Lawrence Karanja

Backend Software Engineer with a proven track record of building highly scalable, secure, and event-driven APIs using Java, Spring Boot, and TypeScript, and excited to contribute to teams with a high engineering pedigree. Passionate about observability, real-time data telemetry, distributed systems architecture, and engineering robust solutions from conception to deployment. Highly adaptable and committed to delivering clean, well-tested, and well-documented code.

Backend Systems Architect (Project Based) - Loans Platform - Nairobi, Kenya

(2026-01)

• Architected a high throughput, distributed Java Microservices lending platform designed for scalability and consistency.
• The engineering focused on a decoupled microservice architecture that uses Spring Cloud Gateway and Keycloak to ensure secure and identity first propagation of requests.
• Implemented an event sourced infrastructure using Kafka and Debezium that handles complex identity and loan lifecycles, focusing on permanent auditability and fault tolerance.
• I leveraged the SAGA pattern to ensure that atomicity was maintained across the services targeting system capacity for high frequency request processing.
• Streamlined local development and CI/CD pipelines using Docker, Helm, and LocalStack to simulate AWS environments locally first before deployment.
• To ensure that observability was maintained across all services, Prometheus, Micrometer, and Grafana are utilised to ensure that request drilldowns could be done when needed.

Software Engineer - Bicycle Safety Registration System Project - Nairobi, Kenya

(2024-03 - 2025-06)

• Architected and developed a comprehensive bicycle registration system using Java, Spring Boot, and PostgreSQL, designed to serve law enforcement, insurance providers, and bike shops with 40% improved development efficiency.
• Followed Test-Driven Development principles using JUnit5 and Mockito to ensure high test coverage and identify bugs early.
• Implemented feature-first architecture with 8 core modules, ensuring a microservices-ready design that adheres to RESTful API standards
• Built secure and tested RESTful APIs with Spring Security, JWT authentication, and role-based access control for 4 user types, implementing comprehensive security measures including rate limiting and audit logging.
• Utilized Docker containerization with CI/CD pipelines, automated testing using JUnit 5/Mockito, and Flyway database migrations for consistent deployment environments.
• Used Swagger to document the API endpoints and their functionality, enabling easy frontend implementation.

Technical Screener - Toptal - Remote-US, Nairobi, Kenya

(2022-03 - 2023-02)

• Screened software engineers, ensuring an 80% match rate against candidate requirements, achieving a 4.7/5 satisfaction score.
• Contributed to developing internal screening tools targeting a 40% improvement in evaluation efficiency.
• Created comprehensive technical assessments for code evaluation with >90% accuracy requirements.

Engineering Mentor and Team Lead - Moringa School - Hybrid, Nairobi, Kenya

(2017-12 - 2022-02)

• Created comprehensive technical assessments for code evaluation with >90% accuracy requirements.
• Architected and deployed a native Android application leveraging Firebase and core Android libraries to automate student attendance tracking, reducing manual overhead and improving data integrity.
• Spearheaded the technical integration of Salesforce in collaboration with Product teams, identifying critical functional gaps and providing architectural feedback to optimize student performance tracking.
• Engineered real-time observability dashboards and monitoring solutions that directly drove a 108% increase in advanced class retention (from 35% to 73%) and a 41% increase in prep class retention (from 60% to 85%).
• Cultivated a high-performing engineering culture by coaching junior developers and maintaining a 92% student satisfaction score through targeted technical mentorship and code reviews.
• Directed technical delivery and curriculum mentorship across multiple stacks, including Java, Python, JavaScript (React/Node.js), and Android development, ensuring students met industry-standard engineering patterns.
• Standardized the technical recruitment process, leading sourcing and interviews to align candidate profiles with rigorous backend and frontend developer requirements.
• Consulted on external technical hiring for partners, leveraging deep technical expertise to vet and place high-quality engineering talent.

Bachelor Of Science - Information Technology - Jomo Kenyatta University Of Agriculture And Technology (2018-06)

Software Engineering Certification - Software Engineering - Moringa School (2018-09)