Andrew is available for hire
Hire AndrewAndrew Dobson
Verified Expert in Engineering
Back-end Developer
Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom
Toptal member since February 5, 2022
Bio
Andrew is a senior full-stack engineer with 15+ years of experience building scalable web and mobile applications. He specializes in React Native, Node.js, Java, and PHP, delivering products from architecture through to App Store deployment. His expertise includes AI integrations, payment systems, cloud services, and high-performance APIs, helping startups and businesses launch reliable, scalable software.
Portfolio
AJ Development
Swift, Objective-C, Xcode, React Native, Node.js, Laravel, PHP, React, Figma...
International Baccalaureate Organization
JavaScript, React Native, Flutter, CSS, HTML5, Node.js, React, iOS
FDJ Gaming Solutions
Java, Oracle, REST, Apache Kafka, Spring, APIs, Concurrency, Multithreading...
Experience
- Apache Tomcat - 10 years
- REST - 10 years
- Java - 10 years
- JUnit - 10 years
- Spring - 4 years
- React - 3 years
- React Native - 2 years
- Node.js - 2 years
Preferred Environment
MacOS, Eclipse, Slack
The most amazing...
...thing I've built and optimized is back-end systems processing huge volumes of real-time sports and betting data under heavy traffic.
Work Experience
Senior Full-stack Mobile Engineer
2022 - PRESENT
AJ Development
- Delivered 20+ mobile and web applications for startups and established businesses, owning projects from discovery and architecture through deployment to the App Store and Google Play.
- Architected scalable full-stack solutions using React Native, Node.js, Java, Laravel, and PostgreSQL, enabling clients to launch products that supported thousands of users.
- Designed RESTful APIs and back-end services that integrated with third-party platforms, including Stripe, Shopify, Firebase, RevenueCat, and Apple/Google payment ecosystems.
- Implemented secure payment solutions using Stripe, Apple In-App Purchases, and Google Play Billing, ensuring reliable transaction processing and subscription management.
- Developed high-performance cross-platform mobile applications in React Native while integrating native iOS (Swift/Objective-C) and Android functionality where required.
- Optimized application performance by reducing load times, improving API efficiency, and implementing scalable back-end architectures to support business growth.
- Collaborated directly with founders, product owners, and stakeholders to prioritize features, manage project scope, and deliver production-ready software on schedule.
- Integrated AI-powered features using OpenAI and other LLM providers to automate workflows, generate content, and enhance user experiences across multiple client products.
- Maintained long-term client relationships by providing ongoing feature development, production support, bug fixing, and technical consultancy following initial product launches.
Technologies: Swift, Objective-C, Xcode, React Native, Node.js, Laravel, PHP, React, Figma, PostgreSQL, Stripe, API Development, Back-end Development, Microservices, Architecture, Microservices Architecture, Database Design, RESTFul APIs, Full-stack, iOS, Software Architecture, Android, Artificial Intelligence (AI), API Backwards Compatibility, SSH, XML, Full-stack Development, Third-party APIs, API Integration, App Store, RevenueCat
[FT/PT] Cross-plaftorm Developer, Flutter or React Native | Evaluation Card-based Application
2022 - 2022
International Baccalaureate Organization
- Developed an interactive card-based game using React that allowed students to pick cards and build up a motif, which could then be exported and printed.
- Liaised with the client to deploy test versions, manage feedback and outstanding issues, and make the relevant changes.
- Ensured the application was translatable into three different languages.
Technologies: JavaScript, React Native, Flutter, CSS, HTML5, Node.js, React, iOS
Senior Java Developer
2017 - 2022
FDJ Gaming Solutions
- Worked as a back-end engineer to develop an extremely performant Java application that took a large number of bets from players in a short time span. This involved complex algorithms to process the bets and calculate potential returns.
- Ensured the API evolution was controlled by securing that any changes to the API were well thought out and followed industry and internal standards.
- Overhauled how the company receives feed information, from taking a single feed in a strict format to multiple feeds in various formats. Ensured performance targets were maintained.
- Implemented and rolled out our product to new North American clients with the quickest launch and most significant release in recent years. Defined key requirements and efficiently delivered the product on time.
