Vadim Kononov, M.Sc., B.Sc.

Solutions Architect / Consultant / Developer / Entrepreneur

Accomplished Technical Director, Solution Architect, and Full Stack Developer with deep expertise in web development, cloud security, and DevSecOps. Strong background in Ruby on Rails, React, AWS, and security automation. Passionate about building secure, scalable systems and integrating cybersecurity best practices across the development lifecycle. Interested in App & Web Development, Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity, Open Source Software, Data Science, and Discrete Mathematics.

Over 15 years of experience in IT in Agriculture, Healthcare, Education, Government sectors, and more.

Vadim Kononov

Core Skills

  • Adaptability
  • Business Analysis
  • Communication
  • Creativity
  • Cybersecurity Awareness
  • Leadership
  • Management
  • Mentorship
  • Problem-solving
  • Teamwork
  • Time Management
  • Strategic Leadership
  • Technical Direction
  • Enterprise Architecture
  • Security & Compliance
  • Change Management
  • Cloud & DevOps Expertise
  • Problem-Solving & Innovation
  • Stakeholder Communication
  • Process Optimization

Education

Master of Computer Science
2015
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB
Publications
Bachelor of Computer Science
2010
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB
  • Major: Computer Science (Co-op)
  • Minor: Mathematics & German Studies

Training & Courses

  • Architecting with AWS

Oct 2022

  • Flutter Bootcamp

Mar - Apr 2021

  • Google Big Query Training

Nov 2019

  • OBS Security Training

Jun 2018

  • Product Owner Training

Apr 2019

  • Agile Training

Nov 2018

  • OWASP Secure Dev Training

Jun 2018

  • React Native Boot Camp

Mar 2018

  • Linton Sellen's Leadership Training

Nov 2017

  • IBM Initiate Master Data Service Technical Boot Camp

Mar 2012

Latest Training Initiatives

  • REST API Best Practices - How to Write APIs

Dec 2024

  • Git Version Control & Best Practices

Nov 2024

  • Principles of Secure Development & Deployment

Jun 2024

  • Time: A Developer's Nightmare and Beyond

May 2024

  • Designing Clean and Responsive Emails with Zurb Inky

Feb 2024

Technical Skills

Development Frameworks & Libraries
  • React, React Native, Ruby on Rails
    Expert 
  • Capacitor, Flutter, NextJS, MeteorJS
    Intermediate 
  • Bulma, Bootstrap, Material UI, Zurb Foundation
    Proficient 
Cloud & DevOps Technologies
  • AWS, Google Cloud, Digital Ocean
    Proficient 
  • Microsoft Azure, Heroku
    Intermediate 
  • CI/CD (GitLab, GitHub, Jenkins)
    Proficient 
  • Server Management & Security
    Expert 
  • Bash/Shell Scripting, Ansible
    Expert 
  • Apache/Nginx, Phusion Passenger
    Proficient 
Programming Languages
  • JavaScript, Ruby, Java
    Expert 
  • C++, PHP, Python, Dart
    Proficient 
Databases & Data Handling
  • MySQL, PostgreSQL
    Expert 
  • MongoDB, Firestore, Redis
    Proficient 
  • ETL & Data Integration
    Proficient 
Testing & Quality Assurance
  • Minitest, Selenium
    Proficient 
  • QA Automation Strategies
    Proficient 
  • Postman, Swagger
    Proficient 
Payment Gateways, CMSs & APIs
  • Stripe, Finix, PayPal, QuickBooks
    Proficient 
  • Postmark, Twilio, SendGrid, SparkPost
    Proficient 
  • WordPress, Strapi, CraftCMS
    Intermediate 
Additional Skills
  • REST APIs, Offline-First App Development
    Proficient 
  • Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform
    Intermediate 
  • OAuth & OpenID, Firebase Analytics
    Proficient 
  • Jira, Trello, Asana
    Proficient 
  • HL7, FHIR, ITIL, Service-Oriented Architecture
    Intermediate 

Work Experience

Director of Technology and Information Security

Tactica Communications Inc., Winnipeg, MB
2017 - Present
  • Led the architecture, development, and deployment of web and mobile applications using Ruby on Rails, React, and AWS, ensuring scalable and secure solutions.
  • Implemented CI/CD pipelines that significantly reduced deployment time and minimized human errors in production.
  • Developed internal security tools, including a Ruby gem for vulnerability auditing, which improved security assessments and automated patching workflows.
  • Integrated automated testing and static analysis into the software development lifecycle, reducing bugs and increasing code quality.
  • Designed and enforced secure coding practices company-wide, leading to a significant drop in security vulnerabilities detected by external penetration tests.
  • Spearheaded a company-wide cybersecurity training program, achieving a 94% completion rate among employees and improving awareness of threat modeling and secure development.

Backend Developer

SkipTheDishes, Winnipeg, MB
2016 - 2017
  • Compiled and analyze data, processes, and codes to troubleshoot problems and identify areas for improvement.
  • Collaborated with the front-end developers and other team members to establish objectives and designed more functional, cohesive codes to enhance the user experience.
  • Developed ideas for new programs, products, or features by monitoring industry developments and trends.
  • Participated in continuing education and training to remain current on best practices, learned new programming languages, and better assisted other team members.

Web Application Developer

University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON
2013 - 2016
  • Developed automated testing tools to validate LMS system integrity, reducing QA time by 90%.
  • Created an internal URL monitoring system, improving content integrity across 1000+ pages.
  • Built a data validation tool, reducing course content errors by 95%.
  • Led the initiative to convert the entire website (over 2,500) pages to a content management system.
  • Completely overhauled and refactored the existing poorly designed and inconsistent database.
  • Developed several innovative tools used for campus-wide events to attract potential students.
  • Under my mentorship, a co-op student developed a campus tour booking system for internal use.
  • Technical Consultant

    eHealth Ontario, Toronto, ON
    2013 - 2013
    • Developed requirements and produced examples for close to 50 Business Intelligence reports.
    • Researched the logistics of a real-time data replication solution for a database with over 1B records.
    • Implemented several shell scripts and produced numerous highly complex SQL-based data extracts.

    Application Security Consultant

    Shared Health, Winnipeg, MB
    2009 - 2012
    • Designed and implemented security protocols for handling sensitive healthcare data.
    • Developed a Java API for secure data integration across multiple hospitals.
    • Created Business Intelligence reports to monitor security anomalies in patient data systems.