- Based in Lafayette, Louisiana
- Not currently available for opportunities requiring relocation
- me@matthewturland.com
- matthewturland.com
- +1-337-366-5737
I'm a software engineer, author, speaker, and mentor with a passion for contributing to awesome software that enriches the lives of others and helping software engineers be better at what they do.
Most of my recent experience is as a senior individual contributor or team lead for backend services.
- Languages: PHP, JavaScript/Node, TypeScript, SQL
- Frameworks: Koa, Express, Slim, Laravel, Symfony
- Databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, ElasticSearch/OpenSearch, Mongo
- Testing: Mocha, Jest, Pest, PHPUnit
- Infrastructure: AWS, Terraform, Docker
Senior Full Stack Engineer (Remote) - January 2023 to Present
- Maintained an existing real estate-focused CRM backend based on PHP, MySQL, and Redis
- Spearheaded adding support for forwarding emails to React-based email composer frontend and associated backend endpoints
- Worked with a team to replace backend functionality supporting existing automations features with a more cohesive and robust automations system
- Contributed to improvements in PHPUnit-based automated tests and configuring of related coverage reporting in continuous integration system
Software Engineer (Remote) - January 2022 to December 2022
- Maintained an existing asset management service built on Node/TypeScript, PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch, and AWS services
- Contributed to a new furniture-targeted asset management service built on TypeScript, PostgreSQL, and OpenSearch hosted on AWS
- Led development of new services for authentication (using Okta) and image hosting and transformation built on TypeScript and AWS S3 and CloudFront
- Contributed improvements to Docker-based local development environments
- Assisted in codifying AWS infrastructure using Terraform
Senior Software Engineer / Team Lead (Remote) - February 2020 to January 2022
- Managed a summer intern who made significant contributions to React and PHP codebases and documentation
- Maintained and added features to existing services based on PHP 7/Laravel, Python/Flask, and Mongo
- Contributed to new services built with PHP 7/Slim, Node/Express, Mongo, OpenAPI, and third-party integrations
- Developed and documented processes for project creation, acceptance, and deployment
- Set the standard for team project documentation used by individual contributors
Software Engineer III (Remote) - November 2018 to January 2020
- Maintained a legacy monolith using PHP 7, MySQL, and Slim
- Maintained a series of microservices built on Node, PostgreSQL, and Restify
- Developed Docker configuration to automate installation of and running backend services for local development
- Authored a new end-to-end test suite based on Cypress and Cucumber
Senior Full Stack Engineer (Remote) - July 2017 to November 2018
Full Stack Engineer (Remote) - July 2015 to June 2017
- Maintained a legacy codebase using PHP 5 and HHVM, MySQL / MariaDB, and the Kohana and Backbone frameworks
- Developed an ADR framework called Equip and supporting libraries for it
- Participated in an iterative codebase transition to use PHP 7, Symfony, React, and Redux
- Led a project to extract third-party integrations into a Symfony microservice backed by DynamoDB and SQS
Senior Engineer (Remote) - October 2013 to July 2015
- Maintained an existing REST API using nginx, MySQL, memcached, PHP, Slim, and Codeception
- Developed additional microservices using Silex, MySQL, and Redis
- Refactored existing API code into background workers, initially using SQS and later Resque
- Migrated storage for an existing user notification system from MySQL to Redis
- Set up and maintained logging infrastructure that included Monolog, Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana
- Integrated with AWS OpsWorks to create a deployment system
Principal Engineer (Remote) - February 2013 to October 2013
Senior Engineer (Remote) - April 2010 to February 2013
- Contributed to an internal Solar-inspired PHP framework for use in multiple internal projects and tested using PHPUnit
- Developed a targeted advertising product using Java, Jersey, ExtJS, MySQL, RabbitMQ, and Selenium
- Lead a project to replace a heavy PHP-based frontend for serving customizable news portal components with a lighter frontend backed by various REST services
- Authored and maintained internal documentation and training materials
Developer (Remote) - February 2010 to April 2010
- Participated in the development of a CMS based on Digitalus
- Contributed to benchmarking and performance improvements of a project for Blue Cross/Blue Shield using Zend Framework
- Advised on development best practices and processes including version control, requirements gathering, and deployment
Technical Editor (Remote) - January 2009 to January 2010
- Reviewed articles for content accuracy, spelling, and grammar and collaborated with authors to apply corrections where necessary
