Welcome
Fractional Systems Architect | Security + Infrastructure + Product

I transform fragmented systems into coherent, scalable architectures for scale-ups that have outgrown duct-tape solutions.

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Cosmina Palade - Senior Frontend Engineer

Cosmina Palade

Fractional Systems Architect

Ideal For Scale-Ups Series A-C

You're between 30-150 people. Too big for generalists, too small for full-time Staff Engineers.

You need senior technical leadership 2 days/week for 3-6 months to:

  • Build foundational architecture (not duct-tape fixes)
  • Unblock funding rounds (security/compliance for due diligence)
  • Mentor your team (level up your developers, not replace them)
  • Actually ship (not just strategy decks)

With 8+ years of experience spanning frontend engineering, DevOps, and security architecture, I bring a multidisciplinary perspective that sees system-level patterns others miss.

I am selective with the projects I take on. I work best with partners who value quality over speed and architecture over patches.

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What I Solve

What I Solve

Security Debt Icon

Security Debt Blocking Growth

Your Series A/B raise requires SOC2/ISO27001. Your team has 200+ vulnerabilities and no remediation plan. I build automated security pipelines that reduce risk 90% while shipping faster, not slower.

Infrastructure Chaos Icon

Infrastructure Chaos from Scaling

You've grown 10→100 people. Your AWS/GCP is held together with bash scripts and prayers. I architect cloud-native infrastructure (Kubernetes, Terraform, CI/CD) that scales with you, not against you.

Cross-Team Problems Icon

Cross-Team Problems Nobody Owns

Security blocks product. Infrastructure doesn't talk to frontend. Nobody has the full picture. I see system-level patterns others miss and architect solutions that work across your entire stack.

Case Studies: Real Problems, Real Solutions

Proven results from fractional engagements

Cloud Migration: Zero-Downtime Kubernetes Transition

Challenge

Legacy infrastructure on bare metal. Manual scaling consuming ops resources. Deployment was a 4-hour process with frequent rollbacks. Business growth blocked by infrastructure limitations.

Solution

  • Designed and implemented Kubernetes cluster architecture
  • Built Terraform infrastructure-as-code foundation
  • Automated CI/CD pipeline end-to-end
  • Conducted team training and created comprehensive documentation

Results

  • Zero downtime during migration
  • Deploys: 4 hours → 15 minutes
  • 30% cost savings through auto-scaling
  • Team velocity increased 3x
Duration: 6 months

Systems Integration: Breaking Team Silos

Challenge

Frontend, Backend, Security, and DevOps teams operating in separate silos. Constant conflicts and miscommunication. Features taking 3-6 months to ship. Developer frustration at all-time high.

Solution

  • Created unified API standards and design patterns
  • Integrated security directly into development workflow
  • Built cross-team documentation and knowledge system
  • Established weekly architecture review sessions

Results

  • Feature delivery: 3-6 months → 4-8 weeks
  • 80% reduction in cross-team conflicts
  • Developer satisfaction scores improved significantly
  • Promoted to Subject Matter Expert role
Duration: 18 months (ongoing)

Enterprise Banking: 90% Vulnerability Reduction

Challenge

200+ critical vulnerabilities across 50+ microservices. Manual remediation consuming 40 hours/week. Blocking production deploys and threatening compliance certifications.

Solution

  • Built automated security remediation pipeline
  • Integrated SAST/DAST into CI/CD workflow
  • Created security-as-code framework
  • Implemented continuous monitoring system

Results

  • 90% reduction in vulnerabilities (6 months)
  • 40 hours → 5 hours/week security maintenance
  • Zero production security incidents
  • Became SME for 50+ developers
Duration: 3 years (2021-2024)

Cloud Migration: Zero-Downtime Kubernetes Transition

Challenge

Legacy infrastructure on bare metal. Manual scaling consuming ops resources. Deployment was a 4-hour process with frequent rollbacks. Business growth blocked by infrastructure limitations.

Solution

  • Designed and implemented Kubernetes cluster architecture
  • Built Terraform infrastructure-as-code foundation
  • Automated CI/CD pipeline end-to-end
  • Conducted team training and created comprehensive documentation

Results

  • Zero downtime during migration
  • Deploys: 4 hours → 15 minutes
  • 30% cost savings through auto-scaling
  • Team velocity increased 3x
Duration: 6 months

Systems Integration: Breaking Team Silos

Challenge

Frontend, Backend, Security, and DevOps teams operating in separate silos. Constant conflicts and miscommunication. Features taking 3-6 months to ship. Developer frustration at all-time high.

Solution

  • Created unified API standards and design patterns
  • Integrated security directly into development workflow
  • Built cross-team documentation and knowledge system
  • Established weekly architecture review sessions

Results

  • Feature delivery: 3-6 months → 4-8 weeks
  • 80% reduction in cross-team conflicts
  • Developer satisfaction scores improved significantly
  • Promoted to Subject Matter Expert role
Duration: 18 months (ongoing)

Enterprise Banking: 90% Vulnerability Reduction

Challenge

200+ critical vulnerabilities across 50+ microservices. Manual remediation consuming 40 hours/week. Blocking production deploys and threatening compliance certifications.

Solution

  • Built automated security remediation pipeline
  • Integrated SAST/DAST into CI/CD workflow
  • Created security-as-code framework
  • Implemented continuous monitoring system

Results

  • 90% reduction in vulnerabilities (6 months)
  • 40 hours → 5 hours/week security maintenance
  • Zero production security incidents
  • Became SME for 50+ developers
Duration: 3 years (2021-2024)

Cloud Migration: Zero-Downtime Kubernetes Transition

Challenge

Legacy infrastructure on bare metal. Manual scaling consuming ops resources. Deployment was a 4-hour process with frequent rollbacks. Business growth blocked by infrastructure limitations.

