Sérgio Alves
Engineering Manager & Architect
Vila Nova de Gaia
Summary
Dynamic software engineer and technical leader with over 15 years of expertise in backend development, distributed systems, and API integration for e-commerce and travel platforms. Progressed from PHP developer to roles such as Technical Lead, Head of Development, and Software Architect, successfully managing teams of up to 25 professionals across multiple countries while maintaining a hands-on approach. Strong emphasis on API design, performance, and reliability, with proficiency in Java/Spring, Scala, Kotlin, Python and PHP, alongside experience with relational/non-relational databases and search technologies such as SOLR and Elasticsearch. Skilled in building and leading teams, defining technical roadmaps, and driving transformative change within complex legacy environments.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
3
3
Languages
Work History
Senior Software Engineer
Planet Payment
04.2025 - Current
- Mentored junior developers, fostering professional growth and enhancing team productivity.
- Design and implement backend services in the hospitality / financial domain.
- Collaborate with product and other engineering teams to deliver features end-to-end, from design to production.
- Contribute to code quality and reliability through code reviews, documentation and testing practices.
Software Architect
Travelstart
09.2023 - 2025
- Guided the development team throughout the full development cycle: technical design and functional modelling of new systems and services.
- Identified pain points and technical debt across services and created plans to address them.
- Acted as a bridge between Product/Stakeholders and engineering, translating business needs into technical requirements.
- Supported code quality through code reviews, standards and initial POCs for new features and services.
Software Engineering Team Lead
Trim
08.2021 - 08.2023
- Led a software engineering team (1 frontend, 4 backend developers) in a remote-first startup environment.
- Defined technical guidelines, monthly priorities, technical roadmaps and innovation initiatives together with the CTO.
- Facilitated architecture and design sessions for new features and services (Scala backend, REST APIs).
- Established and improved agile practices, remote pair programming and code review culture.
- Conducted interviews, participated in hiring decisions and managed performance and growth for team members.
Head of Development
Travelstart
01.2020 - 08.2021
- Built the engineering team for Travelstart’s Porto hub and led all development activities for the Flights product.
- Defined technical roadmaps, implementation strategies and priorities in collaboration with product and leadership.
- Managed team members’ performance, growth and day-to-day delivery.
- Worked with Java/Spring and Kotlin microservices, SOAP and REST APIs.
Head of Development
Jumia (Porto Tech Center)
08.2019 - 01.2020
- Managed the development team and all development activities for Jumia Travel (Hotels and Flights).
- Acted as a bridge between business and development, defining technical roadmaps and targets to improve existing products.
- Defined implementation strategies for new features and technical initiatives.
- Evaluated performance and supported growth of team members and team leads.
Technical Project Manager / Technical Architect
Hostelworld
09.2018 - 08.2019
- Analyzed and defined targets and strategies to improve Hostelworld’s technical platforms and APIs.
- Worked with multiple teams to plan and manage new technical developments and evolutions of existing systems.
Technical Lead
Jumia Porto Tech Center
08.2017 - 08.2018
- Technical lead for Jumia Travel / Jovago.
- Owned development and maintenance of the website and backoffice.
- Managed the development team and the technical direction of the project.
Web Engineer
Jumia Porto Tech Center / Africa Internet Group
10.2014 - 07.2017
- Backend engineer for Jumia Travel / Jovago in a large multi-disciplinary team.
- Developed and maintained the website and backoffice systems.
Advanced Software Developer
Lazada Vietnam / Rocket Internet GmbH
02.2013 - 06.2013
- Trained and supported the formation of a local development team composed mainly of Vietnamese and Southeast Asian developers.
- Worked on Lazada, an e-commerce platform similar to Amazon for Southeast Asia.
Software Developer
Rocket Internet GmbH
03.2012 - 09.2014
- Developed and maintained e-commerce websites (online shops) as part of a large multi-disciplinary team.
- Worked mainly in PHP (OO) with MySQL/Postgres and search engine technologies like SOLR and ElasticSearch.
Software Developer
Webstudio
10.2010 - 11.2011
Education
Masters in Electrotechnical and Computer Engineering - Telecommunications, Networks and Communication Services
Faculty of Engineering of the University of Oporto (FEUP)
Oporto, Portugal07.2010
Skills
Java
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS
- Good flexibility and versatility for different tasks
- Strong sense of responsibility
- Good sense of organization
- Good logic and reasoning ability
COMMUNICATION AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
- Excellent oral and written skills, both in Portuguese and in English, which were developed over the course of my formation and professional career
- Good ability to adapt to multicultural environments, which can be supported by my stay of over 4 months working in a very different culture and reality as Vietnam
- Ability to work on remote environments efficiently, as I've been doing it since 2020
JOB-RELATED SKILLS
- Ability for Projects and Team Management, acquired throughout my academic formation, the job related experience of managing software engineering teams and a couple of years of coaching football teams
- Attended the course Management of High Performance Teams, taught by Dr. Adelino Cunha, from I Have the Power
- Practice of collective sports, namely football, federated in the Oporto Football Association, from the age of 8 years old to 19 years old
OTHER SKILLS
- Excellent learning capabilities
- Dynamic and proactive spirit
- Excellent teamwork skills
- Ease of establishing interpersonal relationships
- Team spirit
COMPLEMENTARY FORMATION / TRAINING
- Course of Communication Skills for Conducting Presentations
- German Course (1 year) – Encounter English Institute
- English Course (6 years) – Encounter English Institute
- Course of Coaching and High Performance with NLP (Neuro Linguistics Programming), taught by Dr. Adelino Cunha, founder of I Have the Power
Timeline
Senior Software Engineer
Planet Payment
04.2025 - Current
Software Architect
Travelstart
09.2023 - 2025
Software Engineering Team Lead
Trim
08.2021 - 08.2023
Head of Development
Travelstart
01.2020 - 08.2021
Head of Development
Jumia (Porto Tech Center)
08.2019 - 01.2020
Technical Project Manager / Technical Architect
Hostelworld
09.2018 - 08.2019
Technical Lead
Jumia Porto Tech Center
08.2017 - 08.2018
Web Engineer
Jumia Porto Tech Center / Africa Internet Group
10.2014 - 07.2017
Advanced Software Developer
Lazada Vietnam / Rocket Internet GmbH
02.2013 - 06.2013
Software Developer
Rocket Internet GmbH
03.2012 - 09.2014
Software Developer
Webstudio
10.2010 - 11.2011
Masters in Electrotechnical and Computer Engineering - Telecommunications, Networks and Communication Services
Faculty of Engineering of the University of Oporto (FEUP)