
Azhar Zafar
Verified Expert in Engineering
Software Developer
Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan
Toptal member since September 5, 2022
Azhar is a software engineer and AI expert who designs and builds custom, high-performance applications using React, Node.js, Next.js, Python, n8n, and AWS. He delivers scalable, AI-driven products across fintech, edtech, SaaS, and marketing technology, with a strong focus on clean architecture, performance, cloud scalability, and production-ready solutions.
Portfolio
Experience
- JavaScript - 10 years
- Node.js - 10 years
- React - 10 years
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) - 9 years
- Next.js - 8 years
- TypeScript - 8 years
- REST APIs - 8 years
- n8n - 6 years
Preferred Environment
Docker, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Node.js, React, Next.js, MongoDB, TypeScript, n8n, Workflow, Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The most amazing...
...software system I have built is a centralized data platform syncing multiple data sources and custom apps using REST APIs and event-driven architecture.
Work Experience
Senior Software Engineer
Changing Digital
- Revamped a news platform using modern technologies Next.js, SSG/SSR, TypeScript, and Contentful CMS, resolving SEO and indexing issues while improving site speed by 50% and increasing organic traffic by 60%.
- Contributed to the end-to-end development of a data-driven application, encompassing data processing, back-end services, and advanced front-end features including charts, tables, search filters, and comparison tools.
- Designed and implemented complex n8n workflows to automate data extraction, transformation, and storage from multiple sources, including data scraping and integration with finance platforms.
AI Workflow Automation Engineer
The Clutter Bee LLC dba Everything Envy LLC
- Built a Meta Ads automation engine using Graph API that converted structured Google Sheets rows into fully deployed ad sets, enabling scaling to 80–100 ads/day with dynamic creative templating and bulk campaign orchestration.
- Engineered a real-time performance feedback loop that synced Meta Ads Insights into Google Sheets and triggered automated campaign actions (pause/scale/kill) based on CTR, CPA, and ROAS thresholds for live optimization.
- Integrated Amazon Product Advertising API into the affiliate pipeline to dynamically enrich products with pricing, availability, and rating signals before they were passed into ad generation workflows.
- Developed an AI-driven creative scoring system powered by GPT-4 that evaluated ad performance patterns and historical engagement data to rank creatives for scaling, replacement, or suppression decisions.
- Automated Instagram ad generation workflows using Claude to produce high-variation marketing copy (hooks, captions, CTAs, hashtags), improving creative diversity across affiliate campaigns.
- Implemented a Gemini-based enrichment layer to validate and cross-check product metadata (titles, pricing consistency, availability signals) before ads were pushed into Meta campaign pipelines.
- Implemented a batch ad generation pipeline that converted single spreadsheet entries into multi-variant ad sets (copy, creative, targeting permutations), significantly increasing campaign testing velocity.
- Orchestrated Google Sheets as a lightweight operational data layer, continuously synced with ad platforms to serve as the central control plane for campaign monitoring and decision-making.
- Built n8n-powered ingestion workflows that automated affiliate product feed normalization and routing into downstream ad generation systems, reducing manual campaign setup overhead.
- Designed a rule-driven campaign control system that continuously monitored inventory and performance signals, ensuring ads were automatically paused when product availability dropped or CPA exceeded thresholds.
Full-stack Developer
Suresh Punjabi
- Built a Bubble.io-based cancer support platform that streamlined patient onboarding workflows, reducing manual intake handling time by around 60% through fully automated form-to-database pipelines and structured journey tracking.
- Designed and optimized patient lifecycle data models in Bubble that improved support case resolution speed by enabling real-time visibility into treatment stage, care needs, and pending assistance requests.
- Implemented role-based access control across patient, family, and internal support teams, reducing data leakage risk and improving operational clarity across multi-stakeholder healthcare workflows.
- Integrated Stripe within Bubble to enable subscription-based service access, resulting in a fully automated billing system that eliminated manual invoicing and improved payment conversion tracking accuracy.
- Developed a Gemini-powered contextual assistant that generated stage-specific support content for patients (diagnosis, treatment, recovery), improving user engagement and session retention across the platform.
