Hugo Penacho
Technical Consultant · Portugal, Europe · Remote-first
Protecting your deadline by asking the hard questions two weeks early
"Hugo is a sharp and energetic consultant who brings structure and clarity to every task and project. He is the one to ask the right questions early, and makes sure expectations of stakeholders are aligned. [...] Beyond his technical skills, he is reliable and a great team-player."
— Tonio Kellner, Software Engineer, Textkernel
Work Experience
Six years of experience in IT, from Software Development at Siemens to Technical Consultancy at Textkernel / Bullhorn
Jun 2024 — Jan 2026
Senior Technical Consultant
Bullhorn · Remote · Amsterdam, Netherlands
𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐉𝐮𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐚𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧 Continued to provision, configure, troubleshoot and deliver most Textkernel products as pre-acquisition, plus: • Delivered new Bullhorn products, optimizing candidate matching & talent workflows on unified platform. 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 • Successfully delivered AI-powered recruitment solutions for a portfolio of over 100 enterprise clients (incl. 8 Fortune 500, 16 Global 2000). • Implemented and delivered tailored AI recruitment solutions for 5 government agencies, addressing unique public sector needs. • Considerably reduced delivery time by up to 30% for key Textkernel products through improvements in provisioning processes (Jenkins) and cross-department process streamlining. • Slashed user-made provisioning errors by up to 70% by implementing validation tools that enforce naming conventions and block invalid inputs. • Successfully finalized over 500 JIRA issues across internal operational enhancements and key customer requests. • Completed over 300 customer product deliveries and functionality rollouts, tracked in Salesforce. 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 • Created parameterized Jenkins jobs for automated, customer-tailored Textkernel product deployments. • Analyzed external customer systems and determined optimal service connections. • Created technical designs, extensive documentation and oversaw project implementation. • Managed communication and collaboration with customers and internal resources, ensuring successful project delivery. • Troubleshot issues ranging from configuration errors to product issues on both ends. • Worked collaboratively with cross-functional teams to continuously improve products and processes.
Jun 2022 — Jan 2026
Technical Consultant
Textkernel · Remote · Amsterdam, Netherlands
Company acquisition by Bullhorn, see above for full role details which remained largely unchanged.
Feb 2021 — May 2022
Web Developer
Siemens · Remote · Lisbon, Portugal
• Developed web applications for internal clients. • Improved maintainability of internal web apps by refactoring legacy code and resolving persistent bugs, reducing friction for future development • Provided corrective maintenance on company applications to ensure smooth operations. • Communicated directly with clients to gather feedback and helped to devise solutions that met their unique needs. • Continuously developed strong problem-solving abilities and collaborated effectively with team members to ensure timely delivery of high-quality work.
Nov 2020 - Jan 2021
Web Developer - Internship
Siemens · Remote · Lisbon, Portugal
• Successfully completed a 400-hour curricular internship over 3 months, which led to being hired for a full-time position. • Demonstrated proficiency in Angular, .NET Core, and Microsoft SQL Server. • Committed to continuous learning and contributed to key projects, demonstrating dedication to the organization's success. • Communicated effectively with senior team members, providing regular progress updates and seeking feedback to ensure project success.
Academic History
Jan 2021 - Dec 2021
Computer Programming
University of Helsinki · Remote · Finland
M.E.R.N. Stack Course supported and accredited by the University of Helsinki.
Sep 2019 - Jan 2021
IT Technologies and Programming Specialist, Computer Programming
ATEC - Training Academy · Portugal
Completed a 1300-hour theory course + 400-hour internship, building academic projects while gaining hands-on experience in Java, C#, Microsoft SQL Server, networking, OOP, project management and more.
My Approach
What to expect when working with me and how I solve project headaches
Focus on the "Why"
I don't measure success by how much code I ship, but by how much friction I actually remove. I like to dig into the goal before we start building—sometimes a quick conversation can save us weeks of building the wrong thing.
Guardrails, not hurdles
I believe systems should be designed to catch us when we trip. I focus on building tools that handle the "obvious" mistakes automatically, so we can spend our energy on the interesting problems instead of worrying about common pitfalls.
Keep us aligned
I enjoy being the link between what a customer needs and what the code actually does. I make sure everyone is on the same page from the start so we don't end up with surprises during Go-Live.
Strong opinions, loosely held
I'll always bring a clear point of view to the table, but I'm the first to pivot when I hear a better idea. I'd much rather be proven wrong quickly than be right slowly, and I think the best work happens when we leave our egos at the door.
Catch it early
I'm a big fan of "boring" production environments. I try to validate ideas and find potential breaking points as early as possible, so that by the time we're ready to ship, we can all actually relax.
Leave a trail
I try to write for the "future me" and the next person who joins the project. Whether it's a quick doc or a clear log, I want to make sure my work is easy to follow so the team can keep moving without needing to ask me for directions.
Tools & Technologies
The stack I reach for most — and know deeply enough to debate trade-offs on.
Languages
Frontend
Backend & APIs
Data & Streaming
Infrastructure
Practices
The person behind the pull requests
I started as a web developer at Siemens, building internal web apps / tools and talking directly to clients to figure out what they actually needed. That second part — understanding what people need — turned out to be what I was most interested in. At Textkernel, and now Bullhorn, I've spent four years sitting between enterprise clients and complex technical systems, making sure the two sides understand each other. The work isn't glamorous — a lot of provisioning, troubleshooting, documentation, and difficult conversations — but I've learned that the people who show up consistently and follow through quietly are the ones teams actually rely on.
Based in
Portugal, Europe · Remote-first
Looking for
Open to Technical Consultant, Implementation Consultant, Support Engineer roles or similar · Remote-first preferred
Best way to reach me
What colleagues say
Recommendations from LinkedIn — from people I've been lucky to work with.
Within a short period of time Hugo turned into a key player in my projects. He is one of my colleagues who makes things happen or get things done. [...] he is able to organize himself, to keep tasks on track, deliverables and milestones. This makes my life way easier.
He has this rare ability to stay calm, ask the right questions, and quickly understand what people actually need — even when they struggle to explain it themselves. [...] Hugo is the kind of colleague who makes work easier, teams stronger, and results better.
Having gone through that 'trial by fire' together, I can say with certainty that Hugo is as resilient as he is sharp. He has a remarkable ability to process and organize massive amounts of complex information with a meticulous eye for detail. [...] he doesn't just solve their tickets; he cares about their outcomes.
Hugo consistently demonstrated great technical expertise, ensuring that every customer project was executed on time. [...] He has an impressive ability to convey complex technical concepts in a clear and understandable manner, making collaboration seamless and productive
Hugo is one of those people who really walks the talk - he excels in both his technical knowledge and execution. [...] He is meticulous, thoughtful when crafting solutions, and has a gift for explaining complex topics at all levels of understanding.
When he commits to something, you can trust that he will follow through with dedication. Beyond his professional expertise, his warm personality and positive energy make him a really nice colleague. [...] Any team needs a Hugo!