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Dirk M.DM

Dirk M.

Lead Full-Stack Engineer — SaaS, Real-Time & AI Sy

€600/day
Namen, BE
3-7 years

Average response time: 1 hour

About Dirk

About me

I help companies build, stabilize, and scale complex web platforms, from real-time SaaS applications to data-driven and AI-powered systems.

As a senior full-stack engineer, I take ownership of both front-end and back-end architecture, working with technologies such as TypeScript, Next.js, Node.js, Python, and cloud platforms. I am particularly experienced in refactoring and improving existing systems, making them more reliable, maintainable, and performant.

I have worked on:

A large-scale assessment SaaS platform used in production (Volvo Cars Benelux)
An AI-powered data platform aggregating and enriching international datasets
Web platforms requiring GDPR compliance, SEO optimization, and analytics redesign

I also develop and integrate local AI models (LLMs), enabling advanced data processing while maintaining full control over infrastructure and privacy.

Beyond implementation, I collaborate closely with stakeholders to translate business needs into robust technical solutions.


Approach

I focus on writing clean, maintainable code and scalable architectures that remain reliable beyond the initial delivery.

My goal is not just to build features, but to create systems that are:

easy to understand and evolve
resilient in production
aligned with long-term business needs

Background

My background combines software engineering with a Master of Science degree and experience in the cultural sector (editorial, writing, and management), which helps me bridge technical and non-technical perspectives.
  • Dutch

    Native or bilingual

  • English

    Fluent

  • French

    Fluent

Can work on-site
Namen (up to 50km), Brussel (up to 10km)

Experience

  • Art Now Database
    Full-Stack Engineer — AI-Powered Data Platform
    SOFTWARE PUBLISHING
    January 2025 - Today (1 year and 5 months)
    Brussel, Belgium
    => Art Now Database — artnowdatabase.eu (in development)
    Commissioned by AND

    Design and development of a scalable platform aggregating international art data into a unified, searchable system.

    • Architecting a high-performance search engine combining data from multiple international art sources into a single structured database
    • Building fully automated data pipelines (Python) for web scraping, normalization, deduplication, and continuous updates
    • Implementing AI-assisted data enrichment using locally hosted language models (LLMs), enabling intelligent content extraction, classification, and enhancement without external APIs
    • Designing a scalable data architecture (MongoDB) optimized for fast search, filtering, and geolocation-based queries
    • Developing a performant front-end with Next.js, focused on usability, SEO, and fast data retrieval
    • Handling heterogeneous and unstructured data sources, transforming them into consistent, high-quality datasets

    Environment: Python, MongoDB, Next.js, Cloudflare
    Focus: Data pipelines, AI integration (local LLMs), search optimization, scalable architecture
    Python MongoDB Next.js Cloudflare AI Automation
  • Tomorrow Never Knows
    Lead Full-Stack Engineer (SaaS / Real-time)
    SOFTWARE PUBLISHING
    April 2024 - April 2026 (2 years)
    Brussel, Belgium
    = > Assessment Tool — SaaS platform (Volvo Cars Benelux)

    • Lead engineer responsible for the technical ownership and evolution of a large-scale assessment platform used in production.

    • Took over and stabilized a complex, single-developer codebase, improving structure, maintainability, and long-term scalability
    • Led large-scale refactoring efforts to transform a fragile system into a more reliable and robust platform
    • Diagnosed and resolved critical performance issues, significantly improving responsiveness and system stability
    • Designed and implemented real-time features (Ably), enabling synchronized multi-user sessions and complex workflows
    • Contributed to both front-end and back-end architecture, ensuring consistency and performance across the full stack
    • Worked closely with stakeholders to align technical solutions with business needs and product requirements

    Environment: Next.js, React, Node.js, TypeScript, GraphQL, Google Cloud Platform
    Focus: Real-time architecture, performance optimization, large-scale refactoring

    • Strong client satisfaction — reference available on request, including direct discussion with the project owner
    Next.js Node.js Google cloud GraphQL Typescript
  • Multiple organizations
    Web Platform Optimization — GDPR, Analytics & SEO
    SOFTWARE PUBLISHING
    November 2023 - December 2025 (2 years and 1 month)
    Brussel, Belgium
    = >Web Platform Optimization & Compliance (Freelance)

    • Audited and improved multiple websites to ensure GDPR compliance, including removal of tracking risks and implementation of privacy-friendly solutions
    • Replaced Google Analytics with Umami (self-hosted, Neon PostgreSQL) to provide compliant and lightweight user analytics
    • Conducted SEO improvements leading to increased visibility and search performance
    • Delivered practical, business-oriented solutions balancing compliance, performance, and usability
    SEO GDPR Web Analytics PostgreSQL Web scraping

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Education

  • Complete Python Developer
    Zero To Mastery Academy
    2023
    Complete Python Developer
  • JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures Masterclass
    Udemy Alumni
    2023
    JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures Masterclass

Certifications

  • Aard- en delfstofkunde (geologie)
    KULeuven
    1990

Skill set

Categories