Tim Dobson
Technology Leader & Community Builder
I am a technology leader with deep roots in operations and systems administration, now specializing in developing solutions that help people get things done. I have founded and led two successful sports clubs - The Climbing Clan and The Caving Crew - and scaled them using self-deployed digital infrastructure.
My professional experience spans from hands-on Linux systems administration to technical sales leadership. Recently I've been focusing on React development using the Next.js and Mantine framework while keeping in mind the business outcomes I'm keen for my code to deliver.
Through my rock climbing and caving, I combine outdoor leadership experience with technical challenges to deliver solve problems in systematic ways.
Core Experience
Full-stack Developer - Xebit Limited
March 2022 - Present
- I develop serverless automation solutions on AWS helping businesses streamline processes and measure impact
- I build integrations between platforms including Google Sheets and WordPress
- I focus on creating accessible, scalable technical solutions
- I lead implementation of data collection and reporting systems
Founder & Former Chair - The Climbing Clan
November 2017 - September 2024
- Founded and scaled an inclusive climbing community to become a BMC-affiliated club
- Led comprehensive digital transformation including:
- Designed and implemented automated membership management system
- Created custom impact tracking tools for measuring engagement
- Built automated communication systems for member retention
- Developed data-driven approaches to measure and improve community impact
- Successfully transitioned leadership after building sustainable operational structure
Technical Sales Consultant - Migrating Dragons
April 2018 - March 2022
- Guided technology companies in developing effective growth strategies
- Helped technical organizations bridge the gap between product excellence and market success
- Created and executed sales strategies for SaaS products
- Specialized in helping companies scale beyond initial product-market fit
Customer Success Manager - Brightbox
October 2018 - October 2019
- Managed developer relations for cloud services platform
- Facilitated platform testing and feedback collection for Kubernetes integration
- Supported developers in server deployment and application management
User Research Specialist - Guardian Angel
February 2019 - July 2019
- Conducted user research for digital memorial platform
- Gathered and analyzed feedback from funeral directors
- Contributed to product development and feature prioritization
Senior Account Manager - Formisimo
July 2017 - April 2018
- Led enterprise customer onboarding for form analytics SaaS platform
- Managed ongoing customer relationships and platform adoption
- Facilitated smooth integration of analytics tools into client workflows
Head of Sales & Account Management - Bytemark Hosting
November 2010 - September 2016
Head of Technical Sales & Account Management (3 years)
- Led technical sales team as "human API", doubling managed customer revenue
- Managed complex technical hosting projects and customer relationships
- Developed expertise in requirement gathering, proposal writing, and negotiation
- Conducted user research and product testing through GV-style Design Sprints
Community/Events Marketing (18 months)
- Managed and attended 24+ technical conferences annually
- Led extensive open source project sponsorship programme
- Built relationships across developer communities
Systems Administrator (18 months)
- Supported managed customers' Linux-based hosting solutions
- Performed preventative maintenance and migration assistance
- Developed expertise in Linux technology stacks and debugging
Systems Engineer - Data Messaging & Communications Ltd
November 2008 - October 2010
- Provided first-line VoIP and Asterisk support on Debian Linux systems
- Implemented ticket tracking and network monitoring systems
- Automated provisioning processes to improve efficiency
- Specialized in troubleshooting SIP and VoIP over consumer ADSL
- Developed expertise in low-level networking (OSI Layer 3 and 4)
Contracted Xen Sysadmin - BBC Backstage
February 2009 - August 2010
- Managed Linux-based R&D VM cluster "Playground" supporting BBC developers
- Administered 50+ guest VMs across 6-8 Xen hypervisor hosts
- Provided technical support and machine provisioning for development teams
- Maintained mixed Centos and Debian Linux environment
Selected Programming Portfolio
neoClan
2023 - Present
Membership check-in system for The Climbing Clan and The Caving Crew
- Built mobile-first React application for membership management
- Integrated with WordPress and WooCommerce for seamless user experience
- Improved operational efficiency through custom API development
