Simon Gardner

Simon Gardner

Lead Software Developer · C# · Angular · Azure

Software engineer with over 20 years' experience across finance, automotive and retail — currently leading development at Droppoint, following long tenures at Cox Automotive, ANZ and Dick Smith Electronics.

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About

A skilled software developer with expertise in C#, JavaScript and Angular, a solid understanding of microservices architecture, and hands-on experience across both major clouds — Azure today, and several years of AWS before it. I work well with cross-functional teams, providing accurate estimates and technical guidance to deliver high-quality projects.

My experience in database design, SQL programming and debugging complex code lets me solve problems quickly and efficiently. I'm familiar with Agile and Scrum, and have worked in fast-paced environments with tight deadlines. As a self-starter I'm equally comfortable working independently or as part of a team — a motivated developer who is passionate about technology and committed to delivering results.

Above all, I love writing code. It's been a hobby since I was a child and it never stopped being one — these days I spend my spare time on personal projects at home, where I've been embracing the power of AI and putting tools like Claude Code to work.

Experience

Lead Software Developer

May 2023 – Present

Droppoint · Full-time · Hybrid

  • Lead a team of three developers across a Microsoft full-stack platform — C#, Entity Framework, Angular and SQL Server on Azure.
  • Build and maintain cloud services using Azure Functions, with CI/CD delivered through Azure DevOps pipelines.
  • Recently migrated the Application Gateway from v1 to v2 via Azure Cloud Shell.
  • Triage production support issues using Application Insights, dead-letter queues and log analysis.
  • Run the team's Agile ceremonies — daily stand-ups, sprint planning and sprint reviews.
  • Conduct quarterly Pulse Check reviews with each team member, tracking progress and surfacing blockers.

Software Engineer

Mar 2017 – May 2023

Cox Automotive Australia (Dealercell) · Wollongong, NSW · On-site

  • Developed complex financial software for the automotive industry, built and deployed on AWS.
  • Worked hands-on with AWS throughout, from day-to-day development against cloud services to deployment and diagnosis of production issues.
  • Assisted in and provided input toward feature design.
  • Quickly addressed and resolved software defects.
  • Shared knowledge with and trained junior developers.
  • Liaised with financial industry partners.
  • Provided feedback and guidance on best practices through peer reviews.

Software Developer

Sep 2007 – Mar 2017

ANZ · Wollongong, NSW · On-site

  • Developed software for managing superannuation funds and shares.
  • Maintained a core application within wealth management.
  • Maintained a Java-based intranet.
  • Resolved software defects and provided support during and after deployments.

Analyst Programmer

Jan 2004 – Sep 2007

Dick Smith Electronics · Chullora, NSW · On-site

  • Developed software for use with head office.
  • Maintained the company intranet.
  • Investigated and prepared an example Java-based front end for AS/400.

Skills

Languages & Front-end

C# JavaScript Java Angular React HTML CSS / SCSS

Cloud & Data

Azure AWS Azure Functions Application Insights SQL Server Entity Framework Database design Microservices

Delivery & Leadership

Azure DevOps CI/CD pipelines Git Agile / Scrum Team leadership Mentoring Peer review

Education & Certifications

Microprocessor Based Computers

Faculty of Mathematics, Computing and Technology, Open University, UK · 2000–2001

Software Development Using Java

Chester College of Further Education, UK · 2001–2002

Java Certified Programmer

2003

Java Certified Web Developer

2004

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