Alexander Willer - Freelance Head of Development / Strategy Consultant

Hamburg, Germany

Experience

Nov 2022 - Apr 2023

6 months

Berlin, Germany

Freelance Head of Development / Strategy Consultant

LabMaker GmbH

Consulting on a variety of open science hardware projects in electronics, mechatronics and optoelectronics
Comprehensive system analysis and DFM optimization of an innovative open hardware miniaturized two-photon microscope
Collaboration with scientists from renowned academic institutions to align the client's work optimally
Manufacturing coordination with local and international partners for PCB assembly, CNC machining and optics
Process analysis for product design, production planning/execution, product lifecycle and product data management
Coaching staff from all departments on requirements that complex technical products place on business processes
Development of a comprehensive PLM & PDM concept tailored to the needs of development and manufacturing
Encouraging intensive and direct cross-departmental exchange to identify improvement potentials
Planning shop floor layout improvements with the production team and supporting the implementation process
Efficient onboarding of two new English-speaking colleagues in technical product management and development
Ad-hoc and in-depth training of staff in using software tools like KiCad or Autodesk Inventor
Advising on long-term development into a scalable, stronger partner in the open science hardware community

Mar 2022 - Present

3 years 11 months

Hamburg, Germany

Automation & Mechanical Engineering Developer / Managing Director

BitSelect Systems GmbH (own company)

Establishing the structural foundations for PCB manufacturing, specifically in component management
Designing and building a pick-and-place machine based on a SCARA industrial robot
Assembling, testing and commissioning the pick-and-place machine, planning and making necessary adjustments
Software integration of the machine with OpenPnP, customizing and extending the Java-based software
Evaluating additive manufacturing methods (FDM, HP MJF, SLA, SLS) for producing complex mechanical parts
Development, manufacturing and testing of electronic assemblies
Planning and execution of extensive procurement (around 40 individual orders)

Oct 2021 - Mar 2022

6 months

Hamburg, Germany

Freelance IT-Administrator

SSW-Trading GmbH

Rollout, operation and debugging of infrastructure and services on AWS using Terraform and Kubernetes/EKS
Technical support for test trading in new markets in collaboration with the development team
Quick diagnosis and resolution of trading disruptions, sometimes as part of on-call duty
Further development of various processes around Microsoft 365 (especially Exchange, AAD)
Analyzing existing system configurations and mapping them into Ansible playbooks
Creating and revising documentation for processes and infrastructure
Designing and implementing an onboarding guide to convey the technical aspects of the trading systems
Working in an agile team integrated into existing processes for work package management

Apr 2021 - Oct 2021

7 months

Hamburg, Germany

Electronics Developer / Managing Director

BitSelect Systems GmbH (own company)

Identifying demanded key features for a new retro-gaming electronics product in the consumer segment
Feasibility study and preliminary planning for implementing key features and design aspects
Schematic and PCB development of a tightly integrated multi-board system
Supply chain analysis of required components considering the cost sensitivity of a consumer product
MCAD co-design to achieve a highly compact form factor without compromising other product features
BOM management, component sourcing and design adjustments to address the challenging component market situation
Finalizing the design, generating production data and manufacturing initial prototypes

Feb 2020 - Dec 2020

11 months

Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany

Freelance IT Solution Architect

Landesvermessung und Geobasisinformation Brandenburg (LGB)

Designing, implementing and documenting a high-availability database solution for a statewide geo-portal
Reviewing and improving a configuration management system
Long-term stand-in for the lead Linux administrator as well as diagnosing and fixing issues
Coordinating upgrades and modifications in heterogeneous staging environments
Supporting departments by evaluating and implementing technical requests
Developing and presenting a strategic outlook for introducing a container-based microservice architecture

Feb 2014 - Feb 2020

6 years 1 month

Hamburg, Germany

Embedded Systems Developer

Schäfter + Kirchhoff GmbH

Product concept development, feasibility studies, and specification creation
Development of systems with multiple high-speed, high-density PCBs under tight mechanical/thermal constraints
Design for Manufacturing and coordination of prototype production with EMS providers
FPGA and embedded software design, architecture planning & implementation
Hardware/software tooling evaluation, workflow development, and introduction of DevOps tools and processes
Project planning of custom optical measurement systems in the field of electromechanics and drive technology
Leading challenging development projects
Technical leadership of two English-speaking team members

Jun 2013 - Jun 2013

1 month

Hamburg, Germany

Software Development Intern

Neusoft Technology Solutions GmbH

Development of an OpenGL-based map data viewer in C# as part of a test evaluation framework
Integration of the map data viewer into the main branch of the software

Aug 2011 - Jan 2014

2 years 6 months

Hamburg, Germany

Apprentice IT Specialist for System Integration

atrias personalmanagement GmbH

IT administration in a mixed Linux/Windows environment
Diagnosing and resolving network and application issues
Improving processes and infrastructure
Implementing the UC solution Microsoft Lync
Supporting the migration of all IT systems to DIS AG
Developing software for simplified creation of job postings according to corporate identity
Developing a mobile version of the company website

Jul 2010 - Jul 2011

1 year 1 month

Hamburg, Germany

Mechatronics Production Technician

Schäfter + Kirchhoff GmbH

Assembling electronic and mechanical modules
Initiating process improvements to increase production efficiency and product quality
Supporting custom special projects

Feb 2010 - May 2010

4 months

Quickborn, Germany

Electronics Technician in Special Machine Construction and Automation Technology

RaTec Strahlenmesstechnik GmbH

Designing a printed circuit board for a detector pulse simulator to test radiation detectors
Evaluating CANopen-based I/O modules
Installing and programming a PLC-based door speed limiter for extremely heavy doors
Assisting assembly in special purpose equipment construction