Materials Calculator
2024
Solar PV materials calculator for streamlined build planning
- Developed React-based calculator to replace slow spreadsheet solution
- Reduced calculation time from 5-10 minutes to seconds
- Implemented familiar interface for easy user adoption
Pieline.net
March 2015 - October 2015
Community tech job board for the North West tech community
- Built prototype using Node.js, Bootstrap, and MySQL
- Tested user assumptions about job search and information presentation
- Implemented data-driven improvements based on user feedback
Dripfeed
October 2013 - November 2013
Financial management tool for responsible spending and saving
- Led marketing strategy for YCombinator application
- Contributed to product development and user acquisition strategy
Volunteer Projects
Co-Founder at The Caving Crew
November 2019 - Present
- Setup and grew a BCA-Affiliated Caving Club to above-average size for UK Caving Clubs
- Implemented technical solutions for club management and member engagement
- Associated with The Climbing Clan, sharing resources and community
PR Consultant - Freegle UK
2022
Volunteer PR consultant for the UK's largest reuse network
- Led "Stories for Freegle" campaign to increase local media visibility
- Mentored volunteers in story development and media engagement
- Successfully placed human interest stories in local media outlets
Co-Founder - Digital Freedom in Education & Youth
June 2008 - April 2012
Co-founded initiative to increase youth participation in technology through accessible event experiences.
- Organized youth delegations to major tech events:
- 2morro Festival (London)
- Young Rewired State - London & Manchester centres
- Delivered keynote presentations at technology conferences:
- FutureEverything (Manchester)
- OpenTech (London)
- NeoN Digital Arts Festival (Dundee)
- BECTA Open Source Schools 'Unconference' (Nottingham) - "Engaging Young People in Technology"
- Led community outreach through Linux User Groups across Northern England
Parliamentary Candidate - Pirate Party UK
March 2010 - May 2010
- Represented Manchester Gorton constituency in 2010 General Election
- Coordinated volunteer teams and managed campaign resources
- Engaged with media and handled public speaking engagements
Creator - The Van Project
June 2015 - February 2020
Full van conversion project with integrated systems and mobile office
- Designed and implemented complete living space conversion using Lean and Agile principles
- Installed electrical, gas, and structural systems
- Delivered talks about mobile business operations at major tech conferences:
- UKNOF (UK Network Operators Forum)
- Business of Software Europe 2017
- Successfully operated consulting business while traveling across Europe
Technical Skills
Languages
Awards & Recognition
Women In Adventure Film Competition
Special Mention (2021)
Documentary about caving with family during lockdown
Cyber Security Challenge UK
Network Defense Finalist (2011)
National cyber security competition
Education
Manchester Grammar School
2001 - 2007
Cheadle & Marple 6th Form College
2007 - 2009
16 Hour Outdoor First Aid
Current
Selected References
Steph Gray
Managing Director at Helpful Digital
"I've have known Tim through events I've organised that he's supported over five years or more. He's the friendly, approachable face of what can be quite a daunting world to folks like me from outside the natural world of Linux hosting and sysadminry. I've always felt Tim was happy to chat to me and he's always been full of good ideas both technically in terms of wider business/marketing."
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Mark Taylor
Chief Executive Officer at Sirius Open Source Inc.
"I've known Tim for years as he has progressed in the Open Source community ... Tim is always available, always helpful, and has made doing great business ... a pleasure."
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Colin Cuthbertson
Director, Data Messaging & Communications
"Tim is a DMC legend ... He joined the company back in 2008 and became the first full time member of our SysAdmin Team. He quickly built a great rapport with our clients and was the go to guy for help with VoIP and Linux problems. "
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Steve Kemp
Senior GNU/Linux Systems Administrator
"Tim was and is a very competent and thorough administrator, with a good feel for the kind of jobs which would be required to host any particular site. Taking enquiries and turning those into requirements for hosting was definitely something he could do with his eyes closed, and something he could do well too. Beyond merely recommending stacks and software Tim was absolutely capable of setting the things up himself too. A good all rounder for system administration."
