# About Steven Atkinson

Steven Atkinson is a technical consultant and Head of Engineering based in Manchester, United Kingdom. With over 15 years of experience in software development, the path has run from MIS apprentice to Head of Engineering, alongside an independent consultancy running since 2018.

## Approach

"Perfect is the enemy of done." Prefer rapid iteration: start with a working solution, learn from it, and refine. That approach has kept projects out of analysis paralysis and produced some of the most useful outcomes.

## Journey

- **2024 - Present — Head of Engineering at [Care Friends](https://carefriends.co.uk).** Leading the transition from outsourced to in-house engineering teams while collaborating with product and support. Focused on new features, customer experience, and robust development practices. Tools: Laravel, Vue.js, TypeScript, Azure, Node.js, React, React Native.
- **2018 - Present — Independent Software Consultant.** Consultancy alongside full-time roles, providing technical expertise to clients worldwide. Focus: web development, cloud solutions, and technical architecture. Tools: Next.js, NestJS, React, AWS, Azure, [Northflank](https://northflank.com), Node.js, .NET, Python, Ruby.
- **2022 - 2024 — Senior Software Engineer at [Clock](https://clock.co.uk).** Led development with React.js and DevOps, building web applications handling millions of monthly visitors. Migrated from a legacy CMS to [PayloadCMS](https://payloadcms.com). Tools: React, PayloadCMS, AWS, Node.js.
- **2017 - 2022 — Software Developer at [Dootrix Ltd](https://dootrix.com).** Enterprise solutions across technologies and platforms. Tools: React, .NET, Azure, AWS, Node.js.
- **2014 - 2017 — Web Developer at [ekm.com](https://www.ekm.com).** E-commerce solutions on one of the UK's leading e-commerce platforms. Tools: ASP.NET, .NET Core, NancyFX, React, SQLite.
- **2011 - 2014 — Application Developer at [Dataspire Solutions](https://www.dataspire.co.uk).** Cross-platform applications in C#, WPF, and Python, including thin-client and network management tools. Tools: C#, WPF, C++, Visual Basic.

## What drives the work

- **Full-stack excellence.** Front-end and back-end, with a focus on scalable, maintainable solutions.
- **Technical leadership.** Leading engineering teams, mentoring developers, and putting practices in place that help delivery.
- **DevOps and architecture.** Automated deployment pipelines and robust application infrastructure.
- **Entrepreneurial spirit.** Balancing engineering leadership, independent consultancy, and family life.

## Connect

- Blog: https://mrstebo.co.uk
- GitHub: https://github.com/mrstebo
- GitLab: https://gitlab.com/mrstebouk
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-atkinson-79977516/
- X: https://x.com/steven_atkinson