Backend Engineer - reliable product and data systems
Tom Valk
Backend Engineer - data, automation and product systems
I am a backend and full-stack engineer with 11+ years of experience building custom (web) applications, internal tools and production infrastructure. My day-to-day stack includes Python, PHP, TypeScript/NodeJS, Laravel, Symfony, Django, Flask, Falcon, Celery, SQLAlchemy, Doctrine, MySQL/PostgreSQL, Docker, GitLab CI/CD and Linux.
I usually work end-to-end: understand the workflow, shape the API and database, build the service, connect the frontend where needed, automate the deployment and keep the whole thing maintainable after launch.
Technical profile
- Backend and full-stack engineering since 2015 across Python and PHP, with TypeScript and NodeJS where useful.
- Regular frameworks and libraries: Symfony and Doctrine on PHP; Django, Flask, Falcon, Celery and SQLAlchemy on Python.
- Methods: OOP, API design, CI/CD, automated deployments, queue-based processing, monitoring and failure recovery.
- Infrastructure: Linux, Docker, Ansible, GitLab CI/CD, AWS/Azure services, DigitalOcean, Icinga2, Grafana and ELK.
- Comfortable owning work from client conversation and requirements through implementation, release and operations.
Experience
Lead Developer
Qogni Technologies
- Lead development of a scalable web application plus the cloud and DevOps foundation around it.
- Part of the management team in a small startup, often helping design and shape the product itself.
- Improve reliability, data workflows and application performance through automation and continuous delivery.
Software Engineer and Owner
EuphoriaLabs (former Valk Systems)
- Freelance backend and full-stack engineering for long-running clients across custom software, portals and internal tools.
- Build with Python, PHP and NodeJS, including Symfony, Flask, Django and Falcon services.
- Set up CI/CD, cloud deployments and operational automation while keeping communication and timesheets transparent.
Freelance IT Infrastructure Manager and Software Engineer
Experius / Happy Horizon
- Managed internal systems, servers and DTAP environments for development teams with heavy automation.
- Built Python/Django tooling and Celery workflows for webshop operations across hosting providers.
- Operated production and development infrastructure using Ansible, GitLab CI/CD, DigitalOcean, Icinga2, Grafana and ELK.
Freelance Python Developer
Maxilia
- Expanded internal tools for inventory, artwork and product configuration workflows.
- Built Python APIs with Falcon, Flask, SQLAlchemy, GraphQL and integrations to Magento and partner systems.
- Used AWS S3 and SQS for storage and queue-driven processing around operational data.
Full Stack / Backend Engineer
Actua Groep and Eye2iD
- Develop insurance and financial-services platforms used in dealership and customer-facing workflows.
- Maintain Symfony/MySQL backends, API integrations, TypeScript interfaces and CI/CD pipelines.
- Translate detailed business requirements into product behavior that works for clients, staff and external systems.
Selected projects
Took over an unstructured Laravel installation and turned it into a maintainable platform with clearer architecture, CI/CD, deployment practices and engineering standards. Led the complete stack through a recent technical due diligence review successfully.
Led the move from AWS to Azure while migrating the main database from MySQL to PostgreSQL, coordinating infrastructure, CI/CD changes, configuration, data migration and rollout checks in one track.
Centralized tool for DTAP workflows across many webshops and hosting providers: sync, deploy, copy, monitor and recover operational environments, with failure handling and recovery paths treated as a core part of the work.
Dealership platform where staff can configure insurance products, start applications directly and integrate with delivery reminders and factory-warranty workflows.
Multilingual lease and lead-generation platforms with calculation modules, email delivery and AWS-hosted microservices.
Internal systems and APIs around inventory, customer artwork and product configuration for a Magento webshop and external software.
Custom CRM for B2B/B2C city-walk organization, quotation and website integration.