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Professional Résumé

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Michael Gichia

Senior Software Engineer

globeNairobi, Kenya
Summary

Senior Software Engineer with over 7 years of experience developing scalable, high-impact applications in fintech, health tech, and platform engineering. I focus on creating maintainable architectures, intuitive user experiences, and cross-platform solutions that reach millions. I am passionate about simplifying complex workflows, increasing product velocity, and achieving measurable results through thoughtful engineering.

Employment History

Oct 2024 - Current
Senior Software Consultant, NamiriKenya
  • Optimized client onboarding: Developed a high-volume bulk upload system using Node.js, Express, and BullMQ, enabling clients to import 100K+ items per request and auto-sync with Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), cutting onboarding time and eliminating manual item entry.
  • Enabled real-time compliance insights: Designed APIs and React/Next.js UIs for on-demand CSV invoice reports with advanced filters, giving clients real-time access to sales and tax data for audits and compliance.
  • Accelerated scalability: Led migration from REST to GraphQL, decoupling business logic and unlocking multi-country scalability across Kenya, Nigeria (FIRS), and Zambia tax systems.
  • Expanded product reach: Built an Alipay Mini App using TypeScript, Ant Design, and Alipay XML, delivering Digitax services to M-Pesa users without requiring app installation, expanding adoption in mobile-first markets.
Oct 2022 - Oct 2024
Senior Software Engineer, Nexleaf AnalyticsLos Angeles
  • Developed a real-time vaccine monitoring solution: Built a mobile application to monitor vaccines during transit, enabling 90% of vaccine distribution in pilot regions of Tanzania to be tracked within the first three months.
  • Integrated Berlinger temperature loggers: Led the integration of third-party temperature loggers with the internal system, delivering cold chain equipment performance analytics to enhance vaccine monitoring and maintenance processes.
  • Modernized front-end architecture: Migrated a monolithic front-end to modular Angular pages integrated with RESTful back-end services, significantly improving the performance and scalability of the data management system.
Dec 2019 - Oct 2022
Senior Software Engineer, ProdPerfectSan Francisco
  • Boosted QA productivity by 500%: Built a testing solution that automated TestCafe suites, added debugging videos, and eliminated self-reporting, ensuring precise test coverage and faster results.
  • Optimized notification systems: Reduced turnaround time from 72 to 24 hours by building efficient AWS-powered notification services using SNS, SQS, Lambda, and Terraform.
  • Empowered CI/CD workflows: Created a custom workflow that provided insights into failed builds, enabling customers to resolve errors pre-release and improve deployment confidence.
  • Scaled development processes: Designed APIs, reusable components, and customer-driven features while aligning development with user needs to accelerate application scalability.
Feb 2019 - Dec 2019
Senior Frontend Engineer, Twiga FoodsNairobi
  • Created a fin-tech platform, Sokoloan: Built a system that centralized enterprise data, making financial operations faster, more accessible, and easier to manage.
  • Built a mission control dashboard: Designed a tool used daily by thousands to track, analyze, and manage key operational data.
  • Boosted development pace: Optimized internal tools and processes, reducing software delivery times for quicker change implementation.
  • Spearheaded UI component development: Led the design and development of user interface components for the company’s flagship software product, resulting in a 30% increase in user engagement.
Sep 2017 - Jun 2019
Lead Frontend Engineer, MookhNairobi
  • Led UX-focused development: Developed a mobile app and three web applications, ensuring scalability.
  • Streamlined operations: Developed a system improving event, ticketing, and digital content management.
  • Enhanced user experience: Reduced checkout time by 80%, cutting it from over 5 minutes to under 1 minute with a re-imagined UX.
  • Boosted mobile user engagement: Created exceptional mobile-first solutions for 70% of device users.
Jul 2017 - Sep 2017
Consultancy, UpworkRemote
  • Developed a digital learning tool: Contributed to an Agile team at Crowdbotics, remotely developing a tool for undergrad business students to manage and showcase projects.
  • Created an affiliate management platform: Built and sustained an efficient affiliate management platform for a seamless workflow.
  • Developed an interactive math game: Created a real-time scoring math game for StrongDev to enhance user engagement in learning.
Skills
  • Technical
  • Product
  • Frontend
  • Backend
  • Testing
Technical
  • Architecture
  • Design Patterns
  • Scaling
  • Testing
  • Operational Metrics
Product
  • Rapid Prototyping
  • User Validation
  • Documentation
  • A/B Testing
Frontend
  • React.js
  • React-native
  • Angular
  • Ionic
  • Next.js
  • TypeScript
  • JavaScript
  • HTML
  • CSS
Backend
  • Node.js
  • Python
  • FastAPI
  • GraphQL
  • Express.js
  • PostgreSQL
  • Prisma
  • MongoDB
  • AWS SNS, SQS, Lambda
LLM
  • OpenAI
  • LangChain
  • HuggingFace
  • Vector databases
  • Prompt engineering
Testing
  • TestCafe
  • Jest
  • Testing Library