About Me
Hey, I'm Noel Bürgler
Hi, I'm Noel, a 26-year-old IT Application Manager and Solutions 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.
I'm currently Solutions Architect and Deputy IT Manager at Brüggli Admedia AG, where I co-develop the PostCard Creator system modernization for Swiss Post using AI-assisted agentic development with Claude Code. I also drive requirements engineering and solution design for Fridai, an AI platform for social-sector organizations, and manage the IT infrastructure.
From November 2026, I'll join the Central IT department at the University of Zurich as IT Application Manager for the Real Estate & Facility Management application landscape, taking on 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.
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 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
General Competencies
Programming & Web
Frameworks & Libraries
Databases & Backend
CI/CD & DevOps
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.
Solutions Architect & Deputy IT Manager
As Solutions Architect and Deputy IT Manager, I bridge the gap between technical leadership and hands-on development.
I lead and actively co-develop the PostCard Creator system modernization for Swiss Post using AI-assisted agentic coding with Claude Code. The system is a Node.js/TypeScript microservices architecture (Prisma, Vitest, Docker), where I implement features end-to-end with Scrum, code reviews and pull requests in Bitbucket.
I also conduct applied AI research for Fridai (fridai.swiss), the AI-powered app of our social enterprise, evaluating Swiss German speech recognition models (Whisper, WhisperX) with systematic WER/BLEU benchmarking against manually created ground truth data. I help build Fridai from an initial prototype into a full product, handling requirements engineering, AI model integration and data protection compliance under Swiss law (DSG) including DPA assessments and DPIA coordination.
Beyond that, I manage IT infrastructure, build complex Enfocus Switch workflows with custom scripts, and drive internal process improvements.
Frontend Developer (Self-employed)
On the side, I run my own small freelance practice building websites and web applications for various clients. Most of the time, these are WordPress projects with custom themes and plugins, but also modern React and Next.js applications.
I particularly enjoy the variety: sometimes it's a simple company website, sometimes it's a complex web app with database integration. From the first idea to go-live, I personally support my clients.
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. I'm in the final stretch now. The program has given me solid theoretical foundations in Java, Python, databases, networking, software engineering and IT security.
It complements my hands-on experience with the underlying theory: building a Data Mart in SQL, writing a software engineering project report, doing formal requirements analysis, and going deep into areas like cryptography and data protection. The combination of academic depth and years of practice is what I value most about it.
Federal Certificate of Proficiency as a Polygraph
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.