- Built a Gemini-based intent classification system that automatically routed incoming patient queries into correct support workflows, reducing manual triage workload by around 50% and improving response consistency.
- Optimized Bubble workflows for patient onboarding funnels, increasing completion rates by simplifying multi-step forms into adaptive flows based on previous inputs and behavioral triggers.
- Designed and executed structured test scenarios within Bubble to simulate patient journeys, enabling data-driven refinement of onboarding flows and improving drop-off rates across critical funnel stages.
- Improved system responsiveness by refactoring Bubble back-end workflows for asynchronous updates, ensuring real-time synchronization of patient status changes across dashboards and reducing UI lag.
- Integrated external enrichment APIs into Bubble workflows to provide contextual recommendations for patient support services, improving the relevance of suggestions and increasing user interaction with support modules.
Software Engineer
Kwanso
- Developed a virtual learning platform using Nuxt.js, Node.js, and PostgreSQL, improving SEO with SSR and optimizing session management, boosting engagement by 40%, and streamlining workflows for webinar sessions.
- Integrated Salesforce automation with Vue Storefront using REST APIs and webhooks, streamlining customer sync and reducing manual data entry by 60%.
- Engineered a help-center module with Vue and integrated Intercom, streamlining support workflows, reducing ticket resolution time by 40%, and improving user satisfaction with a more intuitive interface.
- Built GraphQL APIs with NestJS and Apollo Server, optimizing data retrieval, improving performance by 50%, and enabling seamless 3rd-party integrations.
- Developed AI-powered chat agents using OpenAI API, WebRTC, and a Vue interface, increasing customer engagement and driving 30% higher eCommerce conversions by providing instant support.
- Created an AI-driven monitoring tool for child safety using NLP, enhancing parental visibility, analyzing risks, and supporting online mental health.
- Optimized caching with Redis and PostgreSQL, reducing query latency by 70% under peak loads and improving system scalability for high-traffic apps.
- Implemented CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions, Docker, and Terraform, accelerating deployments by 80% and ensuring reliable rollback strategies.
- Designed scalable PostgreSQL and PlanetScale architectures, ensuring 99.99% uptime, high availability, and optimal performance for enterprise applications.
- Integrated Stripe payments with OAuth authentication, enabling seamless subscription management, improving security, and reducing failed transactions.
Software Developer
DVMelite
- Built a HIPAA-compliant rewards system using Angular, uncovering engagement patterns that maximized client retention.
- Developed a real-time dashboard with RxJS, identifying motivational triggers that enhanced staff performance and incentives.
- Architected AWS security with KMS and IAM, detecting access control weaknesses and fortifying HIPAA compliance strategies.
- Implemented Amazon CloudWatch-based logging, uncovering threat patterns and improving proactive security response for compliance.
- Encrypted patient records with AWS Key Management Service (KMS), analyzing data flow vulnerabilities, and ensuring ironclad regulatory compliance.
- Automated reporting workflows in a Vue and Vue Storefront setup using amCharts, exposing inefficiencies and improving operational data visibility.
- Optimized PostgreSQL queries with Redis caching, identifying bottlenecks that reduced latency and enhanced system performance.
- Integrated CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions, streamlining deployments and detecting regression patterns before release.
- Secured medical data with Amazon S3 encryption, uncovering storage misconfigurations and ensuring long-term compliance stability.
- Enhanced authentication with OAuth 2 and Cognito, identifying breach patterns and strengthening identity verification processes.
Software Developer
Public Health Engineering Department
- Engineered internal automation tools with Node.js, Express, and MySQL, streamlining workflows and reducing manual effort by 60% for department teams.
- Architected a scalable back-end system using Node.js, Express, and MySQL, optimizing data processing speed by 50% and ensuring seamless system integrations.
- Revamped a legacy jQuery-based front end by migrating to a React application, enhancing performance, maintainability, and user experience.
- Modernized a legacy jQuery/PHP stack by migrating to Vue with Vue Storefront, reducing tech debt by 40% and enabling modular, scalable UI development.
