Backend Team Lead at PhotoDay
Slovakia
Vadym Shevchenko
Council Member
Vadym Shevchenko is a highly accomplished Backend Team Lead and Software Architect with over 22 years of experience delivering complex, mission-critical web applications. Currently serving as Backend Team Lead at PhotoDay since September 2022, he brings extensive expertise in RubyOnRails, PostgreSQL, Redis, JavaScript/TypeScript, DevOps, Docker, CI/CD, and test-driven development. His career demonstrates exceptional versatility—progressing from Web Developer through Project Manager and CEO to Senior Fullstack Developer and Team Lead—consistently delivering structured, organized execution across startups, enterprise platforms, and government digital transformation projects.
At PhotoDay (2017-Present), Vadym has been instrumental in developing and scaling the company's web platform serving school and sports photographers with streamlined workflow management from setup to delivery. As Backend Team Lead since 2022, he oversees backend development, code reviews, deployments, and critical support using RubyOnRails, PostgreSQL, TDD, RSpec, Redis, Docker, and CI/CD pipelines following Shape Up methodology. His meticulous attention to detail and quality, combined with clear prioritization and predictable execution, ensures the mobile-friendly platform enables families to browse, customize, and order seamlessly while photographers achieve increased sales and operational efficiency.
His entrepreneurial leadership as CEO and Software Architect at IT Group (2008-2025) demonstrated his ability to architect complex systems and lead development teams. During this tenure, he designed and built iEngine, a proprietary framework for developing content management tools used across multiple web projects. His work on the "Digital University" platform (2007-Present)—a comprehensive university automation system—automated admissions workflows, integrated with Ukraine's Ministry of Education database, and built curriculum planning tools that continue serving educational institutions. The GROMADY.cv.ua regional web portal for Chernivtsi Oblast (2009-2022) became the official platform used by all local governments for document storage, tourist information, regional news publishing, and online citizen services—demonstrating his capability to deliver large-scale civic technology solutions.
At PhotoDay (2017-Present), Vadym has been instrumental in developing and scaling the company's web platform serving school and sports photographers with streamlined workflow management from setup to delivery. As Backend Team Lead since 2022, he oversees backend development, code reviews, deployments, and critical support using RubyOnRails, PostgreSQL, TDD, RSpec, Redis, Docker, and CI/CD pipelines following Shape Up methodology. His meticulous attention to detail and quality, combined with clear prioritization and predictable execution, ensures the mobile-friendly platform enables families to browse, customize, and order seamlessly while photographers achieve increased sales and operational efficiency.
His entrepreneurial leadership as CEO and Software Architect at IT Group (2008-2025) demonstrated his ability to architect complex systems and lead development teams. During this tenure, he designed and built iEngine, a proprietary framework for developing content management tools used across multiple web projects. His work on the "Digital University" platform (2007-Present)—a comprehensive university automation system—automated admissions workflows, integrated with Ukraine's Ministry of Education database, and built curriculum planning tools that continue serving educational institutions. The GROMADY.cv.ua regional web portal for Chernivtsi Oblast (2009-2022) became the official platform used by all local governments for document storage, tourist information, regional news publishing, and online citizen services—demonstrating his capability to deliver large-scale civic technology solutions.
His international experience includes the EU-funded "Breaking the Borders: Mountain Tourism Development" project (2017-2021) under the Joint Operational Programme "Romania–Ukraine–Republic of Moldova," serving tourists across Ukraine and Romania with comprehensive Bukovina region travel information. At Vital Media Network (2012-2017), he shipped new features and provided support across three company web products using RubyOnRails, MySQL, JavaScript, and PHP, demonstrating his ability to manage multiple production systems simultaneously.
Vadym's technical expertise spans fullstack development with deep specialization in backend architecture: PostgreSQL and MariaDB (complex queries, optimization), Redis for NoSQL operations, React.js and Svelte for frontend frameworks, and comprehensive DevOps practices including Docker containerization and CI/CD pipelines. His commitment to test-driven development (TDD) and RSpec ensures code quality and maintainability. His UX, wireframing, and API design skills enable him to architect complete solutions from planning through implementation.
What distinguishes Vadym is his rare combination of deep technical expertise, proven leadership across startups and enterprise systems, and track record delivering government-scale digital transformation projects. His master's degree in Computer Science from Chernivtsi National University, combined with his multilingual capabilities (native Ukrainian, bilingual Russian, fluent English and Slovak, proficient Czech and German), positions him ideally for international teams requiring senior engineering leadership that bridges technical excellence with structured execution, quality assurance, and business outcomes across diverse project scales and domains.
Vadym's technical expertise spans fullstack development with deep specialization in backend architecture: PostgreSQL and MariaDB (complex queries, optimization), Redis for NoSQL operations, React.js and Svelte for frontend frameworks, and comprehensive DevOps practices including Docker containerization and CI/CD pipelines. His commitment to test-driven development (TDD) and RSpec ensures code quality and maintainability. His UX, wireframing, and API design skills enable him to architect complete solutions from planning through implementation.
What distinguishes Vadym is his rare combination of deep technical expertise, proven leadership across startups and enterprise systems, and track record delivering government-scale digital transformation projects. His master's degree in Computer Science from Chernivtsi National University, combined with his multilingual capabilities (native Ukrainian, bilingual Russian, fluent English and Slovak, proficient Czech and German), positions him ideally for international teams requiring senior engineering leadership that bridges technical excellence with structured execution, quality assurance, and business outcomes across diverse project scales and domains.