César Ballardini

Senior Software Developer · System Architect · Educator Energy Grid & Power Systems | Vue.js · TypeScript · Python · GNU/Linux

Argentina

cesar.ballardini@gmail.com · LinkedIn · GitHub · Skill Keywords · Consulting Services

Basic Info

I work as a senior software developer, system architect, and technical educator. This role draws on more than 35 years of experience across software development, infrastructure engineering, and university teaching. The result is:

Comprehensive understanding of the full technology stack, from frontend applications through backend services to underlying infrastructure
Practical ability to design, build, automate, and maintain production systems end-to-end
Capacity to communicate complex technical concepts with clarity — refined through two decades of university instruction

Benefits from This Experience

Purpose-built internal tools that translate intricate domain workflows into effective, usable software
Automated, reproducible infrastructure that accelerates provisioning and eliminates configuration drift
Robust GNU/Linux server and network environments, seamlessly integrated with heterogeneous systems
Thorough documentation and structured knowledge transfer — teams gain autonomy, not dependency

Summary


35+	years in IT, software development, and infrastructure
25+	years teaching at universities (3 institutions, 6+ courses)
10+	years in the energy sector (SCADA, grid optimization)
300+	managed desktops provisioned and administered
350+	users supported on SCO Unix and GNU/Linux application servers
$100M+	in annual customer savings attributed to grid reconfiguration work
4	sectors served: energy, government, education, private consulting
2	languages: Spanish (native), English (professional working)

Major Achievements

Helped build the analysis platform at NewGrid that power systems engineers use to identify grid reconfigurations and study their impacts — work that has contributed to over $100 million in annual customer savings in the U.S. Midwest (World Economic Forum)
Introduced Infrastructure as Code practices using Ansible within a provincial government organization, establishing the first IaC environments from the ground up
Engineered custom Debian installation media that reduced desktop provisioning from 2–3 days per machine to 5 simultaneous installations in 2 hours
Migrated a 50-user Microsoft Windows file server to a Debian-based Samba server architected to support 300 users
Scaled IT infrastructure to over 300 managed desktops distributed across multiple government buildings
Established the first online Internet access and the first public-facing web server at a university campus
Designed and deployed the first intranet at a provincial power utility serving 350+ users
Founded and directed an IT consulting firm delivering open-source solutions to clients in maritime transport, education, manufacturing, and services

Current Focus

Designing and maintaining an internal analysis platform used by power systems engineers to investigate grid congestion and recommend transmission reconfigurations
Developing specialized tooling for highly qualified electrical engineers with deep expertise in grid operations and electricity markets
Collaborating with domain experts to translate complex power systems workflows into well-structured software solutions
Teaching programming paradigms (Smalltalk, Scheme, Prolog) at Universidad Tecnológica Nacional — 25 years and continuing

Skills

Full-stack software development spanning modern frontend technologies (Vue.js, TypeScript, Vite) and backend services (Python, Flask, PostgreSQL), with a focus on building internal tools for domain specialists
System architecture and infrastructure design, from bare-metal GNU/Linux servers to cloud deployments on AWS, Digital Ocean, and Tektonic
Infrastructure automation and configuration management using Ansible and Terraform, encompassing fleet-wide convergence and reproducible development environments with Vagrant and Docker containers
Network services engineering: DNS, DHCP, firewalls, web proxies, mail servers, backup systems (Bacula), and VPN
Data visualization and interactive analytical dashboards using D3.js, Chart.js, and Leaflet for geospatial representation
Heterogeneous environment integration across GNU/Linux and Microsoft Windows platforms, including file services (Samba), messaging, spam filtering, and vertical business applications
Technical instruction and curriculum design for university courses and professional workshops, with a sustained ability to convey complex systems with precision and clarity
Energy sector domain expertise spanning SCADA software evaluation, grid congestion analysis, and transmission topology optimization

Experience

NewGrid

Senior Software Developer January 2023 – Present | Boston, MA

Help design and maintain an internal analysis platform used by power systems engineers with deep expertise in grid operations and electricity markets to investigate client grid congestion and recommend transmission reconfigurations
The platform our team builds enables engineers to identify reconfigurations that have contributed to over $100 million in annual customer savings in the U.S. Midwest (World Economic Forum)
Collaborate closely with domain experts to translate complex power systems workflows into effective software solutions