- Spearheaded projects from ideation to deployment, implementing CI/CD pipelines and DevOps best practices to accelerate delivery cycles by 30%.
- Developed an API-first document system using Node.js and Vue Storefront, reducing processing time by 70% and improving UX across multi-departmental workflows.
- Integrated real-time GIS mapping solutions with government housing data, enabling accurate land assessment and improving urban planning efficiency.
- Implemented secure authentication using OAuth 2 and JWT, improving access control and protecting sensitive government data from unauthorized access.
- Optimized SQL queries and database indexing, reducing query execution times by 45% and enhancing performance for large-scale government datasets.
- Designed an analytics dashboard with React and Chart.js, providing real-time insights into housing development projects and improving decision-making.
Software Developer
Vertexol Software Solutions
- Developed and maintained full-stack web applications using React, Node.js, PHP, and MySQL, optimizing performance and scalability.
- Engineered reusable React components following best design patterns, improving code maintainability and UI consistency across applications.
- Designed and implemented sleek, responsive UIs with React, HTML, and CSS, enhancing user experience and accessibility.
- Optimized RESTful APIs with Node.js, Express.js, and MongoDB, improving data retrieval efficiency by 40%.
- Led front-end development for eCommerce platforms using Vue and Vue Storefront, integrating secure payments and improving checkout conversion rates.
- Integrated NoSQL and SQL databases, designing efficient data models to handle high-traffic applications with minimal latency.
- Implemented dynamic WordPress solutions, customizing plugins and themes to enhance client business operations.
- Automated deployment pipelines using GitHub Actions, reducing production deployment times by 50%.
- Refactored legacy jQuery codebases to Vue and Vue Storefront, improving UI modularity, front-end performance, and long-term maintainability.
- Launched multiple web applications into production, increasing business revenue and customer satisfaction through seamless UI/UX and back-end optimizations.
Experience
AM Insights
https://www.aminsights.comAs a senior software engineer, I led the development of scalable microservices using NestJS and MongoDB, ensuring real-time fund tracking. I built automated pipelines with n8n for seamless data ingestion from Morningstar and NocoDB, optimizing processing with Elasticsearch. I implemented authentication, watchlists, and interactive financial charts on the front end using React, enhancing user experience and decision-making. I also developed a cross-platform (Android and iOS) mobile app that led to an increase in user base with improved and easy access to valuable insights.
ETF Stream
As a software engineer, I led the migration from Umbraco to a modern stack, enhancing SEO, speed, and scalability. Using Next.js and React, I optimized performance with SSR and ISR while integrating Contentful and Builder.io for dynamic content management. I also developed an event management system, enabling seamless ETF event booking and administration.
FusionOS
As a full-stack developer, I led the front-end development with React and TypeScript, crafting an intuitive UI for AI-driven content creation. I also integrated AI-powered ad generation workflows and implemented scalable background job processing with AWS Lambda and SQS to ensure seamless automation. Additionally, I incorporated Adobe Image API for AI-assisted visuals and Facebook Pixel for precise ad tracking. To make the platform accessible to a broader audience, I also developed a cross-platform mobile app, ensuring that users can interact with the platform seamlessly across different devices.
UPbook
https://www.upbook.com/As a software developer, I was responsible for the platform's architecture, security implementation, and performance optimization. I designed and developed a highly efficient authentication and authorization system while ensuring HIPAA compliance for sensitive data handling. Additionally, I created an intuitive, real-time analytics dashboard and integrated various third-party services to automate clinic operations. To further enhance accessibility, I also developed a cross-platform mobile app, making the platform more accessible to a larger number of veterinary professionals and clinic staff.
College Advisor
As a full-stack developer, I played a key role in the development of the platform, contributing to front-end and back-end systems. I worked on integrating the webinar system, Salesforce, and help-center modules, and also designed user-friendly interfaces with React and Next.js. I also built a cross-platform mobile app to ensure accessibility for a broader audience, making the platform available to students and advisors on the go.
