Hi, I'm Esmail Shabayek

I’m a Tech Lead

I build and scale SaaS platforms, and the engineering teams behind them, across backend, web, and mobile.

  • 8+ years experience
  • 7 engineering functions led
  • 50+ managed & mentored

About Me


Esmail Shabayek Cairo, Egypt · Open to remote

An engineering leader who still ships code

I’m Esmail Shabayek, an engineering leader based in Cairo, Egypt, with 8+ years of experience building and scaling SaaS platforms across backend, web, and mobile.

Most recently I led a multi-disciplinary engineering organization spanning Backend, Frontend, Mobile (Flutter), QA/QC, UX/UI, Data Analytics, and DevOps, partnering with Product, Business, and Operations to deliver against business goals.

Lead

Hire, mentor, and set engineering standards across 7 functions.

Architect

Own technology roadmaps for scalable SaaS platforms and APIs.

Hands-on

PHP (Laravel), Node.js, Python, and cloud on AWS and GCP.

What I Do


I lead engineering teams and build the platforms behind them, from architecture to delivery

Leadership

Hiring, mentoring, code review culture and delivery practices.

Architecture

Multi-tenant SaaS, API design, scalability and build-vs-buy decisions.

Backend

Laravel, Node.js (NestJS) and Python (Django) APIs.

Cloud & DevOps

AWS, GCP, Docker, CI/CD, monitoring and disaster recovery.

Web & Mobile

Vue.js, React.js and Flutter, from dashboards to native apps.

Integrations

Payments, shipping, ZATCA e-invoicing, Elasticsearch and SMS.

EXPERIENCE


  • Software Tech Lead

    Elyak · Saudi Arabia (Remote) · 1 yr 7 mos · Full-time
    • Led the engineering organization across Backend, Frontend, Mobile (Flutter), QA/QC, UX/UI, Data Analytics, and DevOps for sumaya369.net, a subscription-based digital learning platform.
    • Owned the technology roadmap, architecture and build-vs-buy decisions, engineering standards, and technical governance.
    • Managed 14 people directly and supported 15+ more; recruited, mentored, and developed engineers and technical leads across all functions.
    • Led a full rebrand and platform overhaul: modernized infrastructure, redesigned the website, and shipped a custom loyalty system, a new admin dashboard, and a client dashboard.
    • Directed the launch of new native iOS and Android apps and a full refactor of the LAX mobile app.
    • Owned cloud infrastructure, CI/CD, monitoring, and disaster-recovery strategy.
  • Backend Team Lead

    Speero · Saudi Arabia (Remote) · 1 yr 6 mos · Full-time
    • Owned system design and technical decisions for a SaaS platform serving car service centers.
    • Designed a multi-tenant architecture with isolated tenant databases and role-based access control.
    • Led the end-to-end platform overhaul, improving performance, scalability, and maintainability.
    • Delivered sales, spare-parts inventory, procurement, appointment booking, and automated reminder modules, plus ZATCA E-Invoicing and Qoyod integrations.
    • Optimized AWS infrastructure (EC2, S3, ElastiCache, RDS) for high availability and cost efficiency.
    • The platform now serves 237 tenant companies across 370 branches, with SAR 78.5M in transactions processed.
  • Senior Backend Developer

    El Dokan Software · Maadi, Egypt · 2 yrs 6 mos · Full-time
    • Built and maintained Laravel RESTful APIs for a high-traffic e-commerce platform, documented in Swagger/OpenAPI.
    • Built CI/CD pipelines with Jenkins and GitLab CI/CD, automating build, test, and deployment with fast rollback.
    • Integrated Elasticsearch search, payment gateways, and shipping carriers.
  • Senior PHP Developer

    UAE Barq Group · UAE (Remote) · 10 mos · Full-time
    • Built RESTful APIs for Android and iOS apps and a central dashboard managing multiple company apps.
    • Improved performance with Redis caching and load balancing; managed AWS infrastructure (EC2, S3, RDS).
  • Development Team Lead

    Arish University · North Sinai, Egypt · 7 mos · Part-time contract
    • Led a cross-functional team of developers, designers, and testers, on-site and remote.
    • Delivered a multi-tenant university platform giving each faculty its own branding and content.
  • Senior PHP Developer

    Leader Investment Group · Nasr City, Egypt · 5 mos · Full-time
    • Built APIs and an admin dashboard for a food delivery app covering ordering, payments, and delivery tracking.
  • PHP Developer → Senior PHP Developer

    Marketune · Maadi, Egypt · 1 yr 6 mos · Full-time
    • Promoted to Senior PHP Developer in November 2018.
    • Led development of the Adwitter social media ad exchange system and the Tabi’e real-time school bus tracking system.

