About
I am an engineering leader, entrepreneur, and hands-on backend developer with over 20 years of experience. My career spans building products as an individual contributor, scaling high-performing teams, and leading organisations from early-stage startups to global enterprises.
I have delivered complex, high-availability systems, scaled engineering organisations during rapid growth, and built cultures where diverse, autonomous teams thrive. My technical work includes Java development, event-driven architectures, CI/CD automation, Kubernetes operations, and cloud-native delivery.
I am passionate about developing engineers into leaders, reducing process friction, and balancing speed with maintainability. My entrepreneurial ventures have strengthened my ability to connect product strategy with execution, from MVP to scale.
Today, I work as a developer to stay close to the technology while applying my leadership experience in mentoring, technical decision-making, and driving best practices within the team.
Experience
Critical TechWorks | BMW Group — Lisbon, Portugal
Software Engineer
Jan 2024 – Present
- Deliver vehicle-data services with Java/Quarkus, Angular front-ends, and event-driven architecture.
- Build CI/CD pipelines and manage multi-tenant Kubernetes clusters on Azure using IaC.
Skills: Java, Quarkus, Angular, PostgreSQL, Kubernetes (AKS), Azure DevOps, CI/CD, Grafana, Infrastructure as Code
Head of Interactions
Jan 2019 – Dec 2023
- Managed several business units, focusing on people development, growth, and alignment with company culture and values while also being responsible for operations and finances.
- Promoted and coached Agile principles and methodologies within the units to create autonomous and resilient teams.
- Scaled a mission-critical BMW Finance Unit from 30 to 150 people across 2 locations with <5% attrition.
- Launched a sales tech unit from 60 to 140 people in less than a year, improving stakeholder approval and engagement.
Skills: People Management, Agile Coaching, Business Strategy, Organizational Leadership, Team Leadership
Coriant, Inc. — Lisbon, Portugal
Software Engineering Manager
May 2013 – Jan 2019
- Led multiple feature teams in a 130+ people product, including a senior cross-feature team of 7 architects and 2 DBAs.
- Managed architecture-related projects, ensuring seamless integration and delivery.
- Oversaw performance reviews, competence development, and hiring across teams.
Skills: Engineering Management, Software Architecture, Project Management, People Management
Nokia Siemens Networks — Lisbon, Portugal
Engineering Manager
Apr 2012 – May 2013
- Led Feature Development R&D Teams on the Optical Networks BU.
- Managed operations, execution, evaluations, competence development, and hiring across two sites.
- Collaborated on various innovation programs within the unit.
Skills: Engineering Leadership, Software Development, Innovation
Development Team Lead
Sep 2011 – Mar 2012
- Led an R&D team developing Ethernet support for a Network Management System (Java, Hibernate, JBoss, Oracle).
- Implemented Scrum methodology to improve processes and collaboration.
Skills: Agile, Team Leadership, Java, Oracle
BookingMarkets — Lisbon, Portugal (Remote)
Product Developer & VP for Portuguese-speaking Markets
Jun 2011 – Apr 2012
- Led product development, feature analysis, integrations, and online marketing.
- Managed operations and customer service in Portuguese-speaking regions.
- Increased user engagement and market growth.
Skills: Product Management, Operations, Business Development
LetMeGo — Portugal
Co-Founder & COO for Portuguese-speaking Markets
Nov 2010 – Dec 2011
- Managed operations, business development, and marketing for LetMeGo Portugal and Brasil.
- LetMeGo was the first marketplace combining hotels, vacation rentals, and private lodging.
Skills: Operations, Growth Hacking, Product Development
Localo — New York, United States (Remote)
Co-Founder & COO in Portugal
May 2011 – Nov 2011
- Managed operations, business development, and marketing for Localo in Portugal.
- Unique lodging marketplace where hosts bid for travelers.
Skills: Operations Management, Online Marketing
QualquerDestino — Portugal
Co-Founder
May 2010 – Nov 2010
- Launched an online marketplace connecting travelers and hosts.
- Merged into LetMeGo Portugal.
Skills: Startup Leadership, Product Development
Nokia Siemens Networks — Lisbon, Portugal
(Earlier Roles: Software Engineer, Innovation Coach, Team Leader, Project Manager)
Feb 2009 – Apr 2010
- Developed and maintained Network Management Systems using Java and JEE.
- Proved feasibility of web-based rich-feature NM applications.
- Acted as Innovation Coach, fostering creativity and new initiatives.
Skills: Java, JEE, Agile, Innovation
Siemens — Lisbon, Portugal
Software Developer
Jun 2004 – Sep 2006
- Developed telecom network management systems in Java, JEE, Swing, Hibernate, Oracle.
Skills: Java, Swing, Databases
Skills
- Leadership & Management: Engineering Leadership, People Management, Agile Coaching, Scaling Teams, Organizational Development
- Technical: Java, Quarkus, Kubernetes, Azure AKS, PostgreSQL, CI/CD, Event-Driven Architecture, Infrastructure as Code
- Entrepreneurship: Startup Creation, Product Development, Business Strategy, Growth Hacking
Recommendations
Ricardo Nunes — Senior Software Engineer @ GLS IT Services GmbH
“Sérgio is a natural leader. He has a very pragmatic vision of the team skills and goals and knows how to drive everyone to deliver their best.”
Christophe Silva — Solutions Architect @ Vodafone
“As a Line Manager he is the definition of a team captain. A good communicator who stands by the team, helps as much as he can, and trusts individuals to grow and take on more responsibilities.”
Luís Palma Gomes — Computer Science Teacher
“He was the most intelligent guy on our course – emotionally and intellectually.”
João Paulo Pires — Senior Software Engineer @ STEF-IT Portugal
“He empowers teams using lean and agile methodologies, giving space and support for personal and professional growth.”
João Leal, CSM, PMP — Solutions Architect @ NS90
“I saw him evolve from an excellent developer to a natural born leader, innovation coach, and later an entrepreneur. Combines technical excellence with transparency and is a driver for lean and agile.”
Alexander Torrenegra — CEO @ Torre.ai
“Very knowledgeable in software development, internationalization, online marketing, and entrepreneurship. Also a great human being you want to be friends with.”
Luis Betancourt — Digital Marketing Consultant
“Always researching ways to make our business grow.”
João Barreiro — Organizational Consultant
“Team player with innovative ideas, kaizen mindset, and a focus on continuous improvement.”
Francisco Andrade — Senior Staff Engineer @ N-able
“As Team Leader and Innovation Coach, he always gives his best and works at 110% to do more and better.”
Fred Figueiredo — Work-Life Balance Coach
“Leadership, team spirit, and skills were key for our success.”
Ricardo Santos — Agile Leader
“Highly motivated, focused, great team player, and passionate about software development.”