Duncan Kinuthia
Senior Backend Engineer
Nairobi
Summary
I am a Senior Backend Software Engineer with 7+ years of experience seeking a challenging position in an organization that rewards dedication and proficiency in backend software engineering. I am highly skilled in TypeScript, NodeJS, Go and AWS Serverless architectures. I also am very passionate about Web3 and OpenAI.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
3
3
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Senior Backend Software Engineer (Onboarding and Compliance)
Yellow Card App
Nairobi
03.2021 - Current
- Backend engineer in charge of the customer onboarding, authentication and KYC flows on the platform
- Reduced user KYC process from 2 - 3 business days, to an average of four minutes
- In charge of engineering a module to identify and stop scammers on the platform, who target many customers, given it is a cryptocurrency exchange
- In charge of identifying and preventing promo code fraud on the platform
- Developed a micro-service to process promo code redemptions and automatically identify and prevent fraud
- Streamlined development processes to increase efficiency and reduce production time.
- Improved application performance with optimization of database queries, ensuring smooth and efficient data retrieval.
- Mentored junior developers, sharing knowledge and expertise to support their professional growth and development within team.
Lead Engineer
Raise
Nairobi
06.2020 - 02.2021
- Led the automation of the legal process involved in the issuance of private securities through the introduction of electronic securities certificates
- Championed an automation of the user onboarding flow allowing startup founders to onboard their company cap-tables with minimal assistance from customer support
- Regularly reviewed peers'' code contributions, offering constructive feedback to enhance overall product quality.
- Facilitated smooth handovers between developers working on different parts of a project by enforcing strict documentation standards across all codebases.
- Improved cross-team collaboration by initiating regular knowledge-sharing sessions, fostering a greater understanding of each team''s strengths and areas for improvement.
- Led the design of robust software architectures that facilitated seamless integration with existing systems, minimizing disruption during implementation.
Software Engineer
Raise
Nairobi
07.2019 - 05.2020
- Among the first engineers in the development of the Raise platform, a platform that enables the digitization of paper-based private securities in Africa
- Automated the securities calculations (ownership, employee stock plan vesting, convertibles), which are commonly done on spreadsheets
- Re-architected the platform NodeJS and GraphQL backend to only populate objects requested by the frontend API
- This extensively reduced the API response time and led to a promotion to senior engineer
- Streamlined deployment processes, significantly reducing deployment time and minimizing errors.
Data and Cyber Security Engineer
e.KRAAL Innovation Hub
Nairobi
07.2017 - 06.2019
- Developed and deployed a data analysis tool that used graph theory and network analysis to establish any existing links between two or more entities in datasets
- Involved in the deployment of a big data analysis system under the Hadoop ecosystem
- Involved in the training of software development and data analysis interns and junior developers
- Undertook penetration testing and web application vulnerability assessments for clients' web servers and applications
- Extended the code base for Fruity Wi-Fi, an open-source wireless network penetration testing tool
Software Engineering Intern
Cytonn Investments Management Limited
Nairobi
01.2017 - 06.2017
- Developed an internal project and employee task management solution that automated the company's internal project and task management
- Part of a team that automated the company's clients' investments management and returns tracking
- Deployed a web application for virtual real estate tours for the company's clients
- Collaborated with software engineers to develop and test application procedures for system efficiency.
- Participated in code reviews and maintained high-quality standards throughout codebase.
Cyber Security Intern
e.KRAAL Innovation Hub
Nairobi
01.2016 - 09.2016
- Undertook penetration testing and web application vulnerability assessments for clients' web servers and applications
- Extended the code base for Fruity Wi-Fi, an open-source wireless network penetration testing tool
- Collaborated with IT team to identify potential security risks and develop mitigation strategies.
- Enhanced network security by conducting vulnerability assessments and implementing recommended patches.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science
University of Nairobi
05.2013 - 10.2016
Skills
- TypeScript
- NodeJS
- Go
- GraphQL
- REST
- PostgreSQL
- Reddis
- DynamoDB
- MongoDB
- Elasticsearch
- Serverless
- Cloudflare
- AWS
- GCP
- Express
- VueJS
Timeline
Senior Backend Software Engineer (Onboarding and Compliance)
Yellow Card App
03.2021 - Current
Lead Engineer
Raise
06.2020 - 02.2021
Software Engineer
Raise
07.2019 - 05.2020
Data and Cyber Security Engineer
e.KRAAL Innovation Hub
07.2017 - 06.2019
Software Engineering Intern
Cytonn Investments Management Limited
01.2017 - 06.2017
Cyber Security Intern
e.KRAAL Innovation Hub
01.2016 - 09.2016
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science
University of Nairobi
05.2013 - 10.2016