Restorative Record—ILR Cornell
https://restorativerecord.ilr.cornell.edu/Othership
https://venues.othership.comDAZN Moments
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Software Engineering
Lancaster University - Lancaster, United Kingdom
Certifications
Certified React Developer
Epic React
Skills
Libraries/APIs
React, Node.js, REST APIs, Stripe, OpenAI API, React Query, Stripe API, Zod, Beautiful Soup, React Testing Library, jQuery CDN, Socket.IO, Claude API, WebRTC, React Hook Form, Vue, Amazon API, Spotify API, YouTube API, AWS Amplify, Playwright, Puppeteer, WebGL, Three.js, Stripe Connect, Pipedrive API, Amazon Product Advertising API, Google Sheets API, SendGrid API, Pydantic, jQuery, Zoho API, Plaid API, PostgREST, React Router, Flightplan, Google APIs, Google Workspace APIs, Salesforce API, SQLAlchemy, Twilio API, QuickBooks API, D3.js, Plotly.js
Tools
Git, Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS), Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS), Amazon CloudWatch, Auth0, Mailchimp, Webpack, Bubble, n8n, Amazon CloudFront, Google Analytics, AWS CloudFormation, SendGrid, ChatGPT, NPM, AWS SDK, Nx, Prisma, Claude, Terraform, Expo, Amazon Textract, Zapier, GitHub, Shadcn, RabbitMQ, Hotjar, Jira, Google Sheets, Vitest, Canvas, Claude Code, Amazon EKS, GIS, Figma, Oracle ERP, AWS Step Functions, Apache Airflow, Make (formerly Integromat), ManyChat, Retool, AI Prompts, Amazon Connect, Stencil.js, Codex, Acumatica, Notion API, NGINX, Mongoose, Builder.io, FileMaker Pro
Languages
JavaScript, TypeScript, GraphQL, HTML, CSS, Sass, SQL, Python, ECMAScript (ES6), SCSS, HTML5, CSS3, Less, XML, PHP, PHP 8, Kotlin, TypeScript 5, Zoho Deluge, Python 3
Frameworks
Express.js, Angular, NestJS, Next.js, Material UI, Tailwind CSS, Redux, Swagger, JSON Web Tokens (JWT), Bootstrap, Scrapy, Serverless Framework, Ant Design, Django, React Native, OAuth 2, Svelte, MediaPipe, Cypress, Jest, Starlette, LangGraph, Laravel, Nuxt.js, SST
Paradigms
HIPAA Compliance, REST, Microservices, Low-code Development, DevOps, Web Performance Optimization (WPO), Automation, Test-driven Development (TDD), Agile Software Development, Serverless Architecture, Back-end Architecture, Model Context Protocol (MCP), B2B, Hosting, Role-based Access Control (RBAC), Event-driven Architecture, Microservices Architecture, ETL, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), CSRF Protection, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Test-driven Deployment, Real-time Systems, UI Design, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Testing, Desktop App Development, Microfrontends, Mobile Development, Continuous Delivery (CD), Continuous Integration (CI), Object-oriented Programming (OOP), JavaScript Design Patterns
Platforms
Amazon Web Services (AWS), Docker, Linux, MacOS, Amazon EC2, AWS Lambda, Contentful, Firebase, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Clerk, Azure, Apache Kafka, Kubernetes, Twilio, Xano, Android, Mobile, iOS, Vercel, PostHog, DigitalOcean, Klaviyo, WordPress, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Heroku, Netlify, Shopify, WooCommerce, Web, Webflow, Salesforce, New Relic
Storage
MongoDB, PostgreSQL, NoSQL, Databases, MySQL, Redis, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), JSON, Elasticsearch, PSQL, Relational Databases, Amazon Aurora
Industry Expertise
Trading Systems, Healthcare, Social Media, Marketing
Other
