About Me

Hi! I'm Sergej, a hands-on engineering leader with 11+ years of experience delivering mission-critical platforms in banking, fintech, and Industry 4.0. I'm an experienced people manager — hiring, 1:1s, coaching, and performance reviews — while staying hands-on daily with Python and AI-assisted development. My approach is playful but professional, and I thrive on trust, transparency, and collaboration. Let's build something great together!

Work With Me

I'm available for freelance and consulting engagements — as a fractional or interim engineering manager, technical project manager, or hands-on consultant. Typical engagements: mainframe-to-AWS cloud migration, payment system modernization (SEPA, PSD2), M/Text and output management, AI adoption for development teams (GitHub Copilot, Claude, Codex), and workflow automation with n8n and Python. Deep domain experience in banking, fintech, payments, and Industry 4.0. Based in Budapest, Hungary, I work remotely across Europe — a German-speaking partner for DACH clients, also fluent in English and Russian.
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Work Experience

  • 2020 - Present
    Technical Project Manager / Team Lead
    Fiserv, Frankfurt am Main
    • Lead a cross-functional team of 4 engineers and analysts: interviewing and hiring, regular 1:1s, coaching, goal setting, and performance reviews
    • Led modernization of a high-availability payment routing system from on-prem mainframe to cloud-native microservices on AWS — 31% lower infrastructure costs, 12% faster incident resolution
    • Hands-on daily with Python and Bash: built data post-processing pipelines for very large files and authored custom AI skills for GitHub Copilot, Claude, and Codex
    • Cut product launch time by 21% by introducing Scrum across cross-functional teams; partner with Product on a customer-centric backlog
    • Delivered PSD2/GDPR-compliant features across legacy and cloud environments; passed three consecutive internal audits with zero findings
  • 2018 - 2020
    Engagement Manager
    Capgemini, Frankfurt am Main
    • Oversaw multi-million-euro IT initiatives for cross-border and domestic payment systems (SEPA), ensuring end-to-end regulatory compliance
    • Managed a distributed delivery team of 4 across Germany and India — 100% of milestones on time and under budget
    • Delivered a €2.2M digital transformation program for a major German finance processor, coordinating 6+ vendor systems and migrating operations to a hybrid-cloud environment
    • Modernized legacy document workflows, cutting manual processing by 75% (€180K/year savings)
  • 2016 - 2018
    Technical Project Manager
    ITEXIA, Dresden
    • Led end-to-end execution of an advanced automation project in the Industry 4.0 domain, hitting 100% of key milestones
    • Drove a 27% boost in customer satisfaction through close collaboration, risk management, and proactive communication
  • 2014 - 2015
    Project Manager
    TTE-Europe, Dresden
    • Led IT initiatives in the explosives industry, delivering modern, scalable Java-based web applications
    • Directed technical teams for timely, efficient delivery

Education

  • 2010 - 2016
    BSc Computer Science, Technical University Bergakademie, Freiberg
    Bachelor thesis at the Institute of Computer Science
    Title: Development of a mobile application for voice activity detection

Certifications

  • Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I)
  • Certified SAFe 4 Agilist

Skills

Engineering Leadership

  • Hiring & Interviewing
  • 1:1s & Coaching
  • Performance Reviews
  • Goal Setting
  • Backlog Grooming with Product
  • Agile/Scrum/SAFe
  • Stakeholder Management

Programming (Hands-on)

  • Python (daily)
  • Bash
  • Java
  • PHP
  • SQL
  • JavaScript/AngularJS
  • HTML/CSS
  • AI Skills for Copilot, Claude & Codex

Cloud & Architecture

  • AWS Managed Services
  • Microservices Architecture
  • Docker
  • Kubernetes
  • Kafka
  • Jenkins
  • ArgoCD
  • GitLab CI/CD

Key Projects

  • Payment Routing System Cloud Migration — Led modernization of a high-availability payment routing system from on-prem mainframe to cloud-native microservices on AWS, cutting infrastructure costs by 31% and speeding up incident resolution by 12%.
  • AI-Assisted Development Workflow — Authored custom AI skills for GitHub Copilot, Claude, and Codex, plus Python pipelines for large-scale data post-processing, accelerating the team's development workflow.
  • Industry 4.0 Asset Management Platform — Architected and delivered a scalable platform with integrated mobile support for ITEXIA.
  • Payment System Modernization — Oversaw modernization of national payment systems for Capgemini, managing a €2.2M budget.

Tools I Use Daily

Docker Compose Screenshot

Docker & Kubernetes

Daily use of containerization for development and deployment. Experienced in multi-container applications and orchestration.

n8n Workflow Screenshot

n8n

My go-to tool for workflow automation. Creating complex integrations between services and automating routine tasks.

Jira and Confluence Interface

Jira & Confluence

My daily driver for agile project management, sprint planning, and team documentation. Expert in setting up efficient workflows and dashboards.

GitLab CI/CD Screenshot

GitLab CI/CD

Expert in setting up and maintaining CI/CD pipelines. Managing code repositories and automated deployment workflows.

AWS Console Screenshot

AWS Cloud

Daily work with AWS services for cloud infrastructure. Managing EC2, S3, RDS, and implementing serverless solutions.

Retool Interface Screenshot

Retool

Building internal tools and dashboards for team efficiency. Creating custom admin panels and data management interfaces.

Insights

Agile Leadership in Digital Transformation

Exploring how agile methodologies can drive successful digital transformation initiatives in traditional industries.

Building High-Performance Tech Teams

Key strategies for fostering collaboration and innovation in cross-functional technical teams.

Cloud Migration Best Practices

Lessons learned from leading large-scale cloud migration projects in the banking sector.

Frequently Asked Questions

What services does Sergej Kukshausen offer?

Engineering leadership and team management, technical project management, cloud migration to AWS (mainframe to microservices), AI-assisted development workflows (custom AI skills for GitHub Copilot, Claude, and Codex), Python data pipelines, and agile delivery coaching (Scrum, SAFe) — primarily for banking, fintech, payments, and Industry 4.0 companies.

Where is Sergej based and does he work remotely?

Sergej is based in Budapest, Hungary, and works remotely with clients across Europe. He speaks German (native), Russian (native), English (fluent, C1), and Hungarian (basic).

How can I hire Sergej Kukshausen?

You can hire Sergej through his Upwork profile, his Malt profile, or by emailing sergej@kukshausen.me directly.

What industries does Sergej specialize in?

Banking and payment systems (SEPA, PSD2 compliance), fintech, and Industry 4.0 / industrial automation. Highlights include a €2.2M digital transformation program and migrating a high-availability payment routing system from mainframe to AWS cloud-native microservices.

Can Sergej help migrate a legacy or mainframe system to the cloud?

Yes — this is a core specialty. Sergej led the migration of a high-availability payment routing system from an on-prem mainframe to cloud-native microservices on AWS, cutting infrastructure costs by 31% and speeding up incident resolution by 12%, all while keeping regulatory compliance (PSD2, GDPR) intact.

Does Sergej offer AI adoption consulting for development teams?

Yes. Sergej authors custom AI skills and agents for GitHub Copilot, Claude, and Codex, and builds AI-assisted development workflows and Python data pipelines that measurably accelerate engineering teams. He also automates business processes with n8n.

Does Sergej work with German-speaking (DACH) clients, and what engagement models does he offer?

Yes — Sergej is a native German speaker with years of delivery experience for German banks and financial processors (Frankfurt am Main). He works as a fractional or interim engineering manager, freelance technical project manager, or hands-on consultant — remotely across Europe from Budapest.