Hands-on engineering leader with 15+ years of experience

I build and scale PHP applications, from the database to the browser.

I've spent my career writing PHP, Laravel, and TypeScript, with Angular, Vue, and React on the front end. I like the hard, unglamorous work: major-version upgrades with no downtime, slow queries made fast, and APIs other systems can depend on.

Get in touch Download resume (PDF)

Stack

I'm a multidisciplinary software engineer. I lead teams, build out cloud infrastructure and the monitoring that keeps it healthy, ship frontends, and tune databases, so I can pick up whatever the work needs.

Backend

PHP, Laravel, TypeScript, Node.js, Python

Frontend

TypeScript, JavaScript, Angular, Vue, React

Data

MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Databricks

Cloud and DevOps

AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, CI/CD

Experience highlights

Measurable results from production systems I've built, upgraded, and scaled.

  • Upgraded PHP 7.2 to 8.4 with zero downtimeDrove a full backend modernization at Cox Automotive, upgrading the core API and its Laravel and Symfony services without a single service interruption.
  • Eliminated 100+ security vulnerabilitiesRebuilt a core business application's frontend in TypeScript and current Angular, wiping out 100+ vulnerabilities and boosting developer efficiency 30%.
  • Cut AWS costs in halfSlashed Honeyfund's infrastructure spend 50% by streamlining and right-sizing AWS resources.
  • Doubled release velocityMoved Honeyfund to continuous releases backed by modern observability and monitoring.
  • Unified 14,000+ products into one source of truthArchitected and shipped Node.js middleware connecting the Salsify API to JD Edwards ERP, eliminating redundant product data at Diversitech.
  • Built three engineering teams with zero turnoverHired and managed two development teams and a DevOps team from the ground up at Honeyfund, growing output quarter over quarter without losing a single engineer.

Experience

Fifteen years of shipping production PHP, from eCommerce and ERP integrations to high-traffic APIs.

  1. Thirdware Labs

    Sept 2026 – Present
    Founder and Principal Engineer

    Independent software engineering and technical leadership consulting.

  2. Honeyfund

    Dec 2023 – Sept 2026
    Director of Technology, promoted from Senior Full Stack Developer

    Led the build of a new API-first application architecture, cut AWS costs 50%, doubled release frequency, and brought Claude into daily development.

  3. Cox Automotive

    Nov 2021 – Dec 2023
    Lead Software Engineer

    Upgraded the backend API from PHP 7.2 to 8.4, scaled Laravel applications with query optimization and caching, and migrated the frontend to TypeScript and Angular.

  4. Diversitech

    May 2021 – Nov 2021
    Lead Software Engineer

    Built Node.js middleware integrating Salsify with JD Edwards ERP, and developed an eCommerce application on Oro and Symfony.

  5. Envisage International

    Feb 2016 – May 2021
    Software Engineer

    Built real-time lead APIs and a subscription payment system, migrated apps from Yii to Yii2, and ran containerized services on Google Cloud and Docker.

  6. The Parts House

    Feb 2014 – Feb 2016
    Software Engineer

    Automated the entire Amazon dropship process and built in-house inventory management software.

  7. Sklar Instruments

    Jul 2013 – May 2014
    Web Developer

    Improved performance, SEO, and conversion across multiple sites, maintained Magento stores, and built WordPress plugins.

Hiring a senior PHP engineer?

I'm open to full-time engineering roles on teams that care about well-built software, and available for contract and fractional CTO work through Thirdware Labs. I'd be glad to hear what you're working on.

james.lewis@thirdwarelabs.com
LinkedIn Resume (PDF) Based in Atlanta, GA