Zelalem Hailekirstos
Senior Full Stack Engineer
I build web applications and the systems behind them.
I’m a software engineer with 5+ years of experience across interfaces, APIs, and cloud infrastructure. I work from early technical decisions through production, combining hands-on development with technical leadership.
Currently: Lead Software Engineer at Sabi LLC · Part-time
02 / Approach
How I think about engineering
Start with clear boundaries.
I think through the interfaces, data models, and service boundaries before connecting the pieces.
Keep the system understandable.
Readable code and deliberate architecture help a team maintain and evolve what it builds.
Take ownership through delivery.
I work from the first technical decisions through implementation, deployment, and mentoring the team.
03 / Experience
A few stops along the way
Sabi LLCLead Software Engineer · Part-timeSep 2021 to PresentDetails
Addis Ababa
Technical direction and hands-on delivery across products, from application architecture to cloud infrastructure.
- Lead system design and architectural decisions across backend, frontend, and cloud systems.
- Evolve a modular monolith toward service-oriented and event-driven architectures as products and teams grow.
- Define API contracts, data models, and communication patterns between services.
- Set deployment, scaling, and security standards, and mentor engineers through code reviews and shared practices.
Kemer HabeshaLead Full Stack Developer · RemoteJan 2022 to Aug 2026Details
California · Remote
Led full stack development with a focus on backend services, secure APIs, and serverless architecture.
- Designed backend services and APIs around scalability, maintainability, and secure access to data.
- Implemented serverless architecture for core workloads and established REST API standards and service boundaries.
- Built authentication and authorization mechanisms, alongside CI/CD pipelines and deployment workflows.
- Collaborated with product and design teams to deliver responsive interfaces.
iPickBackend DeveloperJul 2021 to Dec 2022Details
Addis Ababa
Developed backend services with PHP and Python (FastAPI and Django), alongside React frontend features for a ride-hailing platform used by riders, drivers, and administrators.
- Developed features across rider, driver, and admin systems and maintained their REST APIs.
- Built Python backend services using FastAPI and Django, and developed frontend features with React.
- Designed and optimized PostgreSQL and MySQL queries for rides, users, and transactions.
- Diagnosed production issues and improved critical endpoints through query optimization and refactoring.
Tigu TechWeb DeveloperAug 2019 to Sep 2021Details
Addis Ababa
Built web applications and backend services, working with teams to translate business requirements into software.
- Developed React and Redux single-page applications and responsive interfaces.
- Designed and implemented a microservices-based backend architecture.
- Introduced CI/CD pipelines to automate testing and deployments.
04 / Toolbox
Tools, by purpose
- Interface
- React, Next.js, Vue, Nuxt, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
- Backend
- Node.js, NestJS, Python, FastAPI, Django, REST, GraphQL
- Data
- PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MySQL, Redis, DynamoDB
- Infrastructure
- AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, GCP, Azure
Architecture, testing & more
- Architecture
- Modular monoliths, microservices, event-driven systems, serverless
- Quality & security
- Jest, Vitest, Playwright, Cypress, OAuth 2.0, JWT, Auth0
- AI & tooling
- OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, LangChain, LangGraph, Pinecone
BSc in Software EngineeringAddis Ababa Science & Technology University
05 / Selected work
A little context for the work
Some of the products I’ve worked on, alongside the experience above.
06 / Contact
Let’s talk.
Have a role, a technical challenge, or a question in mind? Send me a note.
zolateklu@gmail.com