NewGrid

Software Developer March 2022 – December 2022 | Boston, MA

Joined NewGrid to develop internal tools supporting the company’s transmission topology optimization services
Delivered software features for engineers analyzing grid congestion patterns and evaluating reconfiguration options

Secretaría de Tecnologías para la Gestión (Government Technology Office – Santa Fe Province)

Server and Application Provisioning Automation Engineer July 2016 – January 2023 | Santa Fe Province, Argentina

Automated provisioning and configuration of virtual machines on VMware hypervisors across testing, staging, training, and production environments
Configured OS-level services (DNS, web proxy, kernel parameters) and application stacks including GitLab, Jenkins, LDAP, Apache, PHP, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and shared filesystems
Managed configuration convergence using Ansible and Python, ensuring consistent state across the entire server fleet
Introduced Vagrant, VirtualBox, and Docker containers to establish reproducible testing environments for infrastructure development
Pioneered Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices using Ansible, building the organization’s first IaC environments
Delivered a Debian server administration course for senior technical staff
Diagnosed and resolved server and application issues for the provincial government of Santa Fe

Ministerio de Innovación y Cultura (Ministry of Innovation and Culture – Santa Fe Province)

Systems and Network Administrator January 2012 – June 2016 | Santa Fe, Argentina

Scaled the IT infrastructure to over 300 managed desktops distributed across multiple buildings
Replaced all locally attached inkjet printers with networked laser printers on a per-office basis
Engineered custom Debian installation media that reduced desktop provisioning from 2–3 days per machine to 5 simultaneous installations in 2 hours
Migrated centralized configuration management from Puppet to Ansible
Interconnected all ministry buildings to the Internet, enabling remote administration and diagnostics from headquarters
Deployed government applications for the Culture area including cultural heritage (Patrimonio Cultural) and open-source library and catalog software
Advised on and implemented free software adoption strategies across the ministry

Ministerio de Innovación y Cultura (Ministry of Innovation and Culture – Santa Fe Province)

Systems and Network Contractor June 2008 – December 2011 | Santa Fe, Argentina

Established the IT ticketing system to track work items, coordinate procurement of components and supplies, and build an institutional knowledge base of issues and resolutions
Laid the operational foundation for IT services within a newly created government area
Migrated a Microsoft Windows file server (50 users) to a Debian-based Samba server scaled to support 300 users
Deployed the primary server on Debian GNU/Linux, using vserver to create container-like virtual machines hosting internal services
Provisioned DHCP servers across principal buildings to streamline machine onboarding and support roaming executive laptops
Deployed DNS infrastructure for internal web services, including PAC (Proxy Auto-Configuration) support
Implemented and configured Bacula backup system for full server backup to magnetic tape
Developed automatic Internet failure detection across principal buildings, enabling transparent failover to an alternative proxy server to maintain web access
Introduced Puppet for centralized configuration management across the desktop and server fleet
Diagnosed and resolved network, operating system, and application issues across the ministry’s infrastructure
Administered GNU/Linux desktop networks, server installations, and network services

Universidad Tecnológica Nacional – Facultad Regional Santa Fe

Head Teaching Assistant – Programming Paradigms March 2001 – Present | Santa Fe, Argentina

Instruct students in functional, logic, and object-oriented programming paradigms using Pharo Smalltalk, Racket Scheme, and SWI Prolog
Guide students through hands-on implementation of programs across multiple paradigms
Coordinate junior and senior teaching assistants
25 years of continuous involvement in the course

Universidad Tecnológica Nacional – Regional Santa Fe

Head Teaching Assistant – Operating Systems Design & Implementation June 2010 – May 2015 | Santa Fe, Argentina

Directed hands-on laboratory sessions focused on the comprehension, modification, and extension of the MINIX 3 operating system
Students explored the internals of a microkernel architecture, learning to read assembler and write C code for device driver servers, file system servers, hardware and software interrupt handling, and CPU scheduling
Supervised student projects involving kernel-level C programming and operating system internals

Self Employed – IT Consultant

Freelance IT Consultant August 2000 – Present

Independent system administration, software development, and technical training services
Migrated client file servers from Microsoft Windows to Debian-based Samba servers
Deployed and configured firewalls, mail servers, web servers, database servers (PostgreSQL, MySQL), and network infrastructure
Integrated GNU/Linux server applications with Microsoft Windows environments including messaging, spam filtering, virus detection, and vertical business applications
Conducted GNU/Linux system administration and performance analysis training for sysadmin teams at client organizations

