Giannis Ftaras
Building scalable systems for the future.
I am a Senior Full Stack Engineer & Systems Architect specializing in high-performance PHP/Laravel applications, modern cloud infrastructure, and resilient system architectures.
01.
About Me
Hi! I am Giannis, a Senior Full-Stack Engineer and Systems Architect based in Thessaloniki, Greece. With over a decade of hands-on experience, I specialize in engineering high-throughput, secure, and maintainable web applications.
My core development toolkit centers on PHP and Laravel, where I rely on Domain-Driven Design (DDD) to keep business domains modular and Test-Driven Development (TDD) to guarantee stability under scale. Beyond application development, I bridge the gap into infrastructure—handling high-volume database optimizations (PostgreSQL, Redis, partitioning) and automating environments with Terraform, Ansible, Docker, AWS, and GCP.
Here are a few technologies I’ve been working with recently:
- PHP / Laravel
- DDD & TDD
- PostgreSQL / Redis
- Docker & Terraform
- AWS & GCP
- CI/CD & GitHub Actions
02.
Where I've Worked
Senior PHP Full Stack Engineer @ Better Collective
June 2022 - Present
Responsibilities & Accomplishments:
- Architect and develop high-traffic web applications using **PHP, Laravel, and modern frontend tools**, ensuring maximum performance and reliability.
- Apply **Domain-Driven Design (DDD)** principles to structure complex business logic cleanly, ensuring decoupling from framework dependencies.
- Practice **Test-Driven Development (TDD)** to increase test coverage, streamline deployments, and minimize regression risk.
- Optimize relational database schemas and data flows using **PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis caching, and table partitioning** to process heavy traffic effortlessly.
- Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders, designers, and system leads to refine engineering standards and refactor legacy code bases.
Senior PHP Developer & DevOps Engineer @ Readnet Publications
March 2020 - June 2022
Responsibilities & Accomplishments:
- Led end-to-end full-stack PHP web development across all phases of the system development life cycle.
- Designed and deployed cloud infrastructure on **Google Cloud Platform (GCP)** and **AWS**, utilizing serverless components and microservices.
- Automated provisioning and deployment workflows using **Terraform, Ansible, Docker, and GitHub Actions (CI/CD)**.
- Refactored legacy applications into modular, secure architectures backed by strict object-oriented paradigms.
Webmaster & IT Department Manager @ PoliSafety GP
January 2017 - February 2020
Responsibilities & Accomplishments:
- Engineered and upgraded internal web applications using PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- Supervised local hybrid networks, web application security auditing, and server infrastructure uptime.
- Formulated backup protocols and disaster recovery plans to guarantee complete data integrity.
IT Engineer @ Bar Association of Thessaloniki
September 2014 - July 2015
Responsibilities & Accomplishments:
- Administered network infrastructure, router configurations, network expansions, and secure hardware setups.
- Monitored network traffic and application access to optimize bandwidth distribution across system endpoints.
Application Developer & Security Auditor @ First Instance Court of Thessaloniki
March 2014 - August 2014
Responsibilities & Accomplishments:
- Developed local UI database applications using Oracle Database and VB.NET to streamline judicial procedures.
- Executed network security audits, enforced anti-interception protocols, and maintained central systems.
03.
Things I've Built
04-a.
What I've Studied
Vocational Diploma in Computer Engineering & Systems Technologies @ Delta Educational Group
October 2010 - June 2012
Comprehensive technical degree covering hardware infrastructure, microprocessor architecture, operating systems administration, network protocols, and software development.
Indicative study courses:
- Computer Engineering & Electronic Devices
- Network Infrastructures & Telecommunications
- Microprocessor Architecture & Digital Electronics
- Operating Systems (Linux, Windows Server)
- Software Engineering Concepts
04-b.
Certifications
Security Aware Programmer @ Certified Secure
August 2024
- Information Security
- Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
- Threat & Vulnerability Assessment
Professional Scrum Master I @ Scrum.org
February 2024
- Project Management
- Agile Software Development
- Scrum Framework & Sprint Planning
Google Cloud Infrastructure Modernization
January 2022
- Compute Engine Management
- Kubernetes Principals & Deployment
- Networking & Load Balancing
Cloud Computing Concepts @ University of Illinois
July 2015
- Distributed Systems & MapReduce
- Key-Value Stores & Data Partitioning
Network Security & Cryptography @ Stanford University
September 2014
- Cryptographic Primitives
- Network Security Architecture
04-c.
Languages I Speak
Greek: Native language
English: Proficient (Certified)
French: Intermediate
04-d.
Core Competencies
- Full-Stack Development with PHP (Laravel) and React/Filament
- Domain-Driven Design (DDD) & Test-Driven Development (TDD)
- High-Volume Data Engineering (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, Table Partitioning)
- DevOps & IaC (Terraform, Ansible, Docker, LXC, GitHub Actions)
- Cloud Infrastructure (AWS, Google Cloud Platform)
- RESTful API Architecture & Microservices
- Application Security & Vulnerability Remediation
05. Say Hello
Get In Touch
Although I’m not currently looking for new opportunities, my inbox is always open. Whether you have an architecture question or just want to connect, feel free to drop me a message!
Send a Message