Maksims Burcenko — IT and AI project manager, Latvia

Ask this page

You have a question about my background. Instead of scrolling for it, ask. This box runs on a language model that can see my CV and nothing else — the same kind of system I build every day. It will refuse to answer anything the CV does not cover.

In numbers

20+years of professional experience—banking, municipal, and public administration

6years leading Information and Communication Technology (ICT) projects and development teams

9person Information Technology (IT) department, which I led at the National Health Service

3other institutions—the Prosecutor's Office, the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB), and the Court Administration—within a working group that I initiated, officially established, and led

4years of fully remote work—from 2021 to 2025, I managed national-scale ICT programs without physical office presence

3countries outside Latvia where I have lived and worked, communicating daily in English

8 000+entries written into the long-term memory of the AI agent system I built and have used in daily work since 2025

20+routines that run on schedule without me present—they prepare documents, monitor sources and report back

These figures reflect scale—duration and volume. They are verifiable facts. I do not make unsubstantiated claims about the exact percentage by which AI has improved my efficiency, as there are no objective baseline measurements from before the system's implementation.

Services

What you can hire me for

I work as a self-employed contractor. Remote, or on site in Riga and the surrounding area. Latvian or English. Price and timeline are agreed after the first call.

IT project manager for a fixed term

I take an IT system project from requirements to launch: technical specification, procurement, working group, deadlines, budget and reports to management. Six years leading ICT projects at the Competition Council and the National Health Service, and Microsoft solution projects at Sintegra before that.

Process audit and change

I find where a process breaks, why it breaks and what has to change, then carry the change through with people who do not report to me. Example: a working group with the Prosecutor's Office, KNAB and the Court Administration that I initiated, had officially established and led.

AI automation of everyday work

Document preparation, monitoring of sources, reports and handovers between stages, built with AI agents, n8n, Google Apps Script or Excel. Every change is tested before it goes live, and your data stays where you decide. I have used such a system in my own daily work since 2025, with 20+ routines running on schedule.

Software review against regulations

An independent check of a system against the rules it has to meet, with every finding written up as a fix specification. Project experience: an EU clinical trial software platform checked against ICH E6(R3), 21 CFR Part 11 and GDPR, with every finding written up as a fix specification.

Summary

Project and program manager with twenty years of turning processes that do not work into systems that do, six of them running software delivery: as IT project manager and as head of a nine-person IT development division. Since 2025 I design and run AI agents myself: I decide which steps are code, which need a model, where a person confirms, what is kept in memory and what a run costs. In October 2026 I led delivery of two regulated modules for a clinical trial software platform with AI coding agents: every change merged with tests and a specification the developers built from without rework. 2019–2021 is a deliberate gap: a career break for family reasons.

My hands-on experience is in public administration, municipalities and the financial sector — environments where one process touches thousands of people and a mistake is expensive. When I join a new company, I trace the process end to end first, and only then say how it should run.

AI implementation does not fail because the tools are inadequate. It fails because employees do not utilize them in practice.

Current practice · 2025 — present

AI agents and process automation

I operate independently and without direct supervision—this alone demonstrates my capacity to effectively manage remote work.

Project experience: clinical trial software platform

Led product and quality work on an EU clinical trial software platform, delivering with AI coding agents. Took the platform from data capture with a basic trial management module to connected EDC, CTMS and eTMF: site readiness, enrolment, monitoring visits with e-signatures, protocol deviations, document register with four-eyes QC, site activation gate, inspector access and archive export. Every merged change tested at database, browser and mutation level; system descriptions aligned with ICH E6(R3), 21 CFR Part 11 and EU CTR. Before that, a quality review of the same platform, with every finding written up as a fix specification.

Services on Upwork

Eight approved fixed-price services, each backed by a working demo: workflow migration to n8n, Excel calculators and dashboards, Google Apps Script repair, website change alerts, WordPress speed and bug fixing, landing pages with lead capture.

Agent system in daily work

Task automation, document preparation, monitoring, report generation, and workflow handovers between stages. I architected the entire system myself, maintain it independently, and assume full end-to-end responsibility.

Memory and rules enforced in code

Long-term memory with thousands of stored decisions that the agents reuse across sessions. Risky actions are blocked by code before they run, and every answer passes automatic checks before a person sees it. Measured on my own system: a rule that lived only in the instructions was followed in about 8% of cases, so rules that matter are enforced in code.

