Joe Kier Hagos
Software Engineer | DevOps & AI
About Me
Hi I am Joe Kier (pronounced Joker), a Software Engineer focused on cloud infrastructure, with an emphasis on serverless architecture, cost-efficient systems, and AI/LLMs.
I work primarily with AWS, building backend and deployment systems centered on automation, scalability, and production reliability.
I also explore LLMs through applied projects, focusing on practical integration into real systems such as structured data extraction, workflow automation, and AI-powered user features.
My focus is on building systems that are constrained by real-world cost, scale, and operational requirements.
Experience
Software Engineering Intern
— Creciendo Philippines Inc.- ●Developed full-stack production web applications using Next.js, React, Tailwind CSS, MongoDB, and AWS
- ●Built responsive user interfaces and scalable backend APIs with Express and Node.js
- ●Integrated Large Language Models (LLMs) to add AI-driven capabilities
- ●Secured APIs with multi-layer Zod validation and JWT-based RBAC authentication
- ●Collaborated on code reviews and CI workflows using Git and Bitbucket
Full Stack Engineer
— Freelance- ●Developed and deployed web applications and backend systems for private clients
- ●Designed database schemas and implemented data-driven backend functionality
- ●Built APIs and integrated third-party services for application features
- ●Assisted with hosting and deployment setup for client applications
- ●Translated requirements into working software solutions
PROJECTS
ToraBeta
Expo · React Native · AWS Lambda · AWS Bedrock · Neon Postgres · +8 more
Designed a serverless AI fitness platform with event-driven backend workflows, cost-controlled LLM inference pipeline, and scalable architecture primarily using AWS Lambda, Bedrock, and Neon Postgres.
Nexus
AWS CDK · AWS ECS Fargate · AWS RDS PostgreSQL · AWS SQS · AWS S3 · +5 more
Architected a fully private ingestion pipeline using VPC Endpoints and ECS Fargate, enforcing 100% internal data flow with zero public internet ingress, egress, NAT, or bastion exposure.
Atlas
Terraform · AWS EC2 · AWS VPC · AWS IAM · AWS S3 · +11 more
Deployed a 3-node Kubernetes cluster and standalone LGTM+P stack with zero-public-port security, eliminating all SSH exposure via AWS SSM Session Manager.
Tech Stacks
Certifications
AWS Cloud Quest: Generative AI Practitioner
Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals
AWS Knowledge: Compute
Introduction to Kubernetes
Introduction to DevOps and Site Reliability Engineering
Introduction to Linux
AWS Knowledge: Networking Core
AWS Knowledge: Cloud Essentials
Blogs
How I Cut AWS Lambda Cold Starts by 70% Through ORM Optimization
A data-backed story of identifying performance bottlenecks and optimizing a serverless application.
Read Article →The Zero-Infrastructure Stack: Why Hono + Lambda Fits My MVP Workflow
Why Hono is replacing Express for my serverless deployments.
Read Article →Cache Strategies for High-Performance Apps: Reducing Latency and Costs
How to use caching effectively to improve performance, reduce backend load, and optimize costs in modern applications.
Read Article →Contact
Feel free to reach out for professional inquiries, collaborations, or opportunities.