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Dean Hattenhauer

Dean Hattenhauer

Infrastructure Engineer & Backend Developer

Greenwood, AR
479-255-8230

Background


About

About

Infrastructure Engineer and backend developer building toward a DevOps career through hands-on lab work and structured backend engineering study. Independently designed and operate a self-hosted Linux server running a full production-adjacent stack: Docker-containerized services, Prometheus and Grafana monitoring, Tailscale mesh VPN, Pi-hole DNS, automated cron-based maintenance and backup pipelines, and a custom Flask application, all managed from the command line. Completed backend engineering coursework covering Python, Go, HTTP clients and servers, Docker, SQL, data structures, Git, and Linux. Brings 8+ years of process improvement and automation experience, a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and a professional scripting background in PowerShell and JavaScript. Approaches infrastructure the same way: understand it before you expand it.

Work Experience

Work Experience

  • QA Content Analyst, Experis

    Jan, 2026 - Mar, 20262 months

    Short-term contract evaluating AI-generated outputs for Meta wearables products against defined acceptance criteria in a remote Agile environment.

    • Performed structured quality review of AI-generated outputs against defined acceptance criteria in a fast-paced, remote Agile environment.

    • Applied consistent scoring standards, documented edge cases, and flagged systematic issues to support ongoing model quality improvement.

  • Data Analyst, Foundation Risk Partners

    Oct, 2024 - Oct, 20251 year

    Data analysis, reporting automation, and process improvement across insurance operations.

    • Automated repetitive audit tasks using PowerShell scripts (data cleanup, report archiving, SLA alerts), cutting manual workload by 60% and improving consistency.

    • Conducted root cause analysis on process gaps and compliance failures; implemented standardized corrective workflows, reducing repeat audit issues by 35%.

    • Developed and maintained Power BI dashboards and Excel reports to track KPIs for audit performance, SLA adherence, and process compliance.

    • Led change management for audit workflow updates by creating documentation, training materials, and adoption strategies across multiple departments.

  • Lead Quality Analyst, Foundever

    Apr, 2022 - Sep, 20242 years 5 months

    Rejoined after a one-year IT Project Coordinator role; returned with expanded scope in automation, data-driven reporting, and cross-site continuous improvement.

    • Automated call grading evaluation processes, boosting evaluation efficiency by 15% across four operational sites.

    • Facilitated RCPS workshops, reducing defects by 50% and improving Six Sigma performance from 3.09 to 3.58.

    • Designed and implemented a centralized quality reporting system to monitor metrics and enable rapid, targeted coaching.

    • Standardized QA documentation and escalation protocols, reducing onboarding time and ensuring cross-team consistency.

  • IT Project Coordinator, SmartSource, Inc.

    Apr, 2021 - Apr, 20221 year

    IT Project coordination across 15+ high-priority client accounts.

    • Managed project timelines, billing, and deliverables across 15+ concurrent client engagements.

    • Handled technology vetting, vendor evaluation, and hiring decisions in support of client operations.

  • Lead Quality Analyst, Foundever

    Feb, 2016 - Apr, 20215 years 2 months

    Led QA initiatives and reporting automation supporting Bank of America financial operations.

    • Facilitated weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly business reviews with senior bank stakeholders, presenting KPI trends and performance improvement plans.

    • Developed executive-ready KPI dashboards and performance reports covering dispute resolution accuracy, SLA adherence, and compliance across multiple sites.

    • Partnered with directors and VPs to create corrective action plans for underperforming metrics, resulting in measurable improvements in accuracy and timeliness.

    • Translated quality data into actionable insights, positioning QA as a driver of operational and financial performance.

Projects Experience

Projects Experience

  • Home Lab - Infrastructure & Networking

    - Present

    Designed and built a self-hosted server stack from scratch on repurposed hardware running Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS headless, managed entirely from the command line via SSH. Deployed Jellyfin for self-hosted media, Samba for cross-platform file sharing, Pi-hole for network-wide DNS ad blocking, and Tailscale mesh VPN for secure remote access without open firewall ports. Worked around a network-provided router that blocks custom upstream DNS by running Pi-hole per-device; blocked 40%+ of all DNS queries on day one. Unified all services under a Homepage dashboard and resolved a multi-path networking failure where the dashboard was inaccessible over Tailscale but worked locally; diagnosed to HOMEPAGE_ALLOWED_HOSTS missing the Tailscale address. Active infrastructure goal: full Docker containerization so the entire stack migrates to new hardware via compose file and volume copy only.