Senior Consultant (Remote) - November 2008 to February 2010
- Performed project audits for clients including evaluation of design and implementation of PHP source code using Kohana, MySQL database schemas, unit tests, documentation, and adherence to coding standards
- Instructed online training courses covering RIA development with PHP and YUI, Zend Framework, and Magento
- Developed a variety of data analysis solutions to assist in the migration of existing static web sites to content management systems including WordPress and Drupal
- Conducted a data analysis project on a telecom intranet that included frequency and recency of access as well as various textual analyses
Lead Programmer - February 2008 to November 2008
- Maintained a legacy codebase for a LAMP-based application used to maintain and report on patient and study data from vascular surgery practices for accreditation and quality assurance purposes
- Developed an application rewrite using Zend Framework to enhance application maintainability, stability, security, and extensibility
Consultant (Remote) - September 2007 to December 2007
- Worked with a team to maintain the Zend Developer Zone web site using Zend Framework, Prototype, and Scriptaculous
Programmer - August 2006 to February 2008
- Developed PL/SQL-based intranet applications deployed on Oracle Application Server for internal use
- Worked as a consultant with the Louisiana Departments of Natural Resources and Environmental Quality in maintaining and expanding data management and reporting systems based on Oracle Forms and Oracle Reports, PL/SQL data cartridges, and Java servlets
Webmaster - August 2005 to August 2006
- Developed LAMP-based web applications for a non-profit online bookstore and a local events calendar
- Developed and maintained PHP and Perl scripts to automate various tasks involving data integration, data archival and backup, and database maintenance
- Performed various system and server administration duties
Software Architect - March 2002 to August 2005
- Worked as a team member to develop a flagship LAMP-based CMS product
- Customized existing CMS applications and authored new custom applications to client specifications including applications utilizing PHP, Flash, AJAX, and third-party web services
- Collaborated with analysts to develop specifications and perform quality control
Programmer - May 2001 to March 2002
- Worked as a team member to develop a custom CMS based on Windows Server, IIS, ASP, and SQL Server to manage online content for multiple Louisiana news publications
Some notable projects I've contributed to:
For others, check out my web site.
- August 2019. php[architect]: "Web Scraping with PHP, 2nd Edition." ISBN 978-1940111674.
- October 2011. SitePoint: "PHP Master: Write Cutting-Edge Code." ISBN 978-0-9870908-7-4.
- April 2010. php|architect Press: "php|architect’s Guide to Web Scraping with PHP." ISBN 9780981034515.
- December 2020. php[architect]. "PHP 8 Distilled." Issue.
- January 2020. php[architect]. "Object-Oriented Programming: A Primer, Part Two." Issue.
- November 2019. php[architect]. "Object-Oriented Programming: A Primer, Part One." Issue.
- October 2012. SitePoint. "Error Condition Testing with PHPUnit." Article.
- September 2012. SitePoint. "The Need for Speed: Profiling with XHProf and XHGui." Article.
- June 2012. SitePoint. "Let's Talk: Efficient Communication for PHP and Android, Part 2." Article.
- May 2012. SitePoint. "Let's Talk: Efficient Communication for PHP and Android, Part 1." Article.
- December 2011. SitePoint. "PHP's Quest for Performance: from C to hhvm." Article.
- October 2011. SitePoint. "Documentation Makes the World Go Round." Article.
- October 2011. SitePoint. "Integrating Amazon S3 using PEAR." Article.
- April 2011. php|architect. "Keeping Code Smelling Pretty with PHP_CodeSniffer." Issue.
- January 2011. php|architect. "New SPL Features in PHP 5.3." Issue.
- June 2009. php|architect. "CodeIgniter: Like a Moth to a Flame." Issue.
- June 2009. php|architect. "Shining a Light on Solar." Issue.
- January 2009. php|architect. "New Cert on the Block." Issue.
- December 2007. php|architect. "Web Scraping." Issue.
- November 2022. Longhorn PHP. "Automating the Web" Slides, Feedback.
- October 2021. Longhorn PHP. Keynote: "What Makes a Great Developer?" Slides, Feedback.
- October 2021. Longhorn PHP. Tutorial: "The OOP in PHP." Slides, Feedback.
- April 2020. Midwest PHP. "What Makes a Great Developer?" Slides.
- February 2020. Sunshine PHP. "Effective Redis for PHP Developers." Slides.
- September 2017. Madison PHP Conference. "What Makes a Great Developer?" Slides.
- July 2017. CoderCruise. "What Makes a Great Developer?" Slides.
- July 2017. CoderCruise. "Effective Redis for PHP Developers." Slides.
- February 2017. Nomad PHP. "Effective Redis for PHP Developers." Slides.
- July 2016. Barcamp NOLA. "What Makes a Great Developer?" Slides.