Netmanagers

Owner March 2006 – December 2011 | Argentina

Founded and directed an IT consulting firm specializing in open-source and Free Software solutions for business infrastructure
Designed and implemented network infrastructure strategies for clients in maritime freight transport, web-based educational platforms, manufacturing, and service industries
Applied deep expertise in GNU/Linux and Free Software to deliver cost-effective, reliable alternatives to proprietary solutions
Evaluated and strengthened logical security across client environments
Cultivated long-term client relationships through strategic IT consulting and sustained technical support

Universidad Católica de Santiago del Estero

Adjunct Professor March 2005 – July 2011 | Rafaela, Argentina

Artificial Intelligence: taught search algorithms, knowledge representation, and logic using Python
Software Engineering for Internet Applications:
- Project-based course structured around weekly team deliverables
- Students selected their language (Python, PHP, or Ruby) and worked with PostgreSQL on a shared virtual server from day one, replicating professional development workflows
- Course culminated in a formal presentation to IT managers and business owners from the local community, connecting soon-to-graduate students with prospective employers

Universidad Adventista del Plata

Adjunct Professor August 2001 – February 2011 | Villa Libertador General San Martín, Argentina

Taught four courses: Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, Advanced Database Systems, and Introduction to Programming
Instruction delivered across multiple languages including Python and C

Empresa Provincial de la Energía de Santa Fe (Provincial Power Utility of Santa Fe)

Software Supervisor December 1989 – August 2000 | Santa Fe, Argentina

Administered firewalls, DNS, NIS, mail systems, and database systems for a provincial power utility
Provided second-tier technical support on SCO Unix and GNU/Linux application servers serving 350+ users
Evaluated and selected relational database management software and SCADA systems
Installed, configured, and performance-tuned firewalls, application servers, and desktops
Managed internationalization (I18n) and localization (l10n) of user-facing applications
Evaluated and selected hardware and development tools for the portable meter input system
Designed and deployed the company’s first intranet
Trained technical staff on systems and tooling

Universidad Tecnológica Nacional – Facultad Regional Santa Fe

Sysadmin & Postmaster March 1996 – March 1998 | Santa Fe, Argentina

Established and administered the first online Internet access on the university campus
Deployed the faculty’s first public-facing web server with stringent security configuration
Managed UUCP, firewall, DNS, and mail systems
Configured remote-boot GNU/Linux desktops on a Novell NetWare-based laboratory network, providing students access to graphical web browsers
Delivered technical support to all departments within the faculty

Universidad Nacional de Rosario

Software Developer February 1988 – December 1989 | Rosario, Argentina

Developed educational software using Micro-Prolog and carousel slide automation
Engineered a student records management system for tracking academic records including courses, examinations, and grades
Analyzed and developed administrative software systems using the Clipper Summer ‘87 compiler

Education

Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN)

Ingeniero en Sistemas de Información (Information Systems Engineer) — 2002

Escuela Industrial Superior – UNL

Técnico Nacional, Mecánico Eléctrico (National Mechanical-Electrical Technician) — 1975 – 1980

A technical and vocational secondary institution operated by Universidad Nacional del Litoral, specializing in industrial education with rigorous emphasis on practical trade training across three pathways: Construction, Mechanical-Electrical, and Chemistry.

Certifications

Machine Learning — Coursera — Issued Sep 2014

Top Skills

System Architecture · Infrastructure Automation · Technical Training

Extended Skills

Development: Software Development, Vue.js, TypeScript, Python, PostgreSQL

Infrastructure & Automation: GNU/Linux, DevOps, Infrastructure as Code, Ansible, Terraform

Virtualization & Cloud: QEMU, libvirt, Vagrant, Docker, AWS, Digital Ocean, Tektonic

Management & Practice: Time Management, Team Coordination, Free Software / Open Source, System Administration

Languages

Spanish — Native or Bilingual
English — Professional Working

Volunteer Experience

GIAIT UTN FRSF

Programming Instructor 1993 – 1998 | Santa Fe, Argentina

Instructed students in multiple programming paradigms: functional, logic, and object-oriented. Member of GIAIT (Grupo de Informática Aplicado al Inglés Técnico) research group.

LUGLi (Linux User’s Group del Litoral) Argentina

Member 1996 – 2010

Active member of a regional community dedicated to GNU/Linux, Free Software, education, and free content.

A comprehensive, categorized index of technical keywords is available at the Skill Keywords page.