Agents in production for others

A rhythm engine that decides when and where a content brand joins conversations across five social networks, with publishing gates and rate limits; small tools in daily use, such as an availability watcher with Telegram alerts.

Skill files

I independently develop and refine the instructions that dictate agent behavior, actively rewriting them when real-world usage exposes flaws in the initial directives.

Large language models via direct system interfaces (API)

"Claude" and "Gemini". I select the model for each task individually, optimizing the cost-to-quality ratio while accounting for potential model changes or downtime, rather than relying on a single solution's permanent availability.

Data location

Data is stored locally on my hardware—both the database and agent memory. External data transmission is always a conscious, controlled decision, never an automated habit.

System integration, known as Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, and tool access

I ensure agents connect securely to necessary systems—browser control, databases, scheduled tasks—and I independently identify and resolve integration failures.

Written by default

Instruction (prompt) and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) engineering to guarantee workflow repeatability, independent of the system's creator.

Testing after every change

Following any alteration to a model, instruction, or data structure, I re-execute system tests and measure the results before confirming a process improvement.

Governance

Three levels established before agent deployment

An agent without strictly defined boundaries is not an efficiency tool—it is a disaster waiting to happen. Boundaries are architected before the process begins, not as a reaction to an error.

Permitted without questions

Tools the agent is authorized to use autonomously—reading, data retrieval, text generation, and local processing. These are reversible actions executed strictly within my personal infrastructure.

Requires human approval

Any action that exits the local environment, generates costs, or is irreversible—publishing, sending emails, external system calls, or data deletion. The agent prepares the content; a human authorizes the execution.

Forbidden

Access credentials, financial transactions, irreversible actions, and anything the user has not explicitly requested. During runtime, the agent is restricted from granting itself exception privileges.

A solution that functioned flawlessly last month can silently break after a new model version is released. Therefore, technical tests are repeated after every modification—such system defects rarely trigger alarms; instead, they silently degrade the process, necessitating proactive monitoring.

How I got here

AI with concrete facts, no embellishment

2024Implemented AI tools into daily workflows at the Competition Council—document drafting, summarization, and data analysis. Graduated from the School of Public Administration program "Artificial Intelligence Methods for Daily Work."
2025Initiated the independent development and practical deployment of my own AI agent architecture, moving away from standard third-party commercial products.
2026Earned a certificate in the program "Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools and Agents in Daily Work and Business" (timefor.ai).

I began my professional career in the banking sector, making the strict requirements of heavily regulated industries standard practice for me. Consequently, I fully understand that actual AI implementation in enterprise organizations moves significantly slower and more cautiously than it appears in technology demonstrations.

Experience

IT Project Manager

Competition Council, Riga

2021 — 2025

Worked remotely for the entire four-year tenure. This format began due to pandemic restrictions and was maintained permanently. Everything detailed below—program development, budget reporting, working group coordination—was accomplished remotely.
Managed ICT development programs from business requirement definition through implementation and testing, coordinating 10–12 stakeholders: business process managers, analysts, and developers.
Proposed the implementation of a national electronic platform for court cases (E-case) at the institution and drove its adoption.
Initiated, officially established, and led an inter-institutional working group (Prosecutor's Office, Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB), Court Administration, and the Competition Council). Participants were officially delegated by their respective institutions. The decisions made by the group served as the foundation for developing the Competition Council's E-case information system.
Maintained focus on priorities during situations with conflicting stakeholder demands; consistently reported to executive management on project progress, budget execution, and potential risks.
Drafted an application for a European Union (EU) support program and organized an international experience exchange visit to Finland.
Successfully delivered five ICT initiatives from business requirements to deployment: cartel screening tool roadmap, E-case implementation, survey module development (including market research), merger process digitalization, and the introduction of a data visualization platform (Tableau). For each project, I managed technical specifications, working groups, procurement, and on-time delivery.
Implemented the Tableau data visualization platform: reports were adopted by three departments. The reporting cycle, which previously required three to four days of manual data processing, was reduced to a single day.
Deployed AI assistant (Copilot) licenses at the executive management level (4 licenses)—this was the first AI tool integrated into the daily work of the institution's leadership, for which I also provided user training and technical support.