Impact in Numbers


Teams I led and the platforms they built
50+
people managed & mentored across my career
14 direct reports
15+ supported
in my latest role
237
tenant companies
370
branches
34,426
invoices issued
SAR 78.5M
in transactions processed

What People Say


Recommendations from people I’ve worked with
I highly recommend Ismaiel for his extensive experience across all IT sectors showcases his well-rounded knowledge and adaptability. Ismaiel’s leadership skills, technical expertise, and dedication make him an excellent candidate to lead and develop teams effectively. He consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic and a collaborative attitude, which will undoubtedly contribute to the growth and success of his work.
EM Ezzat MarzoukProfessor of Environmental Chemistry · University of NottinghamAugust 5, 2023, Ezzat managed Esmail directly
I had the privilege of working directly with Esmail, and he is truly one of the most capable and loyal Engineering Leaders I’ve worked with. As a Software Tech Lead and Engineering Manager, he possesses a rare combination of deep technical mastery especially in backend architecture, API development, and scalable SaaS platforms and genuine, people-first leadership. Esmail doesn’t just manage; he takes full technical ownership, unblocks his team effortlessly, and fosters a high-trust environment where engineers can do their best work.
AE Ayman ElkhoulyFrontend Team Lead @ ElyakSeptember 27, 2026, Ayman reported to Esmail directly
It’s been a pleasure working with Esmail. I really appreciate their support, guidance and willingness to always help. They’re a great Tech Lead who is always supportive, helpful, and willing to share their knowledge, a great mentor and genuinely a great person to work with. I’m grateful to have been part of their team!
ST Shreen TaherBackend Team Lead @ ElyakSeptember 27, 2026, Shreen reported to Esmail directly
Esmail is a perfect example of a Senior Backend Developer. He is a professional, helpful, and positive person. He is a hardworking and dedicated person who will do his best to complete the project in a given time frame. He has earned everybody’s respect through his skills and value.
MS Mai M SharkasAgile Project Manager · Scrum MasterAugust 3, 2023, Mai worked with Esmail on the same team
I worked with Esmail closely for 2 years and my feedback would be always that if you would like to work with high skilled, flexible and someone who is interested in understanding your business and solutions deeply before start writing code or finding a solution, Esmail will be your main asset to do that.
MM Mohamed MostafaSenior iOS DeveloperAugust 20, 2023, Mohamed worked with Esmail on the same team

Latest Projects


Selected products I have built and led
90Minute app home screen

90Minute

On-demand laundry pickup-and-delivery platform for Saudi Arabia, with customer and driver mobile apps, an admin dashboard, real-time map tracking, and push notifications.

Laravel · Mobile APIs · Real-time tracking View Project
aru.edu.eg
Arish University website homepage

Arish University

Multi-tenant university platform letting each faculty and department run its own branding and content on shared infrastructure. Led the team of developers, designers, and testers.

Multi-tenant · Team lead View Project
speero.works
Speero Works website homepage

Speero Works

Cloud SaaS for car service centers in Saudi Arabia, now serving 237 tenant companies across 370 branches. Designed its multi-tenant architecture with isolated tenant databases, and delivered sales, inventory, procurement, appointment booking, ZATCA e-invoicing, and Qoyod integrations.

Multi-tenant SaaS · AWS · ZATCA View Project

Open Source


Packages and developer tools I maintain

cloudkit-cli

Shell helpers for AWS and Google Cloud: interactive session management with SSO and chained profiles, service wrappers, and a color-coded prompt across both clouds.

  • Shell
  • AWS · GCloud
source cloudkit-cli/main.sh

laravel-sms

Open-source Laravel package for sending SMS through multiple providers behind one clean API.

  • 1,993 installs
  • 2 stars
composer require shabayek/laravel-sms

laravel-payment

Unit-tested open-source Laravel package for payment gateway integration.

  • 15 installs
  • 3 stars
composer require shabayek/laravel-payment

EDUCATION


ALX Software Engineering Programme
ALX Africa · 2023 – 2024

Back-end Specialization (Python, Node.js).

Bachelor of Commerce
Cairo University · 2023
Android Developer Nanodegree
Udacity · 2018

SKILLS


Leadership
  • Engineering management
  • Hiring & interviewing
  • Mentoring
  • Technical roadmaps
  • Engineering standards
  • Stakeholder management
  • Agile / Scrum / Kanban
Architecture
  • System design
  • Multi-tenant SaaS
  • RESTful APIs
  • OpenAPI / Swagger
  • OAuth2 / JWT / RBAC
  • Caching
  • Queues & background jobs
Backend
  • PHP / Laravel
  • Symfony
  • Node.js / NestJS
  • Express.js
  • Python / Django
Databases & Search
  • MySQL
  • PostgreSQL
  • MongoDB
  • Redis
  • Elasticsearch
Cloud & DevOps
  • AWS (EC2, S3, RDS, ElastiCache)
  • GCP
  • Docker
  • Jenkins
  • GitLab CI/CD
  • Nginx
  • Monitoring & DR
Frontend & Mobile
  • Vue.js
  • React.js
  • Flutter
  • Android
Languages
  • Arabic (native)
  • English (professional)

Truth can only be found in one place: the code.

Robert C. Martin, Clean Code

Design Background


Before moving into software, I worked as a graphic designer: logos, web and app UI, and print.

Branding


Brands I have designed for
  • Brand logo
  • EBIDCO logo
  • Shabab Sinai logo
  • TeamVii logo
  • Brand logo
  • Patron logo

Get In Touch


Hiring for an engineering leadership role, or building a platform that needs to scale? Let’s talk.

Maadi, Cairo

Remote experience across Saudi Arabia & UAE