Software Architecture, Algorithms, Web Development, Webhooks, Serverless, SaaS, User Interface (UI), Front-end, Back-end, Full-stack, Software Design, Responsive UI, APIs, Web Applications, OAuth, API Integration, CI/CD Pipelines, Headless Software, Progressive Web Applications (PWAs), Zustand, Full-stack Development, Chakra UI, Storybook, Supabase, GitHub Actions, RESTFul APIs, BullMQ, Styled-components, Server-side Rendering (SSR), LangChain, Amazon RDS, React Hooks, AI Agents, Chatbots, Back-end Development, Performance, Site Speed Optimization, Website Performance, Front-end Development, Artificial Intelligence (AI), OpenAI, Retrieval-augmented Generation (RAG), Agentic AI, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Web Crawlers, Project Management, Data Scraping, Scraping, Technical Leadership, Prompt Engineering, Third-party APIs, HIPAA Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), Payment Gateways, Software as a Service (SaaS), Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), Figma to React, Fintech, AI Integration, SSG, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Pulumi, MERN Stack, Software Development, Distributed Architecture, Web App Development, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), Front-end Architecture, AWS Cloud Architecture, Data Security, Database Optimization, Headless CMS, Web Security, Single-page Applications (SPAs), Technical Documentation, FastAPI, AWS Database Management System, Airtable, SMTP, Document Parsing, Email Parsing, Radix UI, Cursor AI, eCommerce, GCP DevOps, Gemini API, AI-generated Code, AI Automation, Infrastructure, AI Tools, Non-relational Databases, Gemini, Ownership, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Tesseract, NetSuite, User Experience (UX), Large Language Models (LLMs), Supabase Auth, Architecture, Multi-tenant Architecture, Multi-tenant SaaS, Access Control, Data Modeling, Enterprise SaaS, Scalability, Data Analysis, Workflow Automation, Advisory, SaaS Design, Mobile First, WebSockets, Cloudflare, Cloud, AI Chatbots, Single Sign-on (SSO), SvelteKit, Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT), Solution Architecture, Mobile Apps, Dashboards, Cloud Architecture, Payment APIs, Caching, Application Performance Optimization, Messaging Patterns, SDKs, Third-party Integration, Real-time Streaming, Music, Vite, Authentication, Credit Ratings, Railway, Stripe Marketplace, Anthropic, AI Voice Agents, Pipedrive, Amazon Kinesis, Meta Ads, Deployment, Payments, User Experience Design, Development, Nodemailer, Resend, Regulatory Technology (Regtech), ElevenLabs Solutions, Content Management Systems (CMS), Sitecore, WCAG 2, Leadership, Team Leadership, Communication, Fractional CTO, CTO, Containerization, Web Accessibility, Mapping, Power Sync, Firebase Cloud Functions, AI Architecture, Orchestration, Pgvector, RAG Architecture, Row-level Security (RLS), AI Design, AI Programming, MinIO, OpenTelemetry, Page Speed Optimization, Backups, Security, Startups, Zoho, Data Processing Automation, Financial Data, Data Migration, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Workday, Finance, Billing, Billing Software, Billing Systems, Forms, Medical Billing, App Store, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Monday.com, Distributed Systems, Event-driven Systems, API Management, Encryption, Lead Generation, Vector Databases, User Permissions, SOC 2, Document Processing, E-signatures, Secure Web Development, Workflows, CSV Import, full stack JavaScript, Document Management, Know Your Customer (KYC), Localization, Tailwind UI, API Gateways, Amazon Bedrock, Foundry, Design, Mobile App Development, Education, Workflow Automation & System Integration, Speech-to-Text (STT), CRM, Data Analytics, Lovable, Education Technology (Edtech), SMS, Applicant Tracking Software (ATS), RAG Systems, Anti-money Laundering (AML), Linux Servers, Microsoft Entra, Routing, Web Servers, Tools, LLM Integration, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Fly.io, Production QA, AWS Secrets Manager, PostgreSQL 9, Vibe Coding, IT Audits, Performance Optimization, Workforce Management (WFM), Cloud Infrastructure, HRIS, Payroll & Benefits, PWA, Automations, Integration, Modular, DocuSign, AWS DevOps, Software Engineering, Data Encryption, Sitemaps, Workflow, Relational Database Services (RDS), Segment, Postmark
How to Work with Toptal
Toptal matches you directly with global industry experts from our network in hours—not weeks or months.
Share your needs
Choose your talent
Start your risk-free talent trial
Top talent is in high demand.
Start hiring