Hello, I'm Lokesh Sivakumar 👋

Application Architect @ University of Oxford

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About Me

Profile

I am an Applications Architect at the University of Oxford, specializing in the design and deployment of high-performance, scalable cloud ecosystems. With a career spanning over a decade, I bridge the gap between complex business challenges and elegant technical solutions. Currently, I am deepening my expertise in Artificial Intelligence and its business use cases at Oxford University, integrating cutting-edge AI methodologies into enterprise-level architectures. My focus is on building "intelligent" autonomous systems-leveraging Python (Django/FastAPI) and AWS cloud solutions to create data-driven applications that don't just store information but provide actionable insights with enhanced security. Core Expertise: - Architecture: Microservices, Scalable Cloud Infrastructure (AWS), secure RESTful API Design. - AI & Data: Advanced Data Analysis & creating Advanced Reports used by Directors for strategic decision making purposes. - Leadership: Mentoring cross-functional teams and managing mission-critical institutional projects.

Experience

Applications Architect

2023 - Present
University of Oxford

• Full-Stack System Ownership: Lead Architect for a high-concurrency, in-house CRM platform built on Django. Engineered complex logic to handle the multi-faceted relationships between student lifecycles, tutor management, and academic modules. Successfully scaled the architecture to support 200+ integrated services, ensuring high availability and data integrity for thousands of users. • Co-Architected a dual-microservice Python ecosystem designed to automate international VAT data processing, successfully avoiding a projected £250k enterprise vendor expenditure by delivering a high-performance in-house solution in just 2 weeks. • Architected High-Availability Workflows: Engineered a transition to containerized environments to ensure parity across development and production. Introduced automated CI/CD pipelines that served as a critical quality gate, drastically increasing system resilience and ensuring 24/7 service continuity for mission-critical apps. • Cloud Infrastructure Leadership: Orchestrated the migration of core institutional services to AWS (ECS, DynamoDB), enhancing resource efficiency and ensuring 99.9% availability for massive data workloads. • Interim Business Systems Development Lead: Stepped into leadership for mission-critical systems, managing high-level stakeholders and ensuring project continuity during pivotal transitions.

Senior Applications Developer

2020 - 2023
University of Oxford

• Framework Modernization: Led the structural overhaul of departmental applications from Web2py to Django, resulting in a 40% increase in development velocity and significantly hardened security. • Revenue Growth: Collaborated with the IT Director to automate technical reporting and data visualization, directly contributing to a 25% increase in departmental revenue. • DevOps Integration: Spearheaded the transition to containerized environments (Docker) and CI/CD pipelines, reducing deployment errors and downtime. • System Interoperability & Integration: Engineered complex API architectures to synchronize data between internal Oxford systems and critical external third-party platforms. Focused on high-security authentication protocols and robust error-handling to ensure seamless, real-time data integrity across the university’s digital ecosystem. • Service Management: ITIL Certified; applied best-practice frameworks to bridge the gap between technical delivery and stakeholder expectations. • System Interoperability & Integration: Engineered complex API architectures to synchronize data between internal Oxford systems and critical external third-party platforms. Focused on high-security authentication protocols and robust error-handling to ensure seamless, real-time data integrity across the university’s digital ecosystem.

Web/Software Developer

2014 - 2020
Bournemouth University

• Cost Optimization: Architected server infrastructure solutions that reduced monthly operational costs by 75%. • Team Leadership: Managed a team of 5 developers using Rapid Application Development (RAD) to deliver multiple university-wide applications. • End-to-End SDLC: Owned the entire lifecycle of software products, from UI/UX conceptualization to secure deployment. • Lead designer within the team and first point of contact for any technical enquiries.

Software Analyst

2012 - 2014
Customer Impact Solutions Ltd

• Enterprise-Scale Development: Contributed to the engineering of complex, high-traffic applications for global multinational clients, ensuring performance at scale. • Infrastructure Transformation: Co-led a three-person task force to rebuild core IT infrastructure, modernizing the systems powering the company's flagship survey and feedback programs. • Process Automation: Designed and deployed applications serving over 10,000+ customers, implementing custom automation algorithms that eliminated manual routine tasks and increased operational efficiency. • Security & Data Privacy: Engineered a secure, encrypted FTP gateway for sensitive client data transfers, prioritizing identity protection and rigorous data integrity. • Cloud Migration: Orchestrated the transition of legacy on-premise mail servers to cloud-based environments, improving uptime and accessibility.

Projects

CRM Student Management app for University of Oxford
CRM Student Management app for University of Oxford

A mission-critical student management ecosystem for the University of Oxford

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Global Tax Compliance Microservices
Global Tax Compliance Microservices

A high-impact, enterprise-scale replacement for third-party VAT management software

View Project
E-Commerce Platform
E-Commerce Platform

A fully featured e-commerce application

View Project

Education

Masters in Information Systems

University of Surrey, United Kingdom

2010 - 2011

• Specialized in Artificial Intelligence • Thesis on Neural Networks • Challenges of Computing • Interaction Design • Information Systems Development • Multimedia Security • Service oriented architecture • Project Management & Business Strategy • Databases & Knowledge Discovery • Cloud computing

Bachelor in Information Technology

Anna University, India

2006 - 2010

• President of Coding & Sports Club • Minor in Business Administration • Advanced Mathematics • Data Structures & Algorithms • Microprocessors • OOP programming

Contact Me

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions, would like to collaborate, or just want to say hi!