    • Ubuntu Server, Docker, Docker Compose, Portainer, Pi-hole, Tailscale, Samba, Jellyfin, SSH, Bash, LVM

  • Home Lab - Automation, Monitoring & Observability

    - Present

    Built the operational layer on top of the home lab infrastructure. Deployed Prometheus and Grafana for custom PromQL dashboards, Netdata for real-time system monitoring, and Uptime Kuma for per-service health checks, all with Telegram alerting. Chose to run Netdata and Prometheus+Grafana simultaneously: Netdata for zero-config real-time visibility, Grafana for custom queries; a deliberate tradeoff between operational simplicity and professional-grade flexibility. Built a cron-based automation layer covering a WiFi watchdog that runs every 5 minutes, auto-reconnects on failure, and fires a Telegram alert if it cannot recover; a healthchecks.io heartbeat monitor that alerts via Telegram and email if the server goes silent; and a weekly maintenance window that pulls latest Docker images, restarts all containers, prunes unused images, applies package updates, and reboots with Telegram confirmation. Weekly backup job archives Terraria, Minecraft, MySQL, and Homepage config to the Samba share with success/failure notifications. A companion Mac script pulls the latest backup locally with a color progress bar.

    • Prometheus, Grafana, PromQL, Netdata, Uptime Kuma, healthchecks.io, cron, Bash, Telegram

  • Flask + MySQL Inventory Application

    - Present

    Built and deployed a full-stack CRUD web application via Docker Compose running on the home lab server. Two-tab UI managing household supplies and tracked assets. Demonstrates end-to-end containerized application deployment: Python/Flask backend, MySQL database with persistent Docker volume, multi-container orchestration via Compose, and service accessible over Tailscale from any device.

    • Python, Flask, MySQL, Docker, Docker Compose, TailScale

  • Static Site Generator (Python)

    - Present

    Built a fully functional static site generator in Python from scratch. Converts Markdown files into a complete HTML website using a recursive file system crawler, custom Markdown parser, and object-oriented node architecture.

    • Python, OOP, Markdown Parsing, Regex, Recursion, File System Operations

  • AI Agent in Python

    - Present

    Built an LLM-powered autonomous agent using the Google Gemini API capable of reading, writing, and executing code via tool-use feedback loops. Demonstrates practical LLM API integration, context window management, function calling, and automated code execution; concepts directly applicable to infrastructure automation and AI-assisted tooling.

    • Python, Google Gemini API, LLM Tool Use, Agentic Workflows, Function Calling

  • JavaScript Evaluation Automation (Foundever)

    - Present

    Developed a browser-based JavaScript automation tool to evaluate agent-submitted code functions for syntax correctness, edge-case handling, and runtime performance. Used DOM manipulation to dynamically parse input elements, trigger test cases, and surface validation results; reducing manual review time and improving scoring consistency across the QA team.

    • JavaScript, DOM Manipulation, Automated Scoring, Unit Testing

  • Audit Workflow Automation (Foundation Risk Partners)

    - Present

    Automated internal audit workflows using PowerShell, covering file attachment handling, report archiving, and SLA alert triggering. Cut manual workload by 60% and significantly improved consistency and audit turnaround time across the compliance reporting pipeline.

    • PowerShell, Excel, Process Automation

  • Portfolio Site & Live Resume System

    - Present

    Built a custom portfolio site driven by a JSON schema as a single source of truth. Content updates in one file propagate across all rendered sections automatically. Designed and developed from scratch with a focus on clean structure, ATS compatibility, and maintainability.

    • HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JSON Schema

  • UI Automation with Selenium & Katalon

    - Present

    Built automated UI test scripts in Python using Selenium WebDriver to validate form and navigation flows. Explored Katalon Studio for codeless test automation and reporting dashboards.

    • Selenium WebDriver, Python, Katalon Studio, Automation Frameworks

  • API Testing with Postman

    - Present

    Built 30+ Postman tests validating CRUD and authentication endpoints. Used JavaScript assertions and dynamic environment variables to chain requests and verify response codes, payloads, and performance thresholds.

    • Postman, REST API, JavaScript Assertions, Auth Tokens

  • Performance Testing with JMeter

    - Present

    Configured Thread Groups, Controllers, and Listeners to simulate user load and analyze response time and throughput. Applied performance metrics (utilization, robustness, scalability) to identify bottlenecks under varying test conditions.

    • JMeter, BlazeMeter, Load Testing, Performance Analysis

  • RCPS Defect Reduction Initiative (Foundever)

    - Present

    Led Root Cause Problem Solving workshops targeting systemic QA performance failures across multiple sites. Reduced recurring defects by 50% and improved Six Sigma performance from 3.09 to 3.58 sigma using DMAIC methodology.

    • Six Sigma DMAIC, RCA Frameworks

  • Movie Information Finder (Front-End)

    - Present

    JavaScript web app integrating the TMDb API for movie search, detail retrieval, and random recommendations. Modular code structure with responsive UI.

    • HTML, CSS, JavaScript, TMDb API

  • Weather App (Front-End)

    - Present

    Front-end weather application with real-time forecast retrieval by city and state via OpenWeatherMap API. Responsive layout for mobile and desktop.

    • HTML, CSS, JavaScript, OpenWeatherMap API

Skills

Skills

  • Infrastructure & Systems

    Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS

    Linux CLI

    Bash / Shell Scripting

    SSH / Key-based Auth

    systemd

    cron

    LVM / Storage Management

    nmcli / WiFi Networking

    Package Management (apt)

    User & Permission Management

    Headless Server Administration

  • Containerization & Networking

    Docker

    Docker Compose

    Portainer

    Container Networking

    Named Volumes / Bind Mounts

    Dockerfile

    Tailscale / WireGuard

    Pi-hole / DNS

    Samba / SMB

    Multi-path Networking

    VPN Management

  • Monitoring & Observability

    Prometheus

    Grafana / PromQL

    Netdata

    Uptime Kuma

    healthchecks.io

    Time-series Metrics

    Alerting (Telegram)

  • Languages

    Python

    Go

    JavaScript

    SQL

    Bash

    PowerShell

    VBA

  • Backend & Development

    REST API Design

    HTTP Servers (Go)

    HTTP Clients (Go)

    Flask

    MySQL

    Git

    OOP

    Functional Programming

    Data Structures & Algorithms

    LLM API Integration

  • Process & Methodology

    Lean Six Sigma (Black Belt)

    Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

    DMAIC

    Process Automation

    Process Documentation

    Agile / Scrum

    KPI Tracking

    Data Visualization

Certificates

Certificates

  • Lean Six Sigma - Black Belt, RPM Academy

    Issued on: Apr 22, 2024

  • Learn HTTP Servers in Go, Boot.dev

    Issued on: Jun 07, 2026

  • Learn Docker, Boot.dev

    Issued on: Jun 08, 2026

  • Learn Go, Boot.dev

    Issued on: May 20, 2026

  • Learn HTTP Clients in Go, Boot.dev

    Issued on: May 22, 2026

  • Learn SQL, Boot.dev

    Issued on: May 23, 2026

  • Build a Static Site Generator in Python, Boot.dev

    Issued on: Mar 16, 2026

  • Learn Data Structures and Algorithms in Python, Boot.dev

    Issued on: Feb 17, 2026

  • The Complete 2025 Software Testing Bootcamp, Udemy

    Issued on: Oct 09, 2025

  • Build an AI Agent in Python, Boot.dev

    Issued on: Sep 01, 2025

  • Learn Functional Programming in Python, Boot.dev

    Issued on: Aug 26, 2025

  • Power BI Essential Training (NASBA Certified), LinkedIn Learning

    Issued on: Aug 06, 2025

  • SQL Essential Training (NASBA Certified), LinkedIn Learning

    Issued on: Jul 31, 2025

  • Build an Asteroids Game in Python, Boot.dev

    Issued on: Feb 15, 2025

  • Learn Object Oriented Programming in Python, Boot.dev

    Issued on: Feb 11, 2025

  • Learn Git, Boot.dev

    Issued on: Jan 29, 2025

  • Build a Bookbot in Python, Boot.dev

    Issued on: Jan 30, 2025

  • Learn Linux, Boot.dev

    Issued on: Jan 21, 2025

  • Introduction to Python, Boot.dev

    Issued on: Jan 15, 2025

  • Cybersecurity, RPM Academy

    Issued on: Apr 17, 2024

  • Data Analysis, RPM Academy

    Issued on: Apr 15, 2024

  • Agile Project Management, RPM Academy

    Issued on: Apr 15, 2024

  • MySQL Essential Training, LinkedIn Learning

    Issued on: Oct 17, 2023