About
About Anas Semesmieh
Engineering Manager and Solutions Architect focused on platform engineering, Azure, DevSecOps, developer productivity, and resilient cloud delivery.
Anas Semesmieh is a Sydney-based Engineering Manager and Solutions Architect with more than 14 years of experience across software engineering, cloud architecture, DevSecOps, and platform engineering. He leads teams and platforms that improve developer productivity, strengthen security, and reduce infrastructure cost, with deep experience in Azure, automation, internal developer platforms, and large-scale delivery.
Outside work, he builds and documents a public homelab to stay hands-on with backup automation, self-hosting, disaster recovery, and secure operations.
Quick Facts
Featured Wins
Across engineering leadership, cloud architecture, and delivery transformation, Anas has focused on making platforms more scalable, secure, and efficient.
- Reduced Azure cloud spend by 50 percent through targeted platform and cost-optimization initiatives.
- Led migration of repositories and pipelines from Azure DevOps to GitHub to improve CI/CD reliability and security.
- Introduced self-service platform patterns and internal developer portal capabilities to improve developer productivity.
- Reduced KTLO effort by 30 percent to free capacity for higher-value platform work.
- Drove practical AI adoption with engineering guardrails to improve team effectiveness.
Core Expertise
His work sits at the intersection of platform strategy and hands-on technical execution.
Platform Engineering and Developer Productivity
Designing shared platform capabilities, self-service workflows, and delivery standards that help teams ship faster with less operational drag.
Azure Cloud Architecture and Cloud-Native Delivery
Building resilient Azure platforms and modern application delivery paths that balance velocity, reliability, and operating cost.
DevSecOps, CI/CD, and Infrastructure as Code
Applying automation, Git-based workflows, and repeatable infrastructure patterns to improve release confidence and security posture.
Engineering Leadership and Operational Maturity
Leading teams, mentoring engineers, and translating platform work into measurable outcomes such as lower KTLO load, faster delivery, and stronger governance.
Career Snapshot
Anas has progressed from software engineering and infrastructure roles into architecture and engineering leadership positions across multiple markets.
Engineering Manager - Platform Engineering at Pickles Auctions
Leads platform engineering initiatives spanning build and release engineering, environment management, Azure cost optimization, and shared platform services.
Development Lead at CarZapp
Built cloud-native solutions on Azure, led application delivery across mobile and web, and improved release practices through stronger CI/CD foundations.
Solutions Architect / Senior Software Engineer at Strateq Group
Designed IoT and analytics platforms, introduced Infrastructure as Code practices, and delivered enterprise integrations that improved workflow automation.
Earlier Software Engineering, Operations, and Training Roles
Built a foundation across application development, IT operations, Azure and Office 365 administration, and technical training.
Featured Writing
Three deeper reads on self-hosting, AI adoption, and the hands-on platform habits behind the rest of the work.
Self-Hosting Vaultwarden
Why I replaced a hosted password manager with Vaultwarden to own the data, drop the subscription, and keep the client experience intact.
AI Is an Amplifier, Not a Substitute for Engineering Judgment
Why I treat AI as a team amplifier: less repetitive work, better first drafts, and more room for judgment where it matters.
My Home Lab Journey: Start Here
A guided entry point into the Docker-based homelab I use to practice self-hosting, recovery drills, and automation-first operations.
Podcasts and Workshops
Public appearances on AI adoption, platform guardrails, leadership under uncertainty, and wholesale transformation.
Evolution Exchange Australia Podcast
A leadership panel on AI as augmentation, leading through uncertainty, and how platform teams help organizations move safely.
AADA Workshop: SaaS for Wholesale in Automotive
A practical workshop on evaluating SaaS for wholesale operations through process fit, integrations, digital reach, and rollout discipline.
Open Source and Public Work
Open source projects that extend Anas's platform engineering and product thinking into public, reusable work.
Homelab Repository
Documents backup workflows, restore procedures, Docker Compose services, and supporting scripts for a real self-hosted environment.
GraNazi
A local-first, privacy-compliant desktop grammar assistant — a self-hosted alternative to Grammarly built with Tauri v2 (Rust + TypeScript) and local AI via Ollama. No cloud, no subscriptions.
Connect
For engineering leadership, platform transformation, cloud architecture, or collaboration opportunities, the best way to reach Anas is via email or LinkedIn.