Noel Bürgler
IT Application Manager, Solution Architect, Full-Stack Developer, Requirements Engineer
For over 10 years I've worked between the specialist departments, IT and vendors: capturing requirements, designing architectures, and building solutions that people actually enjoy using — from the application landscape of Switzerland's largest university to publishing workflows and web apps for my own clients.
About Me
Hey, I'm Noel Bürgler
Hi, I'm Noel, a 26-year-old IT Application Manager and Solution Architect. For over 10 years I've worked across the software, digital and print world, and today I focus on managing application landscapes, designing modern IT architectures, and building solutions that people actually enjoy using.
From November 2026 I'm part of the Central IT department at the University of Zurich as IT Application Manager for the Real Estate & Facility Management application landscape. My work spans the full application lifecycle: capturing requirements, designing solution concepts, steering external vendors, planning releases, and ensuring stable, secure operations, right at the intersection of the specialist departments, IT and suppliers.
Until the end of October 2026 I'm Solution Architect and Deputy IT Manager at Brüggli Admedia AG, where I co-developed the PostCard Creator system modernization for Swiss Post using AI-assisted agentic coding with Claude Code and manage the IT infrastructure. In parallel, I'm Solution Architect and Requirements Engineer for Fridai, a Swiss privacy-first AI platform for the social sector that we incubated there and are spinning off into its own company, owning requirements and solution design and bridging product, clients and development.
Earlier, at Topix AG, I spent four and a half years managing complex application environments for clients. I'm particularly proud of my work with Red Bull Media House, where I was responsible for their complete K4 and Enfocus Switch environment, systems with significant reach and high responsibility. Alongside that I developed web applications, built interfaces to various APIs, trained clients and wrote documentation. I often felt like a translator between technology and people, and that's exactly what I enjoy most.
Alongside all of that I run my own practice, Bürgler Business Solutions, where I work for my own clients on publishing automation and web: InDesign Server and Enfocus Switch workflows on one side, websites and full-stack web applications on the other, plus system integrations, AI workshops and the consulting that goes with it. It is where I get to stay genuinely hands-on, from the database schema to the deployment.
Alongside work I'm finishing my B.Sc. in Computer Science in spring 2027, which gives me a solid theoretical foundation to go with my hands-on experience. I love solving complex problems while keeping people at the center, because in the end, what matters is that the solution works for everyone.
Skills
Languages
- GermanC2Native
- EnglishC1
- FrenchA2
Soft Skills
AI & Machine Learning
Methods & Architecture
Programming & Web
Frameworks & Libraries
Databases & Backend
CI/CD & DevOps
Testing & Quality
Security & Compliance
API Development & Integration
IT Infrastructure & Management
Publishing Systems
Workflow Automation
Print & Media Production
Experience
IT Application Manager – Real Estate & Facility Management
This is my next chapter: a focused role in application management at the largest university in Switzerland. Within the Central IT department of the University of Zurich, I'm responsible for the application landscape of the Real Estate & Facility Management division.
My work covers the full application lifecycle: capturing technical requirements from the specialist departments, designing solution concepts, evaluating and procuring software, steering external vendors, and planning releases. On the operations side, I make sure the applications, their interfaces and availability run smoothly, always with a close eye on IT security.
What drew me here is the end-to-end ownership and the chance to build depth instead of breadth, working right at the intersection of the specialist departments, IT and suppliers, where understanding people's processes matters just as much as the technology behind them.
Solution Architect & Requirements Engineer
As Solution Architect and Requirements Engineer for Fridai, a Swiss, privacy-first AI platform for the social sector, I led the project for several clients and acted as the bridge between product owner, client stakeholders and development. Fridai started as a startup incubated at Brüggli Admedia AG and is being spun off into its own company.
I ran requirements workshops with practitioners, wrote specifications and brought them to sign-off, and translated them into sprints with clear scope, acceptance criteria and priorities. On the AI side I built prototypes with AI-assisted agentic coding using Claude Code and ran the applied research: evaluating audio-transcription models (Whisper, Swiss-German and Qwen-based models) with WER and BLEU metrics; evaluating and introducing Mistral as an OCR solution, including nDSG data-protection clarifications (subprocessors, data location, no training on our data); testing local open-source language models (GPT-OSS, Qwen, Gemma) with prompt engineering; and assessing embedding and reranking approaches.
