Hi there! I am Jan Schädlich.

Freelance PHP & Symfony Developer

I build scalable web applications, modernize legacy systems, and integrate APIs. Let's take your project to the next level with clean and maintainable code.

or check out the Services I offer.

About Me

For over 15 years, I have been developing web applications and backend APIs with PHP and Symfony. I am passionate about cleaning up codebases and building maintainable systems. Based in Wuppertal, I usually work remotely, mainly for startups and medium-sized companies.


My approach is simple: fast onboarding and being productive from day one. I dive deep into the codebase, understand the team dynamics, and deliver value immediately. Whether remote or hybrid – I focus on open communication and knowledge sharing. As a certified Symfony developer and regular contributor, mentoring is second nature to me.


What sets me apart is my pragmatic mindset and belief in an open team culture. I have worked in various roles in both small and large companies and know: Great results happen when teams work effectively together. My focus is not only on clean and maintainable code – but also on creating an environment through pair programming and constructive code reviews where the whole team can grow and confidently tackle complex challenges.

Your Team, Your Success

For over 15 years, I have been helping teams transform code, accelerate delivery, and build sustainable technical skills.

Deliver features faster


Together with your team, I deliver high-quality code quickly. Building on my years of PHP and Symfony experience, maintainable, tested, and production-ready features are created from the start.

Modernize legacy code


Together, we turn hard-to-maintain code into stable systems through gradual modernization while keeping existing functionality intact. The result? Faster development cycles and less technical debt.

Boost confidence


Through individual code reviews and pair programming, I help your developers master PHP and Symfony. Your team becomes more productive and tackles complex challenges with confidence.

Build a dream team


Finding good developers is hard. I help you identify top talent through technical assessments and interviews and ensure they are productive from week one with targeted onboarding.

Take your team’s skills to the next level


Strengthen your team’s skills with hands-on workshops tailored to your team’s needs. Whether RESTful APIs, testing strategies, or Symfony know-how – your developers gain immediately applicable knowledge.

Examples of workshop topics: RESTful APIs, unit & integration testing, test-driven development, Symfony components (Dependency Injection, Serializer, Notifier), Twig, and Doctrine.

Need something else? We’ll design a workshop that fits your team.

Expertise & Skills

Core Technologies


PHP & Symfony expertise delivering production-ready applications with clean architecture and comprehensive tests.

Modern Toolchain: PHPUnit, Behat, PHPStan, Rector, Doctrine, Twig, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, RabbitMQ, Docker, k8s, and CI/CD pipelines.

Specialized Services


Legacy Modernization: Strategic upgrades and migrations that reduce technical debt and maintain system stability.

Development Practices: RESTful APIs, test-driven development, clean code, and SOLID principles that create maintainable codebases teams enjoy working with.

Talks & Workshops

Dependency Injection and the Symfony Service Container


July 04, 2023 - Esslingen

Webentwicklung mit Symfony - Fortgeschritten (2 Tage)


May 08-09, 2023 - Düsseldorf

Demystifying Bundles


June 16, 2022 - SymfonyWorld Online

What's new in Symfony 5.3


July 06, 2021 - Symfony User Group Hamburg

Symfony Notifier Demystified


December 09, 2021 - SymfonyWorld Online
June 17, 2021 - SymfonyWorld Online
April 16, 2021 - SymfonyLive Online
February 4, 2020 - Symfony User Group Hamburg

An Introduction to Deptrac


October 13, 2020 - Symfony User Group Hamburg

What's new in Symfony 4.4


June 01, 2020 - Symfony User Group Hamburg

What's new in Symfony 4.3


June 02, 2019 - Symfony User Group Hamburg

RESTful Webservices in Symfony


December 5, 2023 - SymfonyCon Brussels
October 3, 2023 - SymfonyLive Berlin
June 13 & 14, 2023 - SymfonyWorld Online
December 6 & 7, 2022 - SymfonyWorld Online
June 14, 2022 - SymfonyWorld Online
December 7, 2021 - SymfonyWorld Online
June 15, 2021 - SymfonyWorld Online
April 14, 2021 - SymfonyLive Online
September 25, 2019 - SymfonyLive Berlin

Let's talk about your project

Feel free to send me a message using the form below. Alternatively, you can reach me by email, or via Xing or LinkedIn.




If you want to see more of my work, you can also find me on Github and SpeakerDeck.