Tanner Hickey
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02
PROJECTS
Highlights from my work designing production-grade AI systems, ranking algorithms, and high-throughput data processing pipelines.
PRODUCTION
Architected a multi-agent conversational AI system with hybrid retrieval (RAG) and model routing. Delivered significant improvements in latency and user satisfaction.
databackfill.com
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CORE TECH
Vertex AI · Vector Search · BigQuery
PERFORMANCE
Intent Accuracy
93%
Latency reduction
3.9m to 1.4m
Infrastructure
99.9% uptime
Data processing
Reliable systems
EXPERTISE
AI & LLM Integration
RAG · Agents · Orchestration
Data Pipelines
Beam · BigQuery · Pub/Sub
Conversational AI
Latency · Accuracy · Cost
System Design
Distributed · Scalable · Cloud
INFRASTRUCTURE
GCP
GKE · Cloud Run
Event Streaming
Kafka · Pub/Sub
Caching & Storage
Redis · PostgreSQL · BigQuery
Automation
CI/CD · Terraform
Led the architecture for a multi-agent AI platform serving over 1.8M monthly conversations, implementing model routing and tool-calling to improve first-contact resolution by 42%.
Designed a hybrid RAG engine using Vertex AI Vector Search and sparse retrieval. Achieved a 17% lift in conversion through continuous offline evaluation and online feedback loops.
Built high-throughput data pipelines using Apache Beam and Pub/Sub, processing 40k+ events per second while lowering average LLM costs by 31% through optimized model routing.
Managed core ranking components for Google Search, improving suggestion relevance by 31% and CTR by 19% for 150M+ daily active users while maintaining strict latency budgets.
Engineered personalized feed ranking services that reduced latency from 115ms to 47ms (p95), directly contributing to an 11% increase in session duration through iterative experimentation.
Implemented streaming generation for Gemini-powered features, reducing average composition time by 26% and ensuring high availability across global web and mobile clients.
Built scalable campaign automation services at Klaviyo that processed billions of events monthly, increasing retention campaign conversion rates by 22%.
Designed event-driven pipelines using Kafka that cut average time-to-send from minutes to under 12 seconds, supporting 3x growth in message volume.
Optimized recommendation and segmentation services with Redis caching, keeping the platform stable at 7k+ requests per second with 99.9% success rates.
Python
Go
PostgreSQL
BigQuery
Redis
Kafka
Vertex AI
LangChain
Kubernetes
Terraform
Docker
React
Senior Level
A decade of experience delivering end-to-end features for high-scale platforms including Reddit, Google, and Klaviyo. Focus on performance, reliability, and AI integration.
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YEARS EXPERIENCE
PLATFORM AVAILABILITY
MONTHLY CONVERSATIONS
Always open to discussing challenging distributed systems or AI infrastructure roles.
Tanner Hickey
Senior Software Engineer · San Antonio, TX
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© 2026 — Tanner Hickey
Senior Software Engineer