<Gokhan Simsek/>

$ whoami

Gokhan Simsek

Senior Backend & Cloud Engineer

I build backend systems end to end — from schema to production.

Senior Backend Engineer with 15+ years in software and 8+ focused on Python backends, APIs, and AWS. I led a 10-engineer team at OSF Digital and shipped cloud services behind 5M+ Vestel Smart TVs. I own systems from architecture and schema design through deployment, monitoring, and post-release care.

  • Open to new roles
  • Senior Backend or Cloud Engineer
  • Remote, or hybrid in Izmir, Turkey (UTC+3)
  • Available immediately
  • English: professional working proficiency (C1)
View workGet in touch
Portrait of Gokhan Simsek
gokhan@backend — zsh

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gokhan@backend

uptime
15+ years in software
focus
Python · APIs · AWS
languages
English (C1, professional working), Turkish (native)
status
open to roles, remote or Izmir hybrid, starting immediately
certs
  • AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (in progress)
  • AWS Certified AI Practitioner
  • AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
stack
  • python
  • fastapi
  • postgresql
  • javascript
  • react
  • redis
  • rabbitmq
  • celery
  • aws
  • docker

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about

About me

Most of my work sits in business-logic-heavy backends: Python services on PostgreSQL, where the hard part is modelling the domain correctly and keeping queries fast as data grows. I care about schema design, predictable REST APIs, and caching that is deliberate rather than a band-aid.

I also enjoy the people side of engineering — leading a 10-engineer team, owning architecture and release readiness, and mentoring. Years of shipping AWS services and fleet telemetry for millions of Smart TVs at Vestel taught me that post-release care is part of the job, not an afterthought.

Download CV (PDF)

Areas of expertise

  • Backend & APIs

    Python services on FastAPI with predictable REST APIs. Performance work that made 10+ major endpoints 50%+ faster.

  • Data & Performance

    PostgreSQL schema design and query tuning, Redis caching, and Airflow pipelines for complex data flows.

  • Cloud & Delivery

    AWS services, Docker and CI/CD. Owned release pipelines and moved firmware delivery for 5M+ devices to S3.

  • Technical Leadership

    Led a 10-engineer team: architecture decisions, code quality, release readiness, and mentoring.

stack

Tech Stack

The tools I reach for, with the years behind each one and where it showed up in my work.

Languages

  • Python

    8+ yrs

    My main language for backend work.

  • SQL

    SQL

    8+ yrs

    Performance-sensitive queries and schema design.

  • C/C++

    5+ yrs

    Smart TV features at Vestel: Dual TV, Follow TV, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

  • JavaScript

    1+ yrs

    Smart TV apps at Vestel; frontend when needed.

Frameworks

  • FastAPI

    1+ yrs

    My go-to for APIs; led the migration from Hug.

  • Celery

    1+ yrs

    Background jobs and scheduled tasks.

  • Apache Airflow

    1+ yrs

    Built the data merge pipeline at OSF.

  • React

    1+ yrs

    Enough to work across the stack.

Data & Messaging

  • PostgreSQL

    8+ yrs

    First choice. Schemas, indexing, query tuning.

  • MongoDB

    2+ yrs

    NoSQL storage for Smart TV cloud services at Vestel.

  • Redis

    5+ yrs

    Designed the caching layer that cut DB load.

  • RabbitMQ

    1+ yrs

    Message broker behind Celery workers.

Cloud & DevOps

  • AWS

    AWS

    8+ yrs

    EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda. Smart TV cloud for 5M+ devices.

  • Docker

    5+ yrs

    Local parity and container deploys.

  • Git

    15+ yrs

    Daily driver, plus release branching.

  • CI

    CI/CD

    5+ yrs

    Owned release pipelines, version cuts, rollouts.

Practices

  • RESTful API Design
  • Microservices
  • Team Leading
  • Mentoring
work

Experience

15+ years across two companies: backend leadership at OSF Digital, and a decade at Vestel building the Smart TV platform and the cloud behind it.

OSF Digital

2021 - 2026

  1. Backend Technical Lead

    2023 - 2026
    • Led a cross-functional team of 10 backend and frontend engineers building business-logic-heavy applications in Python and PostgreSQL.
    • Owned architecture decisions, code quality, and release readiness for production systems serving business-critical workflows.
    • Architected and shipped a new data merge pipeline on Apache Airflow, replacing fragile ad-hoc jobs with reliable scheduled processing of complex data flows.
    • Drove API performance work that improved response times by more than 50% across at least 10 major endpoints, through query tuning, schema improvements, and caching.
    • Managed the refactor from the Hug framework to FastAPI.
    • Managed the release process and deployment pipelines, including version cuts, rollouts, and post-release monitoring.

