study with live engineering delivery.
  • Applied academic ML/AI and quantitative reasoning directly to architecture and implementation decisions.

Impact

Strengthened ML/AI and quantitative depth without stepping back from production delivery ownership.

Systems Built

Microsoft-sponsored project delivery; Research-informed ML/AI problem framing; Structured Python prototyping habits

Constraints

Part-time schedule while running delivery responsibilities; Academic depth pursued alongside live production work

Tooling

Python · Machine learning methods · Linear algebra · Game theory

2018
ET
2018-2021Role

CTO / Technical Lead

Escape Tourism New Zealand · New Zealand

Led technical strategy and delivery for platform growth and operational scale.

  • Owned architecture, implementation, reliability, and iteration loop end to end.
  • Built systems that moved commercial performance from $5k-$10k/month to consistent six-figure months.
  • Established scalable workflows for repeatable month-over-month execution.

Impact

Converted engineering execution into repeatable commercial performance.

Systems Built

Growth-supporting platform architecture; Reliability and performance tuning workflows; Operational feedback loops for rapid iteration

Constraints

Lean team capacity; Fast commercial iteration pressure

Tooling

Web platform engineering · Cloud operations · Performance analytics

2014
TCD
2014-2016Education

BSc Computer Science

Trinity College Dublin

Undergraduate computer science foundation across software and systems disciplines.

  • Built core grounding in software engineering, data structures, and systems-level reasoning.
  • Established the baseline used later in founder and enterprise delivery settings.

Impact

Provided durable technical fundamentals for long-cycle engineering leadership.

Systems Built

Core software design and implementation discipline; Structured problem decomposition

Constraints

Balancing breadth with deep technical specialization

Tooling

Programming fundamentals · Systems analysis · Algorithmic reasoning

2013
AD
2013-2022Role

Founder / CTO / Lead Engineer

AxonDivision · Dublin, Ireland

Founded and led product, engineering, and operations delivery across enterprise and public-sector engagements.

Selected engagements

FIAWRCFormula 1AccentureHSE IrelandIrish Gov
  • Scaled hiring, onboarding, and training across engineering, design, and operations (50+ team members across the period).
  • Built and operated high-traffic platforms from prototype through production and sustained delivery.
  • Architected secure mental-health platform systems used by 150,000+ users, including clinical workflows and GDPR controls.

Impact

Demonstrated full-cycle operator execution from company building to platform reliability in high-trust domains.

Systems Built

Mental-health platform capabilities: messaging, video/VOIP, diaries, assessments, documentation; Enterprise integrations across payments, messaging, real-time systems, and cloud infrastructure; Reminder and alerting workflows for large-scale health and agriculture campaigns

Constraints

Regulatory and privacy requirements including GDPR; Recruiting and training while maintaining shipping cadence; Multi-stakeholder delivery across commercial and public contexts

Tooling

AWS · GCP · Twilio · Stripe · Platform security controls · Operational monitoring

2012
DIT
2012-2013Education

NFQ 8 Honours Diploma, Information Technology

Dublin Institute of Technology

Technical diploma phase focused on applied software and infrastructure fundamentals.

  • Built practical implementation skills that translated quickly into professional delivery.
  • Strengthened system setup and cross-stack development habits.

Impact

Bridged academic theory into practical engineering execution.

Systems Built

Full-stack implementation discipline; Production-oriented technical habits

Constraints

Early-career breadth across multiple technologies

Tooling

Web technologies · Infrastructure basics · Application delivery

2011
SW
2011-2012Role

Web Application Developer

soworkz · Dublin, Ireland

Delivered commercial web applications across Linux and .NET environments.

  • Shipped sites and applications across mixed technology stacks.
  • Built early production habits around implementation quality and reliability.

Impact

Established early delivery cadence across real client environments.

Systems Built

Commercial web applications; Cross-stack implementation workflows

Constraints

Mixed environment integration requirements

Tooling

Linux · .NET · Web application development

2011
BFEI
2011-2012Education

FETAC 5 & 6, Web Technologies and Business Management

Blackrock Further Education Institute

Built early web and business-management foundations before full-time engineering roles.

  • Combined web technology training with practical business context.
  • Established base communication and execution skills used in later leadership roles.

Impact

Created early interdisciplinary grounding in technology and commercial context.

Systems Built

Foundational web projects; Business-aware technical framing

Constraints

Early-stage career transition into software engineering

Tooling

Web fundamentals · Business management principles

2011
BX
2011Role

Apprentice, Digital Marketing

BrandX Agency · Dublin, Ireland

Early role centered on campaign execution and digital channel fundamentals.

  • Supported campaign promotion and execution workflows.
  • Developed early understanding of audience outcomes and operational follow-through.

Impact

Established an execution-oriented mindset before transitioning fully into engineering.

Systems Built

Campaign support workflows; Digital execution basics

Constraints

Short-cycle delivery in agency contexts

Tooling

Digital marketing operations · Campaign analytics basics

§03Secondary Modules

Awards

  • Apple Over & Above Award

    Recognized for delivery contribution

  • Apple Innovation BPR Summit Award

    Recognized for innovation and execution

  • Finalist - TES Dragons Den

    Entrepreneurial product presentation

  • Trinity GuildHall Music

    Long-horizon discipline and performance training

Skills

Systems

Data systems architecture · Automation services · Query semantics and contracts

Platform

Python (solver, ML modeling) · React / TypeScript · PHP / Laravel · Shell / Bash / Linux · API + SQL design · Kubernetes workflows

Operations

Cross-region stakeholder delivery · Technical hiring and assessment · Reliability-minded execution

Applied ML trajectory

Local-first agents · Model-assisted coding workflows · Evaluation discipline · Data contracts and observability

Selected Signals

  • Founder + enterprise blend

    Comfortable moving between strategic leadership and hands-on implementation when delivery needs it.

  • Music training

    Trinity GuildHall discipline informs attention to precision, repetition quality, and long-cycle practice.

  • Strategy loops

    Uses game-like decision framing (including AoE-style resource trade-offs) to stress-test execution plans.