Alfie Sargent

Software Team Lead @Smartbox

Bristol, GB

Smartbox develops Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) technology, including Grid, the leading AAC platform in the EU, used by people with complex communication needs to communicate through both software and dedicated hardware.I lead a software team of seven developers and one QA engineer, with responsibility for delivery, technical direction, and people management. Grid is a large-scale.NET solution, and I lead the design and architecture while remaining hands-on with day-to-day development, code reviews, and technical decision-making.A major part of my role is leading the integration of AI voice technology, including ElevenLabs, enabling people with conditions such as MND and ALS to recreate a natural-sounding voice from just seconds of audio. I also lead the design and delivery of a bespoke, secure cloud storage platform on AWS, allowing users to store and access critical communication and personal data. This work spans system architecture, infrastructure as code, and implementation using AWS, Terraform, Terratest, and Python.I’m responsible for our TeamCity CI/CD pipelines, release management, and overall branching strategy, ensuring multiple teams can work effectively in parallel while maintaining a stable, high-quality product.Alongside development, I oversee cyber security and penetration test remediation, run agile processes, support recruitment and career development, and regularly represent Smartbox at conferences and events, presenting our latest work to large audiences.

University of Bristol

Master of Science - MS, Robotics

University of Bristol

Master of Science - MS, Robotics

Collingwood College

Systems Engineering

University of Reading

Bachelor's degree, Robotics