The platform automates administrative documentation for social institutions, so professionals get more time for the people they support.
Solution Architect & Deputy IT Manager
As Solution Architect and Deputy IT Manager, I bridged the gap between technical leadership and hands-on development.
I led and actively co-developed the PostCard Creator modernization for Swiss Post, replacing a legacy server system with a modern architecture, using AI-assisted agentic coding with Claude Code and working end-to-end with Scrum, code reviews and pull requests. It implements the full process chain: data ingestion, validation and status synchronization with Swiss Post, through printing, dispatch and feedback, up to preparing the billing data.
For our XMPie customers, I introduced and programmed new variable-data-publishing products.
I also drove internal process automation. Using InDesign Server and Switch scripting, I built Enfocus Switch workflows for publishing and consulting, one of which saves one to two hours of manual work every day. I digitalized the expense process on Jira Service Management with an automated approval workflow, and I evaluated, introduced and documented an Odoo-based maintenance solution for our machine park (process design, device documentation, manufacturer contacts and trainings).
On the IT operations side, I handled device onboarding and management with Microsoft Intune and user support, from Heidelberg Prinect to Windows and macOS.
Full-Stack Developer (Self-employed)
Under the Bürgler Business Solutions brand I consult and build for my own clients on the side, focused on publishing automation, web, and the interfaces between the two. From the first idea to go-live, I support my clients personally.
In publishing automation I build workflows that replace manual production: document generation with Adobe InDesign Server including ExtendScript, Enfocus Switch flows with custom Node.js scripts, vjoon K4 integrations, and catalogue production with EasyCatalog. Content-first here means content flows straight from a headless CMS into print production.
On the web side I build websites and web applications with Next.js, React and Gatsby, content-first with Contentful or Strapi, and still deliver classic WordPress projects. For full-stack applications I own the whole chain: login and roles, database, background jobs, APIs and deployment. As a reference from my own hand I build and operate ProspectHub, a SaaS platform running in production.
On top of that come system integrations with REST APIs, XML/JSON processing and databases; AI work ranging from coding-agent workshops through automating repetitive office tasks to internal solutions with local models; and consulting and project management: tool evaluation with no sales interest, agile delivery, and quality assurance up to go-live.
Application Engineer/Manager & Project Manager
Here I took care of technical support for our clients and their publishing systems, with no two days alike! This meant specifically: installing, configuring, and maintaining vjoon K4, Enfocus Switch, and surrounding systems like SQL servers, Tomcats, and InDesign servers.
I'm particularly proud of the collaboration with Red Bull Media House, where I managed their complete K4 and Enfocus Switch environment. That's pretty cool when you think about how many magazines and content are produced through it!
On the side, I was also the go-to person for IT support in all kinds of areas. Besides technical work, I also trained clients, wrote documentation, and developed interfaces to various APIs. Sometimes I felt like a translator between technology and people, and that's exactly what I enjoyed!
Media Designer (Print/Web)
This is where it all started! After my apprenticeship as a Polygraf (the Swiss vocational qualification in media production), I really got to dive into the publishing world. From classic layout and prepress to first web projects, everything was included.
Particularly exciting was working with vjoon K4 for magazine productions and automating workflows with Enfocus Switch. I also started writing JavaScript scripts for InDesign, and that was my entry into programming.
Education
B.Sc. Computer Science
Studying Computer Science as a distance learner alongside full-time work, now in the final stretch. The program gave me solid theoretical foundations in Java, Python, databases, networking, software engineering and IT security to complement my hands-on experience.
Along the way I built a Data Mart in SQL, wrote a software engineering project report, did formal requirements analysis and specification, and went deep into cryptography and data protection. For my electives I specialized in Business Intelligence and data science / software engineering with Python. The mix of academic depth and years of practice is what I value most.
Federal Certificate of Proficiency as a Polygraf (Media Production)
This is where it all started! Four years of intensive training in media production, from classic layout to typography to digital image processing. Even then I worked with professional software and gained my first experience in customer consulting.
More than the craft itself, the apprenticeship taught me how to understand processes and client needs and turn them into concrete results, a foundation that still shapes how I approach requirements and solutions today.