- July 2016. Minnesota PHP User Group. "What Makes a Great Developer?" Slides, Video.
- May 2016. Louisiana Drupal User Group. "What Makes a Great Developer?" Slides.
- May 2016. php[tek]. "Effective Redis for PHP Developers." Slides.
- May 2016. php[tek]. "What Makes a Great Developer?" Slides, Video.
- April 2016. Syracuse PHP User Group. "Effective Redis for PHP Developers." Slides.
- April 2016. Lone Star PHP. "Effective Redis for PHP Developers." Slides.
- March 2016. Midwest PHP. "Data Structures in PHP." Slides.
- February 2016. PHP UK. "Mocking Dependencies in Unit Tests with Phake." Slides, Video.
- October 2015. Nomad PHP. "Data Structures in PHP." Slides.
- October 2015. ZendCon. "The OOP in PHP." Slides.
- October 2015. ZendCon. "Testing APIs with Codeception." Slides.
- May 2015. php[tek]. "Mocking Dependencies in Unit Tests with Phake." Slides.
- May 2015. php[tek]. "Data Structures in PHP." Slides.
- November 2014. php[world]. "The OOP in PHP." Slides, Video.
- August 2014. gnocode. "IRC-Driven Development with Phergie." Slides.
- November 2013. True North PHP. "Database Testing for Fun and Profit." Slides.
- November 2013. True North PHP. "Unit Testing JavaScript with QUnit and Sinon." Slides.
- September 2013. php[architect] PHP 5.5 Web Summit. "New OOP Features in PHP 5.5." Slides.
- July 2013. Barcamp NOLA. "Hacking Your Finances for Fun and Profit." Slides.
- June 2013. Lone Star PHP. "The OOP in PHP." Slides.
- February 2013. SunshinePHP. "Database Testing for Fun and Profit." Slides.
- February 2013. Zend Webinar. "Let’s Talk: Efficient Communication between PHP and Android." Slides.
- March 2012. UB Hacking. "Getting Involved in Open Source."
- March 2012. UB Hacking. "Introduction to Android Development."
- December 2011. NOLA PHP. "Accessing Web Resources with PHP."
- June 2011. Buffalo Google Technology Users Group. "Introduction to Android Development."
- May 2011. php|tek. "Accessing Web Resources with PHP."
- May 2011. php|tek. "Creating Desktop Applications with Titanium and PHP."
- May 2011. php|tek. "Introduction to Android Development."
- March 2011. Confoo. "Building RESTful Web Services with Jersey." Slides.
- February 2011. Zend Webinar. "New SPL Features in PHP 5.3." Slides.
- January 2011. Acadiana Open Source Group. "Getting Involved in Open Source." Slides.
- December 2010. Buffalo PHP User Group. "New SPL Features in PHP 5.3." Slides.
- May 2010. php|tek. "New SPL Features in PHP 5.3." Slides.
- June 2009. CodeWorks Webcast Series. "New SPL Features in PHP 5.3." Slides, Video.
- May 2009. php|tek. "Web Scraping with PHP." Slides.
- February 2009. php|tek Webcast Series. "When RSS Fails: Web Scraping with HTTP." Slides.
- November 2008. Atlanta Web Designers Group. "PHP Basics for Designers." Slides.
- September 2008. ZendCon. "Creating Web Services with Zend Framework." Slides.
- September 2008. ZendCon. "Web Scraping with PHP." Slides.
- April 2008. Acadiana Open Source Group. "Getting Involved in Open Source." Slides.
- July 2022. Free the Geek. "Episode 37: With Matthew Turland. TypeScript, Functional Programming + Loads More!" Podcast.
- January 2020. Free the Geek. "Episode 34: Talking with Matthew Turland About Updating Technical Books and Programming in Multiple Languages + Loads More!" Podcast.
- January 2020. php[architect]. "Arrays in PHP, Web Browsers, Security Habits, and Matthew Turland." Podcast.
- August 2019. Voices of the ElePHPant. "Interview with Matthew Turland." Podcast.
- August 2016. Voices of the ElePHPant. "Interview with Matthew Turland." Podcast.
- June 2016. Hackers & Hearthstone. "Episode #6: Mentoring." Vidcast.
- May 2016. Free the Geek. "Episode #18: Talking Conferences and Mental Health." Podcast.
- December 2012. /dev/hell. "Episode #24: Members Only." Podcast.
- December 2011. Engine Yard. "PHP Master: Write Cutting-Edge Code." Podcast.
- March 2010. php|architect. "Episode 5 - Phergie." Podcast, Show Notes.