Solution

  • Designed and implemented Kubernetes cluster architecture
  • Built Terraform infrastructure-as-code foundation
  • Automated CI/CD pipeline end-to-end
  • Conducted team training and created comprehensive documentation

Results

  • Zero downtime during migration
  • Deploys: 4 hours → 15 minutes
  • 30% cost savings through auto-scaling
  • Team velocity increased 3x
Duration: 6 months
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Work

How I Work

Clear process, predictable outcomes

1

DISCOVERY

Week 1

  • 15-min intro → 2h assessment
  • Audit architecture, interview team
  • Output: 20-page System Assessment
2

PROPOSAL

Week 2

  • Problems ranked by impact
  • Solutions with timeline
  • Investment proposal
  • You decide: Go/No-go
3

EXECUTION

Months 1-6

  • 2 days/week (Mon + Wed)
  • Hands-on (I code, not just advise)
  • Weekly updates, pair programming
  • Result: Foundation built
4

HANDOFF

Final Month

  • Documentation complete
  • Your team trained
  • Monitoring established
  • Optional: Monthly retainer

Investment

Fractional Systems Architect

Engagement: 2 days/week × 3-6 months

Typical investment: €20-50K

(varies by scope & complexity)

vs.
Full-time Senior Architect
€120K + salary + benefits + recruitment

You save 60-70%

DISCUSS YOUR SITUATION

Every project is different. 15-min call to scope yours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Clear answers to common concerns

Cost: Full-time senior architect = €120K + salary + €40K benefits + €15K recruitment = €175K/year. Fractional = €48K/year (73% savings).

Speed: I start in 2 weeks. Full-time hire takes 3-6 months.

Flexibility: Scale up/down as needed. No firing awkwardness if priorities shift.

Best for: Companies that need senior expertise but not 40 hours/week of architecture work.

My specialty: Systems thinking, not language-specific coding. I've worked with Node.js, Python, Java, PHP, Go across banking, fintech, e-commerce.

What matters: Architecture patterns (microservices, event-driven, CQRS), security principles (OWASP, zero-trust), infrastructure (Kubernetes, AWS, CI/CD) are universal.

Learning curve: I get productive in new codebases within 1 week. Your patterns/frameworks in 2-3 weeks.

Yes, always. Standard mutual NDA before discovery call. Happy to review your template.

What I protect: Your architecture docs, code, business logic, customer data, roadmap.

What I share (anonymously): General lessons in blog posts (e.g., "How to migrate to Kubernetes" without naming clients).

Consulting firms: Send junior consultants (€800-1,200/day) supervised by senior partner you never meet. Deliver PowerPoint decks, not code.

Me: You work directly with me (no juniors). I write code, not just strategy docs. Hands-on implementation, not just advice.

Also: No upselling. No "phase 2" bait-and-switch. Fixed daily rate, transparent scope.

Short answer: Not my focus, but I can help indirectly.

What I do: Train your existing team, document systems so they self-serve, pair program to upskill juniors.

What I don't do: Conduct interviews, write job descriptions, manage performance reviews, be a line manager.

If you need that: You need a fractional CTO/Head of Engineering (different role). Happy to refer specialists.

Flexible options:

  • 3 days/week: Available for critical projects (e.g., pre-funding security audit, urgent migrations)
  • Full-time sprint: 4-6 weeks for intensive buildouts (rare, scheduled months ahead)
  • Team scaling: I can bring trusted contractors for execution while I handle architecture

Typical pattern: Start 2 days/week → spike to 3 days during critical phase → drop to 1 day/week for maintenance.

Still have questions? BOOK 15-MIN CALL

Testimonials

What Clients Say

"Cosmina doesn't just fix problems - she sees the problem beneath the problem. Her root cause analysis is exceptional."

Engineering Manager

Enterprise Banking

"She became our go-to for security and infrastructure. If Cosmina said it needed doing, we did it. That trust is rare."

Senior Developer

Financial Services

"Best combination: deeply technical AND explains to non-technical stakeholders clearly."

VP Engineering

Scale-up

View recommendations on LinkedIn →
Portfolio

Technical Execution: Frontend Portfolio

Systems architecture requires understanding what you're architecting. A selection of hands-on development work.

Cosmina's Kitchen - WordPress Project
Technologies: WordPress | CSS

Cosmina's Kitchen
Remote Team UI-UX Design - Figma Project
Technologies: UI UX | Figma | Sketch

Remote Team UI-UX
Vending Machine App - jQuery Project
Technologies: jQuery | CSS3 | HTML

Vending Machine App
Remote Team Site - React Project
Technologies: React | Node | SCSS

Remote Team Site
Konnect Team - UI/UX Design Project
Technologies: UI UX | Figma

Konnect Team
Who's In Town - React 19 Project
Technologies: React 19 | Tailwind

Who's In Town
Laptop Store App - Node.js Project
Technologies: Node | JS | SCSS

Laptop Store App
Booking App - Node.js Project
Technologies: Node | CSS3 | SCSS

Booking App
Food Recipes App - Node.js Project
Technologies: Node | JS | SCSS

Food Recipes App
More Works
Let's talk

Ready to Fix Your Systems Chaos?

We start with a 15-minute call to see if fractional architecture fits your needs.

This is a good fit if you:

  • Are Series A-C scale-up (10-100 employees)
  • Have technical debt slowing you down
  • Need senior architecture expertise (not 40 hrs/week)
  • Can commit €8K-10K/month for 3-6 months
  • Have engineering team (I augment, not replace)
  • Want hands-on implementation, not just slides
BOOK 15-MIN DISCOVERY CALL

No pitch. Just an honest conversation about whether I can help.

Or connect with me:

LinkedIn GitHub Blog