Robert Rakhmatullin

Robert Rakhmatullin

Engineering manager | Head of development | CTO
Lisbon, Portugal +351 910 267 340 robert@rakhmatull.in rakhmatull.in t.me/robertbg4

About Me

I'm an Engineering Manager / Principal Software Engineer with a strong passion for solving complex technical challenges and building high-performing, self-sufficient teams. My leadership style focuses on trust, transparency, and providing each team member with the support and freedom they need to innovate.

Over the years, I've led cross-functional groups (Backend, Frontend, Data, QA) to refactor legacy systems, implement scalable architectures, and align technical solutions with real business value. I excel at bridging the gap between engineering and stakeholders, transforming broad business requirements into actionable tasks.

Beyond coding and architecture, I enjoy mentoring developers, cultivating an environment where critical thinking and open collaboration thrive. I'm also a firm believer in continuous learning—both in technology (DevOps, Data pipelines) and in management (finances, strategy).

In my free time, you can find me staying active through various sports and exploring new fitness challenges. Currently based in Lisbon, I'm comfortable working remotely or in a hybrid setup, and I'm always excited to tackle new projects that merge cutting-edge tech with meaningful product goals.

Professional Experience

Founding Engineer
Besample | Feb 2025 – Present
  • Currently building foundational systems and leading engineering efforts in an early-stage product. Full description in progress...
Principal Software Engineer (Architecture & Team Leadership)
Zentist | Nov 2022 – Jan 2025
  • Led a core team of 8 engineers (expanding to 15+ for complex tasks) to overhaul a slow, unstable legacy system, which was limiting company growth due to performance bottlenecks and inconsistent data.
  • Re-architected data structures and performance-critical components, reducing load times from minutes to seconds and ensuring clean, reliable data for customers.
  • Established an efficient engineering culture with thorough code reviews, best practices, and continuous integration, enabling faster feature delivery and high-quality output.
  • Mentored developers and coordinated with stakeholders to align technical solutions with strategic business goals, paving the way for sustainable scaling and future expansion.
Software Engineer | Technical Lead & Acting Engineering Manager
Agro.Club | Dec 2020 – Oct 2022
Team Building & Mentorship
  • Built two development teams from scratch (Backend and DWH), managing the entire hiring cycle from sourcing and interviewing to onboarding.
  • Mentored developers, facilitating their technical growth and enabling productive collaboration in a distributed environment.
Architecture & Agricultural Marketplace
  • Designed and evolved the architecture for a complex B2B platform in the agriculture sector, ensuring scalability and reliability.
  • Optimized key modules and business logic to accelerate time-to-market for new features.
Data Integration & Analytics
  • Set up a data delivery pipeline to the analytical database, reducing report generation time for the business from 1.5 hours to 1–2 seconds.
  • Developed and implemented a data synchronization mechanism with partner ERP systems, ensuring continuous and accurate data exchange.
Business Collaboration & Strategic Planning
  • Communicated regularly with business stakeholders, cross-functional teams, and customers, transforming high-level requirements into clear technical tasks.
  • Contributed to product growth strategies and the development of new services, aligning technical solutions with the company's long-term objectives.
Software Engineer
Media Machines Laboratory | Apr 2019 – Nov 2020
  • Developed a recommendation system for media planners (Python, Celery, Django, PostgreSQL), ensuring relevant and data-driven ad placements.
  • Deployed and scaled microservices using GitLab CI/CD, Docker, AWS, and Kubernetes, achieving reliable and cost-effective infrastructure.
  • Integrated major advertising and marketing platforms (DoubleClick, LinkedIn Marketing, Google Analytics, Facebook Marketing) to centralize data and provide actionable analytics.
  • Assumed CTO responsibilities after the former CTO's departure, overseeing architecture and strategic technical decisions, and coordinating cross-functional teams to deliver product milestones.
Full Stack Python Developer
Tinkoff Bank | May 2017 – Jan 2019
  • Joined as a Junior Frontend Developer and quickly took on Python-based backend development responsibilities.
  • Architected and maintained an educational portal, managing the entire development lifecycle (requirements, planning, coding, testing, documentation).
  • Operated in a self-guided environment due to minimal managerial oversight, making technology stack decisions in collaboration with peers and ensuring timely, quality deliverables.
  • Collaborated directly with business stakeholders to clarify goals, identify pain points, and translate them into actionable tasks.