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Colin Wren
Engineering Manager at Glean
"I'd met Tim through NHS Hackday where he was diving into the chaos that happens when doctors and "geeks" get together. A while after St George's Healthcare NHS Trust was looking at moving from a Windows based server to a Linux based one as part of a website redevelopment. I immediately got in touch with Tim as not only do Bytemark offer such a great service at such a low price but their support and engagement with clients is excellent. He helped to pull together quotes and to explain the options with my colleague (who had the budget but lacked web server knowledge), this made everything easier for the final decision to be made."
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Daniel Morris
Private Sector Engineering Leader
"I had the luck to have Tim sysadmin our apps, absolutely saved the day repeatedly and always knew what to do!"
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Jim Killock
Executive Director at Open Rights Group
"Tim's great to work with and really values the digital rights community. It's clear what his beliefs are in helping ORG and other groups succeed in their work."
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Tony Whitmore
Public Sector IT Director
"I found Tim to be extremely personable and very professional. He assessed our needs well, and advised on a product to meet them. Tim is an excellent advocate for the company and I would happily work with him again."
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Matt Jukes
Public Sector Head of Product
"I'd met Tim at various barcamps etc and had always been impressed with his know-how and community spirit so when I was looking for a new hosting company for the Medical Research Council he was a big factor in us choosing Bytemark. He was a great account manager for us - always helpful and on the ball."
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James Lawrie
Linux Solutions Architect
"Tim listens, and understands. He can listen to customer needs and understands the technical side enough to implement it himself if needed. This makes him a perfect fit anywhere along the spectrum from sales to engineering. This made Tim great to work with. He could manage customer expectations and changing needs allowing me to focus on what needed to be done. "
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Ant Miller
Commerical Director at Human Made
"I have been very impressed with Tim's expertise and professionalism in his role as a sys admin- he combines a tremendous technical skill set with a superb positive attitude and real flair for communication. I've been lucky enough to enjoy some of the many professional social networking events and collectives that Tim has been a driving force behind, and I can say with confidence that he's a force for good."
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Mark Keating
Managing Director at Shadowcat Systems
"I have had the pleasure of knowing Tim for a few years, through the sponsorship of the London Perl Workshop, and have found him to be a fun, intelligent and helpful guy. It is an important step to marry businesses and communities together in the technical world and Tim is one of the people who does it with ease. However, my staff at Shadowcat Systems have also worked with Tim on a professional level and know that Tim is a seriously-clued system administrator. "
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Steven Flower
Open Data Services
"I worked with Tim to help support the DFEY cause. Together we made sure that local young people interested in computing had the opportunity to meet one another and also take part in initiatives such as Young Rewired State. It was great to work with Tim. His enthusiasm and drive made were directed in a selfless manner - resulting in excellent results."
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Dan Lynch
Host at Linux Outlaws Podcast
"Tim has helped us to make many events happen in recent years. Not least OggCamp which he has sponsored from its inception. He is always easy to deal with ... and I appreciate the professionalism and support :)"
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Ian Forrester
Senior Firestarter at BBC R&D
"Tim is a very reliable freelancer who ... has a wealth of knowledge under his belt. He's very reasonable and flexible when the job requires it. He also learns very quickly and uses the range of skills he naturally picks up on every job he takes on. Tim's an all round superstar."
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Andrew Jancey
Business Owner at AJ Business Solutions Ltd
"I have had the great pleasure of working with Tim in 2019 and what a fantastic experience it has been. Tim is extremely knowledgeable not only technically but also brilliant at Business Development. He is more than happy to share his experience and ways of working with others and I have learned from him. If you are thinking of working with Tim as a client or supporting him, I have absolutely hesitation in telling you it will be a great experience and also fun. Another positive to share he is so aware of cash flow for small businesses and always make sure my invoices are paid on time. I highly recommend Tim as a great business innovator."
