Considering that Mendeley is a software taking full advantage of the internet and cloud storage, it is impossible to underscore the importance of the SysAdmin — short for System Administration — team at Mendeley. The team is responsible for ensuring our computer systems, databases, and networks are working reliably and efficiently.

But they are far from being a “have you tried turning it off and on again” I.T. response team — the SysAdmin team is constantly working on developing and maximizing our systems, working closely with engineers and API developers, and ensuring the integrity of our data and systems.

However, it also behooves me to write nice things about them, as they are also responsible for making sure each employee at Mendeley has the correct computing tools needed to do their job — and can’t you see me with a brand-new tablet? :-p

Robin Stephenson

Vice President of Engineering

Back in Elsevier after many years with intermediate experience in a variety of roles, including various other publishers, banking and transport information. Started as a Perl developer on Sun workstations; now more interested in operating Scala running in Hadoop on AWS.

1. How do you describe your role/what you do on the SysAdmin Team?
Maintain longer-term goals of the engineering team; making it work, and helping them work. Immanentising the eschaton by adopting good ideas and expunging terrible ones.

2. What is your favourite part about working for Mendeley?

An informal atmosphere, and the ability to take decisions.

3. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Cycling, learning, spending time with my family.

 

Kubilay Tsil Kara

Database Administrator

Kubilay studied in University of Westminster, earning a Masters of Science in Database Systems, with experience in database design, data modelling and data integration between systems and applications.

1. How do you describe your role/what you do on the Syadmin Team?
Responsible for the day to day database administration, database performance tuning and data integration activities in the company.

2. What is your favourite part about working for Mendeley?
I like working in Mendeley because it uses cutting edge technology and platforms to provide its services, always trying new things and exploring methods to do things better. People working in Mendeley are very knowledgeable and innovative and there is always opportunity and time to try new things.

3. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Travelling, Cars, Fishing, ​Cinema and Chess

 

James Rasell

Systems Administrator

James graduated in 2005 from Kingston University with a BSc Hons in Earth and Planetary Science and worked within the oil and hosting industries before moving to Mendeley 18 months ago.

1. How do you describe your role/what you do on the SysAdmin Team?

As a sysadmin my tasks vary from fixing printers to managing, planning, testing and conducting large scale migrations and upgrades. One of my key skills within the team is Hadoop for which I obtained my CCAH last year.

2. What is your favourite part about working for Mendeley?

I get to work with awesome and intelligent people as well as having the chances to constantly develop my knowledge.

3. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Drawing, playing bass, running, tennis, music, art, tattoos, beer, wine, travelling….(the list goes on)

 

Steffen Rick

Systems Administrator

The newest member of Mendeley, Steffen Rick has been in this profession a long time. He started working right away and “I can remember the heydays of the internet, I joined pretty much at that time.” Steffen also remembers the internet bubble bursting, but is happy that both it, and he, have recovered.

Steffen has traveled to many countries and worked several places. He said he feels lucky when he answered the phone when the agency called and asked “Do you want to work for Mendeley?”

1. How do you describe your role/what you do on the SysAdmin Team?

I’m basically hired as Sysadmin, working on keeping things running, hoping I can contribute to improving it too.

2. What is your favourite part about working for Mendeley?

The proper display of attitude, software code is actually being written at this place.

3. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

All the things others enjoy too. Drinking beer, going to concerts, various forms of sport, working on becoming a FreeBSD committer.