  2. Backend Developer

    2021 - 2023
    • Built and maintained a Python backend application (Hug framework) handling complex client-side business logic, shipping new features against evolving requirements.
    • Designed PostgreSQL schemas and wrote performance-sensitive SQL; refactored legacy queries to improve correctness and speed.
    • Designed and implemented a Redis-based caching layer that materially reduced database load and improved end-user response times.

Vestel

2011 - 2021

  1. Cloud Engineer

    2017 - 2021
    • Designed and deployed backend services on AWS supporting Vestel Smart TV products in production at scale.
    • Migrated firmware and content delivery for 5M+ devices in the field from FTP to S3, dramatically improving reliability and rollout speed.
    • Built Vestel Smart TVs' first internet-based EPG feature, integrating Simply TV's external data feeds and managing the integration risk and edge cases.
    • Designed logging reported system by using AWS Redshift and Quicksight for managers.

  2. Software Architect

    2016 - 2017
    • Engineered and optimized the Netflix application on Smart TVs, meeting Netflix's strict certification requirements including the sub-1-second app launch target.
    • Designed a logging and telemetry mechanism across Vestel's TV fleet, building the foundation of a product data lake used for analytics and quality.

  3. Senior Software Engineer

    2013 - 2016
    • Lead engineer on the Dual TV feature, implementing simultaneous playback of two distinct video streams using 3D display technology.
    • Engineered the Follow TV feature, mirroring TV screens to mobile devices in real time.
    • Owned Bluetooth and Wi-Fi functionality across Smart TV product lines.

  4. Software Engineer

    2011 - 2013
    • Worked on Vestel's first Smart TV application implementation.
    • Supported other developers in maintaining Vestel's first Smart TV platform; diagnosed and fixed client-side defects in production firmware.

Selected projects

Personal project · 2026 - present

Local Bazaar

Building a platform for Turkey's neighbourhood bazaars: idempotent scrapers pull the national wholesale price bulletin plus nine city markets into a normalised product registry, and a Next.js frontend shows price trends next to a map of neighbourhood and producer markets.

  • Python
  • FastAPI
  • PostgreSQL
  • Next.js
  • Kubernetes
View project →

OSF Digital · 2025 - 2026

Airflow Data Merge Pipeline

Architected and shipped a new data merge pipeline on Apache Airflow, replacing fragile ad-hoc jobs with reliable scheduled processing of complex data flows.

  • Python
  • Apache Airflow
  • PostgreSQL
  • Claude Code
Company project

OSF Digital · 2025 - 2026

Hug → FastAPI Migration & API Performance

Led the move from Hug to FastAPI and drove performance work that cut response times by 50%+ across 10+ major endpoints via query tuning, schema changes, and a Redis caching layer.

  • Python
  • FastAPI
  • PostgreSQL
  • Redis
  • Microservices
Company project

Vestel · 2017 - 2018

Smart TV Firmware Delivery on S3

Migrated firmware and content delivery for 5M+ devices in the field from FTP to S3, dramatically improving reliability and rollout speed.

  • AWS
  • S3
  • Content Delivery
Company project

Vestel · 2020 - 2021

Internet-Based EPG with Simply.TV

Built Vestel Smart TVs' first internet-based EPG (electronic programme guide), integrating Simply.TV's metadata feeds for TVs across 50+ countries and managing the integration risk and edge cases.

  • Smart TV
  • EPG
  • API Integration
  • Metadata
Company project

Vestel · 2016 - 2017

Netflix on Vestel Smart TVs

Engineered and optimized the Netflix app on Vestel Smart TVs to pass Netflix's strict certification, including the sub-1-second launch target.

  • Smart TV
  • Performance
  • Certification
Company project
certifications

Certifications

  • CloudIn progress

    AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

    Amazon Web Services

  • Cloud & AI

    AWS Certified AI Practitioner

    Amazon Web Services

  • Cloud

    AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

    Amazon Web Services

  • Project Management · Aug 2015

    Advanced Project Management

    Business Management Consultants (BMC)

  • Project Management · Aug 2015

    Best Practices in Project Management

    Business Management Consultants (BMC)

education

Education

  • 2012 - 2017

    Master's Degree, Computer Science

    Özyeğin University

  • 2005 - 2010

    Bachelor of Computer Science

    Ege University

  • 2002 - 2005

    High School Diploma

    Aydın Science High School

contact

Let's talk

The fastest way to reach me is email or WhatsApp. You can also find me on GitHub and LinkedIn.

Open to new roles — Senior Backend or Cloud Engineer. Remote, or hybrid in Izmir, Turkey (UTC+3). Available immediately. English: professional working proficiency (C1).