Technologies: Java, Oracle, REST, Apache Kafka, Spring, APIs, Concurrency, Multithreading, Apache Tomcat, JUnit, Unit Testing, Git, JSON, Agile, ELK (Elastic Stack), Liquibase, Swagger, Back-end Performance, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Docker, Jira, PostgreSQL, Kafka Streams, Hibernate, PSQL, Jersey, Pull Requests, JConsole, API Development, Back-end Development, Microservices, Architecture, Microservices Architecture, Database Design, RESTFul APIs, Software Architecture, REST APIs, API Backwards Compatibility, SSH, XML, Linux, Full-stack Development, Third-party APIs, API Integration
Development Team Leader
2012 - 2017
Capita IB Solutions
- Acted as the main point of contact for multiple projects, oversaw the team's resources, worked closely with clients to provide day-to-day support, scheduled bug fix releases, scoped new functionalities, and ensured deadlines were met.
- Created bespoke web applications using Java within a Tomcat environment and played a key role in all stages of the development lifecycle—from initial analysis with clients to design the proposed solution, development, and testing.
- Designed and developed a new web-based system to keep track of people attending training courses and added additional functionality to the existing expense management system used by NHS.
Technologies: Java, Oracle, Apache Tomcat, JUnit, Team Leadership, PSQL
Experience
AI Product & Ingredient Analysis Platform
I developed an AI-powered mobile platform that allows users to scan food and cosmetic products to retrieve ingredient information, analyze ingredients using AI models, and generate health and hormone-related scores and insights. The platform combined barcode scanning, AI-powered analysis, subscription systems, and scalable back-end services to deliver real-time product evaluations and personalized feedback.
AI Specification Writing Platform for Architects
I developed an AI-powered web application for architects that generated technical specification documents based on project requirements and structured inputs.
The platform streamlined the specification-writing process by leveraging AI-generated content, editable document sections, project management tools, and scalable back-end services for document generation and storage.
The platform streamlined the specification-writing process by leveraging AI-generated content, editable document sections, project management tools, and scalable back-end services for document generation and storage.
Fitness and Nutrition App in React Native
I developed a cross-platform fitness and nutrition application for iOS and Android using React Native. I built a scalable Node.js back end that integrated with Shopify to synchronize product, nutrition, and subscription data in real time. The project focused heavily on performance, API integration, clean architecture, and delivering a smooth mobile experience across both platforms.
Conference Event App for Automotive Organization
I developed a cross-platform conference and event application for a leading automotive organization. The app allowed attendees to browse exhibitors and featured vehicles, view interactive venue maps, book test drives, manage event schedules, and access digital tickets with integrated validation and scanning functionality for event entry. The platform was designed to support high attendee volumes and real-time event updates.
POS & PED Donation Platform
I developed Android-based POS and PED software for a payment solutions company that prompted customers to make charitable donations during card transactions. The platform integrated directly with payment hardware, processed donation flows in real time, and reported transaction and donation data back to back-end systems for analytics and reconciliation. The project required a strong focus on reliability, transaction integrity, and hardware integration.
Food Delivery & Ordering Platform
I developed a mobile food delivery application that allowed users to browse restaurants and cafes, place orders, process payments, and track deliveries in real time. The platform included live order status updates, location tracking, back-end order management, and scalable APIs to support multiple vendors and high order volumes.
Golf Coaching & Training Platform
I built a coaching platform that enabled golf coaches to manage students, assign training courses, create coaching challenges, and track player progress. The application included user management, course content delivery, progress tracking, and communication features designed to improve engagement between coaches and students.
Education
2008 - 2012
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science
University of Hertfordshire - Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Skills
Libraries/APIs
Liquibase, API Development, REST APIs, Firebase iOS SDK, Spotify API, React, Stripe, Stripe API, Node.js, Open APIs
Tools
Apache Tomcat, Git, Slack, ELK (Elastic Stack), Jira, Xcode, Kafka Streams, JConsole, Figma
Languages
Java, Objective-C, JavaScript, PHP, XML, Swift, GraphQL, CSS, HTML5, TypeScript, Kotlin
Frameworks
Spring, JUnit, React Native, Swagger, Hibernate, Jersey, Unity, Flutter, Laravel
Paradigms
REST, Database Design, Unit Testing, Agile, Microservices, Microservices Architecture
Platforms
Eclipse, iOS, RevenueCat, Oracle, Apache Kafka, MacOS, Docker, Firebase, Android, Linux, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Shopify
Storage
JSON, PostgreSQL, PSQL, Hasura
Other
Web Services, APIs, Concurrency, Multithreading, Pull Requests, Back-end Development, RESTFul APIs, Full-stack, API Backwards Compatibility, Full-stack Development, Third-party APIs, API Integration, App Store, Web Applications, Team Leadership, Back-end Performance, Architecture, Software Architecture, Artificial Intelligence (AI), SSH, Ticketing, QR Codes, Admin Panels, POS, Transactions, UPC & Barcodes, Subscriptions, Tracking, Payments, User Management, Cloud
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