NIK MARCHENKO
Principal Software Engineer | Redondo Beach, CA 90278 | Click to reveal emailnick.a.march@gmail.com
PROFILE
Seasoned software engineer with ~17 years of experience building scalable data and backend systems. SQL-first problem solver with deep expertise in Postgres, PostGIS, H3, and spatial indexing. I deliver end-to-end solutions, balance product velocity with technical excellence, minimize tech debt, and own problems from idea to production.
EXPERIENCE
Dataplor — Full Remote
Principal Software Engineer - Backend / Data / Infra | JUN 2024 – PRESENT
- Designed and scaled a global GIS system for place deduplication and brand–place analysis, processing 50B+ geometries and 10B+ place observations with minimal infrastructure
- Built core spatial primitives (Postgres/PostGIS, H3, building-level polygons from Overture) reused across multiple data products
- Provided technical leadership across product, sales, operations, data science, and ML, acting as the primary technical glue between teams
- Primary technology explorer and POC owner, turning ideas into working systems and production-ready solutions
- Built internal and external tools: simple frontends for non-technical users and high-performance backends for data science and ML workflows
- Owned systems end-to-end, from problem framing through production and iteration
Tech Stack: PostgreSQL, PostGIS, SQL, AWS, Python, Ruby on Rails, DuckDB, SQLite, Docker, Heroku, OpenAI API, ReactJS, Electron
iOverlander — Part Time
Backend Engineer | JAN 2024 – PRESENT
- Migrated and streamlined infrastructure across AWS, Cloudflare, and DigitalOcean, improving reliability and cost efficiency
- Optimized backend performance through SQL and PostgreSQL/PostGIS query tuning for scalable data access
- Built and maintained core mapping features, including tile serving, data workflows, and content localization
Tech Stack: PostgreSQL, PostGIS, Ruby on Rails, DigitalOcean, Cloudflare, Paperspace
Mothership — Full Remote
Staff Software Engineer - Full Stack | NOV 2022 – APR 2024
- Optimized carrier routing by integrating traffic data into distance matrices with caching, reducing operational costs by $10k+ daily
- Identified critical data issue (98% expired carrier insurance) and implemented remediation feature, significantly improving risk management
- Overhauled carrier location tracking system, eliminating complex infrastructure and reducing operational overhead
- Consolidated shipment dispatching logic into single system, migrated to PostgreSQL, accelerating feature velocity
Tech Stack: TypeScript, NestJS, ReactJS, Python, PostgreSQL, Docker, Node.js, Kubernetes, Kafka, InfluxDB, Databricks, Google Maps Platform, Firebase, OpenAPI, Terraform
Dollar Shave Club — Marina Del Rey
Senior Software Engineer - Backend | MAR 2018 – NOV 2022
- Led Elasticsearch upgrade (1.7 → 7.13) with zero-downtime migration of 20M+ customer profiles
- Reduced digital product release cycle from 4 weeks to 20 minutes through infrastructure optimization
- Integrated Kafka Connect and Kafka Streams with JRuby, improving project onboarding and team efficiency
- Oversaw distributed backend team, driving code quality, mentorship, and TDD practices
Tech Stack: Ruby, JRuby, Python, Docker, Node.js, Elixir, Nginx, Kubernetes, Terraform, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Elasticsearch, Kafka, Kafka Streams, Kafka Connect, Airflow, GCP, AWS
Wag! — West Hollywood
Software Engineer - Full Stack | FEB 2017 – MAR 2018
- Built CRM call dispatching system using Twilio with customizable client cohort priorities, enhancing service personalization
- Developed social sharing platform for customer dog videos with effects and Stories feature, driving user engagement
- Collaborated with iOS and Android teams to design and implement clear, meaningful APIs
Tech Stack: AWS, Firebase, ReactJS, Laravel, Node.js
USAePay — Glendale
Lead Developer - Full Stack | MAY 2014 – FEB 2017
- Architected microservice-based billing system serving 3000+ resellers and 100k+ merchants
- Led API development for iPayment, a leading US payment processor
- Built hook system and automation tools to streamline internal processes
- Developed business management products (hiring, asset, inventory, employee databases)
Tech Stack: Angular.js 2, Backbone.js, Redis, MySQL, CentOS, PHP (custom MVC framework)
EDUCATION
Bauman Moscow State Technical University
Master's Degree in Computer Science | 2003 – 2009
SKILLS & KEY STRENGTHS
- Problem Ownership: Proactively identify problems early, make product and technical decisions, and deliver results with minimal complexity and effort
- System Design: Design simple, scalable, cost-efficient systems; strong intuition for when not to overbuild
- Data & SQL: SQL-first mindset; deep PostgreSQL expertise; comfortable reasoning about data correctness, performance, and scale
- Geospatial Systems: Strong grasp of spatial data modeling, indexing, and real-world GIS tradeoffs
- Technical Leadership: Lead without ceremony; unblock teams, align stakeholders, and keep execution moving
- Rapid Execution: Turn vague ideas into working systems fast; heavy POC → production pipeline
- End-to-End Builder: Backend-first, frontend-capable; comfortable across infra, data, and product layers
Core Technologies:
SQL (PostgreSQL, PostGIS), Ruby, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Rails, React, AWS, Docker, DuckDB, Kafka
Languages:
- English (Fluent)
- Russian (Native)
Work Authorization:
- U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder)