Lukas Pfannschmidt

Lukas Pfannschmidt

Sr. Machine Learning Engineer

super.AI

Biography

Hello! I’m a Senior Machine Learning Engineer with a zest for optimizing workflows and a passion for turning complexity into simplicity. My journey in tech started in childhood, leading me to complete a PhD in Machine Learning. This journey was driven by my love for seeing metrics improve and systems run smoothly, like a well-oiled machine.

Key Triumphs

  • PhD in Machine Learning: A testament to my persistence and dedication to deep research, reflecting my commitment to mastering complex concepts and my ability to independently navigate through extended periods of intensive study. This journey not only honed my technical skills but also strengthened my resilience and problem-solving capabilities in the face of challenging research scenarios.
  • Mastering the art of reducing technical debt: Transformed legacy systems into efficient, cloud-native marvels. Significantly improved system reliability and observability, reducing error rates and establishing critical technical metrics.

Work Style

I excel in focused, self-driven research, constantly learning from others to avoid redundancy. My work is guided by the Pareto principle - prioritizing efficiency and meaningful impact over perfectionism. This approach ensures that I deliver substantial results promptly, balancing quality with practicality for optimal productivity.

Life Beyond the Screen

  • Sports Enthusiast: Weightlifting, running, hiking in the mountains.
  • Gamer at Heart: Strategy games and logistics-based video games like Factorio.
  • Food and Travel: A quest for amazing vegan meals and new travel destinations.

Vision and Goals

My journey in the tech world is continually evolving, driven by a broad knowledge base and a knack for tackling diverse challenges. I see immense value in collaborative efforts, where collective strengths can lead to exceptional outcomes. As I advance in my career, my aim is to contribute more significantly to team endeavors, leveraging my experiences to facilitate growth and innovation.

In essence, I am a blend of a lifelong learner, tech enthusiast, and an adventurer, both in the digital realm and beyond.

Interests
  • Advanced Machine Learning Techniques
  • Cutting-edge Software Engineering Practices
  • Machine Learning Operations (MLOps)
  • Innovative Cloud Application Development
Education
  • Dr. rer. nat. Machine Learning, 2021

    Bielefeld University

  • B.Sc & M.Sc. in Bioinformatics and Genome Research, 2014 & 2016

    Bielefeld University

Experience

 
 
 
 
 
Senior Machine Learning Engineer
Nov 2023 – Present Berlin, Germany
  • Document Intelligence: Enhanced product features for improved document analysis, focusing on customized solutions for client-specific needs. Developed advanced techniques for efficient and accurate extraction of key features from diverse document types.
  • Backend Optimization: Led the optimization of the backend platform to manage large-scale data efficiently. Focused on key metrics like cost, quality, and speed, achieving significant improvements in handling customer workloads. Implemented enhancements to the processing flow, drastically reducing error rates in the overall pipeline by 100x. Worked on the overall observability platform, establishing key technical metrics that guided further improvements.
  • Technical Leadership: Provided guidance and expertise to the team, fostering a culture of agility and continuous improvement. Conducted research and implemented new software tools to accelerate development and improve system maintainability.
 
 
 
 
 
Machine Learning Engineer
Nov 2020 – Oct 2023 Berlin, Germany
  • ML Engineering: Designed a scalable AI model backend service (DB, API) using an event-driven serverless architecture. Established a Kubernetes-based model deployment, reducing costs by 80%. Developed and extended open-source Python SDKs for interacting with the platform.
  • Cloud Engineering: Led the migration of a heterogeneous legacy AWS stack to Kubernetes using Terraform (IaC), resulting in a 60% cost reduction, enhanced fault tolerance, and streamlined maintenance. Established compliance rules within the organization (SOC2).
  • DevOps: Maintained and expanded CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, ArgoCD) for backend and application deployments, and introduced coding standards to increase agility.
  • AI Research: Investigated and implemented AI solutions to address customer challenges, utilizing state-of-the-art large language models (LLM) for text matching and information extraction applied to millions of records.
 
 
 
 
 
Research Associate
Oct 2018 – Oct 2020 Bielefeld, Germany

Responsibilities include:

  • Research ( Modelling & Analysis )
  • Development and Deployment
  • Scientific writing and presentation
 
 
 
 
 
Guest Researcher
May 2018 – Sep 2018 Vancouver, Canada

Responsibilities include:

  • Research ( Feature Representation, Non-linear Models)
  • Scientific writing and presentation
 
 
 
 
 
Research Associate
Oct 2015 – Apr 2018 Bielefeld, Germany

Responsibilities include:

  • Research & Development
  • Scientific writing and presentation
  • Teaching
 
 
 
 
 
Teaching Assistant
Apr 2014 – Oct 2016 Bielefeld, Germany

Responsibilities include:

  • Teaching
 
 
 
 
 
Technical Lead
Endoscope App Team Competition - Winner Team
Apr 2013 – Nov 2013 Bielefeld, Germany

Project Goal: Android App for medical professionals handling and washing endoscopes in a clinical setting.

Developed in competitive setting with the endoscope manufacturer (Miele) as client. Focus on agile development with changing requirements.

Responsibilities include:

  • Software architecture
  • Task delegation
  • DevOps
  • Development