10/13/2026 updated
100 % available
Senior Backend & Data Engineer | PHP/Laravel, SQL & API Integrations
Malta
Worldwide
International MSc in IT, Multimedia Technology | IT University of Copenhagen | 2004-2007About me
Swedish engineer based in Malta, with 20+ years in software development. I enjoy making sense of unfamiliar systems, solving difficult problems and helping others learn. My approach is thoughtful, direct and practical. Outside work, I paint abstract art and enjoy walking and gaming.
Symfony3Legacy DatabasePHPApplication Programming Interfaces (APIs)Application Integration ArchitectureLAMP StackBusiness IntelligenceBusiness Intelligence DevelopmentData IntegrationExtract Transform Load (ETL)Database DevelopmentDevOpsDigital IntegrationGitHubLeadership
PHP Development with Laravel and Symfony
Over 20 years of backend development experience using PHP, Laravel and Symfony, including building backend services, scheduled processes, reusable ETL patterns and web interfaces for large-scale platforms.
SQL and Database Engineering
Deep expertise in MySQL/MariaDB, ClickHouse and PostgreSQL, covering complex SQL, data modelling, query optimisation, ETL processes and management of large datasets.
API Integrations and System Architecture
Extensive experience designing and implementing REST and SOAP integrations, including data migrations, legacy system refactoring, reusable integration architectures and production troubleshooting.
Data Engineering and BI
Leadership and hands-on contribution in data engineering and business intelligence, including platform improvements, step-level logging, error monitoring and increasing data coverage from approximately 55-60% to 94-95%.
Frontend Technologies
Working knowledge of JavaScript, jQuery, HTML, CSS and Tailwind, used to support backend-driven web applications and interfaces.
Cloud and DevOps Tools
Practical experience with Git/GitHub, Linux, Bash, AWS, cron and Laravel Scheduler for deployment, automation and operational monitoring.
Python
Intermediate-level Python skills applied in data engineering contexts, including concurrent processing and data transformation pipelines.
Legacy System Investigation and Refactoring
Proven ability to investigate, debug and refactor fragmented legacy codebases, replacing them with maintainable and scalable platform architectures.
Technical Leadership and Mentoring
Experience leading teams of 3-5 developers, prioritising platform improvements, conducting technical design sessions, pairing and mentoring team members.
Over 20 years of backend development experience using PHP, Laravel and Symfony, including building backend services, scheduled processes, reusable ETL patterns and web interfaces for large-scale platforms.
SQL and Database Engineering
Deep expertise in MySQL/MariaDB, ClickHouse and PostgreSQL, covering complex SQL, data modelling, query optimisation, ETL processes and management of large datasets.
API Integrations and System Architecture
Extensive experience designing and implementing REST and SOAP integrations, including data migrations, legacy system refactoring, reusable integration architectures and production troubleshooting.
Data Engineering and BI
Leadership and hands-on contribution in data engineering and business intelligence, including platform improvements, step-level logging, error monitoring and increasing data coverage from approximately 55-60% to 94-95%.
Frontend Technologies
Working knowledge of JavaScript, jQuery, HTML, CSS and Tailwind, used to support backend-driven web applications and interfaces.
Cloud and DevOps Tools
Practical experience with Git/GitHub, Linux, Bash, AWS, cron and Laravel Scheduler for deployment, automation and operational monitoring.
Python
Intermediate-level Python skills applied in data engineering contexts, including concurrent processing and data transformation pipelines.
Legacy System Investigation and Refactoring
Proven ability to investigate, debug and refactor fragmented legacy codebases, replacing them with maintainable and scalable platform architectures.
Technical Leadership and Mentoring
Experience leading teams of 3-5 developers, prioritising platform improvements, conducting technical design sessions, pairing and mentoring team members.
Experience
Professional experience10+ years
Freelancer since2024
Languages
DanishGoodGermanBasic knowledgeEnglishFluentNorwegianGoodSwedishNative speaker
Project history
Developing small web applications and prototypes for SaaS products using PHP/Laravel, Livewire, MySQL and JavaScript. Freelance consulting focused on PHP, SQL/MySQL, API integrations, data migrations, troubleshooting and performance optimisation. Conducting workshops on data analysis, API integrations and data-informed decision-making; continued professional development in AI and analytics.
Led a team of 3-5 across data engineering and BI, prioritising platform improvements and operational issues. Proposed and helped design the move from sequential PHP/Laravel imports to concurrent Python processing and from MariaDB transformations to ClickHouse. Reduced selected data transformations from 1-2 hours to 1-2 minutes. Defined step-level logging, error categories, monitoring and high-value source alerts; helped increase data coverage from approximately 55-60% to 94-95%.
Modernised PHP-based integrations using Laravel, reusable ETL patterns, scheduled processes and clearer documentation and monitoring. Worked on a platform covering thousands of affiliate accounts, approximately 1,000 operators and more than 100 websites; investigated data discrepancies and integration failures, utilising API parsing and web scraping to import financial data and statistics.