Head of IT Project Development Division

National Health Service, Riga

2018 — 2019

Led a team of nine IT specialists responsible for developing the national E-Health information system.
Oversaw the ICT project portfolio; planned resources, implementation methodologies, and inter-institutional coordination.

Warehouse Supervisor; Production Operator

Templine (Kettering); Rigid Containers Ltd (Desborough), United Kingdom

2016 — 2018

Worked in the manufacturing sector in England, concurrently earning an Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) Level 3 qualification as a "Team Leader / Manager" (EQV (UK) Ltd) during evening studies.
Within months of returning to Latvia, I was managing a nine-person IT department. I do not hide this period, as it explicitly demonstrates my capacity to rapidly adapt and master new industries from scratch.

Co-founder, Board Member, Head of Marketing and Sales

SIA "Psaiho.lv", Riga

2011 — 2015

Co-founded the company and served as a board member and co-owner.
Directed marketing and sales operations: acquiring clients and ensuring high-quality service delivery.

Director, Board Member

PSIA "Jūrmalas Attīstības Projekti", Jūrmala

2010 — 2014

Director of a municipally-owned enterprise: held full accountability to the owner for the company's operational activities, budget planning, and financial reporting.
Operated under municipal oversight—justifying decisions and defending them within a political environment.

Project Manager

SIA "Sintegra", Microsoft Gold Partner, Riga

2008 — 2009

Managed IT solution implementation projects in the private technology sector: analyzed client requirements, planned deployment phases, and facilitated stakeholder communication.

Securities and FX Settlement Specialist; Customer Service Specialist

AS "SEB banka", Riga

2005 — 2008

2006–2008: settlement of securities and foreign exchange transactions in the back office of a regulated bank.
2005–2006: customer service and cashier duties, in direct contact with clients.

How I work

Four years remote in a state institution

Worked entirely remotely at the Competition Council (2021–2025). All deliverables—software platforms, budget reports, inter-institutional working groups—were achieved remotely.

Remote and unsupervised

Since 2025, I have independently managed my own practice: defining priorities, setting deadlines, and architecting systems. My workflow requires no external micromanagement.

English as a working language

I have lived and worked in three countries outside Latvia—the United States (2003), New Zealand (2010), and the United Kingdom (2016–2018). My ILM Level 3 qualification was earned and assessed entirely in English.

Leading beyond direct reports

Initiated and led an inter-institutional working group with officially delegated participants, coordinating collaboration across ministries, judicial bodies and the prosecution service.

Corporate contract and self-employment

I have executive experience as a company director and board member; I am fully equipped to engage in B2B (business-to-business) contracting, independently managing invoicing and reporting.

Time zone overlap

Based in Baldone, Latvia, UTC +2/+3. I am available for afternoon and evening shifts to synchronize with the US East Coast.

Questions clients ask

Where can I find an IT project manager in Latvia for a fixed-term project?

Maksims Burcenko works as a self-employed IT project manager on contract, remotely or in Riga. He led national-scale ICT projects at the Competition Council (2021–2025) and headed the IT Project Development Division of the National Health Service. Contact: maksims@burcenko.com, +371 29225571.

Can a project manager help us bring AI into our company's work?

Yes. He first maps how the work is actually done, then picks the tool: AI agents, n8n, Google Apps Script or Excel. Since 2025 he has built and used his own AI agent system every day, so he knows where such systems fail, not only where they work.

Does he have public sector experience?

Yes. Four years as IT project manager at the Competition Council and a year as head of the IT Project Development Division at the National Health Service, including technical specifications, procurement and reporting to management.

Does he work remotely?

Yes. From 2021 to 2025 he ran national ICT projects fully remotely. He works in Latvian and English.

How much does it cost?

The price depends on the scope of the work and is agreed after the first call.

Education and certification

Professional Master's Degree in Business Management — Information Systems Management Institute (ISMA), Riga (2008). Bachelor's Degree in Business Management (2006).
Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools and Agents in Daily Work and Business — timefor.ai, certificate (2026).
Principles of the Information Society and E-Governance — Riga Technical University (2025).
Artificial Intelligence Methods for Daily Work — School of Public Administration (2024).
ILM Level 3 qualification, Team Leader / Manager — EQV (UK) Ltd (2017–2018).
Appreciation from the School of Public Administration — for expertise in developing the project management competency framework for public administration (2024).