- 2012 - Present. Mentor, PHP Mentoring Program.
- 2007 - 2015. Lead Developer, Phergie Project.
- 2008 - 2015. Organizer, Acadiana Open Source Group.
- 2008 - 2012. Mentor, PHP Women Big Sis / Little Sis Program.
- 2007 - 2008. Member, Baton Rouge Oracle User Group.
- 2006 - 2010. Contributor, Zend Framework Project.
- September 2008: Zend Framework Zend Certified Engineer, Registration #227153802. Certification.
- October 2007: PHP 5 Zend Certified Engineer, Registration #222726164. Certification.
- December 2006: Bachelors of Science in Computer Science, Concentration in Video Game Development, University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
"It has been my distinct pleasure to work with Matthew for several years and at several jobs now. While I was at Zend, I worked with him as a PHP community member and a speaker at ZendCon, While at ibuildings we regularly interacted as members of the PHPC Steering Committee. Finally at Blue Parabola we briefly worked together. Each time I worked with Matthew my respect for his talents grew deeper. He is a top notch programmer and a strong community leader. I always look forward to projects where he and I can work together and they come far too sporadically." ~ Cal Evans
"Adding Matthew to our team was one of the best things we could have done. Not only does he know his way around MySQL, PHP and PHPUnit, he was quick to pick up the Jersey Java web framework and build on his Javascript knowledge to contribute at all levels of our projects. On top of his code based contributions, Matthew has given many presentations to fellow developers outlining new technologies and how to make the most of older technologies." ~ Carlo Costantini
"Matt continually impressed me throughout the time we worked together as co-founders and business partners. Whatever bumps in the road we encountered, Matt was a source of stability and dependability. We rarely saw eye to eye, but I could count on Matt to be assertive, always striving for excellence. Genuine and conscientious, Matt is truly a person of integrity and talent." ~ Chelsie Boudreaux
"Matt's detailed understanding of PHP and its inner-workings are perhaps unrivaled in the industry. In addition, his understanding of object oriented principles and design patterns result in code that is clean, concise, and well-documented. He is a great asset to any team where efficiency and attention to detail are vital to producing a flawless product." ~ Aaron Lozier
"I've worked with Matthew in several different capacities, and I would work with him again any day. He is extremely knowledgeable, dependable, and easy to work with. He has a wide array of experience in PHP and related subjects, and he is always willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to help a fellow developer, or newbie. I look forward to working with him again." ~ Elizabeth Naramore
"Matthew Turland has been my student and is my friend. His extraordinary work ethic, intelligence, creativity, willingness to help those around him and especially to give back to the community of software developers as demonstrated over the years that I have known him make it very easy to give the very highest possible recommendation." ~ Frank Ducrest
"In the field of open source, Matt is one of the best programmers on the Gulf Coast, and was the first Zend certified engineer in Louisiana. He completely rebuilt our massive booksXYZ.com website from scratch in a period of about four months, working part time, and handling other programming duties at the same time. Matt codes very quickly, and his knowledge of the field is extensive. He also constantly combs various sources in the software and open source community to stay abreast of the newest programs and engineering approaches. Our programmers here at The Acadiana Educational Endowment still constantly use him as a resource for advice on programming issues, and he regularly updates the staff and me as to news that could affect what we do." ~ Joseph Abraham
"I have been forturnate enough to have worked with Matt twice in our respective careers. At Surgisys, I was able to work with him on an almost daily basis to collaborate on the functionality and direction of the niche medical software product suite the company was creating. Matt's programming expertise as well as his ability to quickly understand the specific medical environments where the software would be utilized was exceptional. His unique set of skills helped him to combine programming best practices with a known set of medical practice operating procedures to create an intuitive and efficient user interface for Surgisys clients that proved to be an invaluable and differentiating feature of our software. I would highly recommend Matt and would welcome the opportunity to work with him again in the future." ~ Douglas Meaux
"Matthew has been a valuable asset at METHODS. I managed him on a critical project last year. He was placed on the project during the final stages and he learned quickly and helped complete the project. Without his contributions, the project would not have been completed on time." ~ Ben Williams
"I worked with Matthew on a project for the Dept. of Environmental Quality. Matthew is knowlegdeable and detail oriented. He is sincere about getting his work according to the project time line and is a good team player." ~ Arati Kanade
"Matthew can be relied upon to deliver a high quality product on time with little to no supervision necessary. He is pleasant to work with and takes direction well." ~ Elizabeth Tucker Long
Available upon request.
Send me an e-mail and let me know how I can help you.