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Una Cottrell
Sales Funnel Consultant
"I’ve been on Tim’s outer circle for a number of years, but met him properly when he was a team member of a client of mine when I worked on-site for 12 months. Tim’s role was 100% client-facing and he excelled at this. Extremely customer-focused, he was considerate and treated clients with the utmost integrity and professionalism. It’s pleasing to see Tim has gone freelance. Be aware that anybody who works with Tim will receive nothing but the best service and attentiveness. As freelancers, I look forward to seeing Him on the Manchester business circuit in addition to seeing his business flourish."
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Phil Hallows
Technical Manager at Globe Microsystems
"Tim is one of the smarter, easy going people who does the job well just because it's the right way of doing things. A pleasure to work with."
View ProfileJames Jenkins
Graduate Programmer at Nomad Games
"I'd finished my cyber security degree but I felt I wanted to pursue game development instead. And while I had done multiple side projects at the time I struggled to get interviews after months of applying. But with Tim's help we developed a plan and worked on it for a few weeks which then landed me a job at Nomad Games. Which has allowed me to have a much more secure position to find jobs in the industry in the future."
View ProfileJessamine Harris
Business Development at Bar Code Data/PMSS
"As a member of The Climbing Clan, I have seen Tim's enthusiasm for sharing and developing skills; his commitment to creating inclusive spaces; his ability to organise and manage a variety of projects and training opportunities; and through the committee, his ability to manage people in an effective way to achieve beneficial outcomes for a now large community. Tim is also capable of understanding and implementing effective marketing, as demonstrated through the rapid growth of the group. Tim's web development work and technical skills have also ensured that the group's website is easy to navigate but functions well. This website is used for everything from holding member details, to facilitating payments for membership (subscription) and events/training (one-off payments), to monitoring metrics such as training, volunteer status and more. To be able to take The Climbing Clan from a small group of friends with a shared interest, to a growing, sustainable, community of hundreds of members is an achievement that can only be attributed to hard work, dedication and an ability to recruit and motivate the right people to support a vision. It is these attributes that would make Tim an asset to any business."
View ProfileJulia Wolska
Lecturer in Psychology at The Manchester Metropolitan University
"I joined the Climbing Clan 2 years ago and was immediately impressed how well it's managed given its large size of members. Everyone is also very welcoming and inclusive. It's visible how Tim went above and beyond to make the Climbing Clan what it is now. I'm also impressed by the skill-sharing between members, that's not common in every climbing club. When I personally once had a fallout with another member, Tim and some other committee members handled it very professionally and empathetically, to my fullest satisfaction."
View ProfileAdrian Secan
Group Lead (Development Role) - Design Safety - Typhoon Platform
"I am delighted to recommend Tim, the founder and Chair of the Climbing Clan. Tim is an exceptional leader and an inspiring individual who has significantly impacted the climbing community. Under Tim's leadership, the Climbing Clan has flourished into a vibrant and inclusive community. His dedication to fostering a supportive environment where climbers of all abilities feel welcome is truly commendable. Tim's commitment to the club's values of inclusivity and encouragement has made a lasting impression on everyone involved. Tim's organizational skills are unparalleled. He has successfully coordinated numerous indoor and outdoor climbing events, training sessions, and social gatherings, ensuring that each event is well-planned and enjoyable for all participants. His ability to bring people together and create a sense of camaraderie is remarkable. In addition to his leadership and organizational talents, Tim has also developed and maintained the Climbing Clan's entire online platform. His technical expertise has been invaluable in creating a user-friendly and engaging digital space for our members. Tim's efforts have ensured that our online presence is robust and continuously evolving to meet the needs of our community. Moreover, Tim's personal qualities make him a joy to work with. He is approachable, kind, and always willing to lend a helping hand. His enthusiasm and positive attitude are contagious, motivating others to push their limits and achieve their goals. In summary, Tim is an outstanding leader and a wonderful person. His contributions to the Climbing Clan and the broader climbing community are invaluable. I wholeheartedly recommend Tim for any endeavour he chooses to pursue."
View ProfileMore references available upon request