Phinehas Macharia

Full-stack software engineer and ALX Africa graduate with hands-on experience building scalable web applications, automation systems, and AI-integrated tools. Currently contributing to a production-grade real-time platform at PeerNest. Passionate about using modern web technologies, automation, and AI tools to solve real business problems. A fast learner who thrives in collaborative, mentorship-driven environments and actively mentors junior developers in the ALX community.

Full-Stack Software Engineer at PeerNest (2026-01 – Present)

• Architected a production-grade real-time chat microservice using Apache Kafka, achieving sub-50ms message delivery; demonstrates initiative in building and owning complex systems end-to-end.
• Built and deployed a complete landing page — wireframing through production — achieving a Lighthouse performance score ≥ 92 using Next.js SSR/SSG and Tailwind CSS component library.
• Engineered a hybrid FastAPI + Node.js system handling REST orchestration, ML enrichment, and high-concurrency WebSockets; containerized with Docker Compose and monitored via Prometheus.
• Ensured WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility compliance and responsive design across all breakpoints — directly aligned with Salix Data's focus on quality web applications.
• Integrated dynamic backend REST APIs with the frontend and implemented Avro schema registry for data integrity across event-driven workflows.

Python Developer Intern at Algorithmic Science (2024-10 – 2025-02)

• Achieved sub-0.01ms query response times using Bloom Filters for membership testing in large financial datasets — hands-on experience with performance optimization.
• Refactored legacy code into modular OOP structures, increasing reusability by 40% and cutting production defects.
• Built scalable async I/O patterns supporting 500+ concurrent secure connections.

Full-Stack Developer at SafeShop E-Commerce (2024-05 – 2024-09)

• Engineered secure payment pipelines integrating M-Pesa (Daraja API) and Stripe using FastAPI with full Pydantic schema validation — 100% schema compliance.
• Improved user experience by 30% through responsive API design and optimized database query strategies.

Technical Support Specialist at M-Prints Cyber (2023-03 – 2023-07)

• Built Python diagnostic tools for log parsing and system monitoring, saving 15+ hours of manual labor monthly — early example of using automation to improve operational efficiency.

Software Engineering Specialisation in Backend Python – ALX Africa (2023 – 2023)

AI Starter in ML & Data Processing Fundamentals – ALX Africa (2025 – 2025)

Diploma in Information Technology – Kirinyaga University (2019 – 2019)