Ben Ashwell
About Ben Ashwell
Ben Ashwell is a Lead Software Engineer at Made Tech in Swansea, Wales, with extensive experience in various software development roles and a strong background in Java and Spring technologies.
Current Role at Made Tech
Ben Ashwell is currently employed as a Lead Software Engineer at Made Tech located in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. His responsibilities include overseeing software projects, leading engineering teams, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality digital solutions. Ben plays a crucial role in both the technical and managerial aspects of software development, emphasizing user-centered design and digital accessibility.
Previous Professional Experience
Ben has accumulated substantial experience across various roles and companies. He served as a Senior Software Engineer at Matrix Booking Ltd from 2020 to 2022 in Wales, and as a Java Developer at both Keytree (2019-2020) in Port Talbot and CGI (2017-2019) in London. Prior to these roles, he worked as a Software Engineer for Capgemini (2015-2017) in London and as a Software Technician at Technocamps (2012-2014) in Aberystwyth. His early career began at Cranham Computer Centre as a Computer Engineer (2009-2010) in Upminster, and at Godfrey & Lappage Services Limited as a Refrigeration Engineer (2008-2012) in London.
Education and Expertise
Ben Ashwell holds a Master of Engineering (MEng) in Software Engineering from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, where he studied from 2010 to 2015, focusing on Java, C, and web technologies. He also attended Palmers College from 2008 to 2010, achieving A Levels in Computing, Physics, and Mathematics. Ben specializes in Java Programming, Spring, PostgreSQL, Liquibase, SAS Base Programming, SAS Management Console, UNIX Scripting, Teaching, Agile Methodology, C and C# Programming, Robotics, Electronics, HTML5 and CSS, and ASP.Net Programming.
Project Involvements
Ben Ashwell has contributed to various impactful projects. At Made Tech, he worked on the Homes for Ukraine service, delivering a minimum viable product in only 2 weeks. He supported the transition of the service back to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). Additionally, he played a key role in developing the Housing Repairs reporting tool, enhancing functionalities such as communal repairs reporting, instant repair submission, photo upload, and appointment rescheduling, ensuring a focus on user experience and accessibility.
Technical Skills and Tools
Ben is proficient in using a range of technologies and tools. He has hands-on experience with Ruby on Rails, PostgreSQL, Redis, GitHub Actions, and monitoring tools like Prometheus. His role also involves incident management via PagerDuty. Through his career, he has further developed skills in Angular.js and emphasizes the importance of digital accessibility and inclusivity in service design. He regularly engages in user research and feedback to enhance digital services.