Experience
2024 — Now
2024 — Now
Scottsdale, AZ
Backend engineer on PayPal Checkout, building and operating Java/Spring services that power high-traffic checkout session and funding flows. I own work end-to-end and stay close through production releases and incidents.
Own SDLC for Java/Spring backend services: requirements, design, development, testing, release, and production support.
Led major refactoring work (legacy code removal) and kept delivery moving by guiding engineers through PRs and sprint execution.
Built/expanded unit + functional coverage (JUnit/TestNG) for critical paths and failure handling to reduce regressions.
Supported releases (manifest, regressions, canary, multi-box) and coordinated cross-service signoffs before rollout.
Troubleshot production issues end-to-end and drove fixes through validation and release; improved observability with dashboards/alerts.
I also use AI tools like Cursor and GitHub Copilot in my daily workflow to speed up coding, refactoring, and test writing, which improves overall productivity.
2022 — 2024
Phoenix, AZ
Backend engineer building services for loan/underwriting workflows, with a strong focus on requirements clarity, production stability, and database performance.
Worked in Scrum sprints, supported grooming/estimation, and partnered closely with business + QA for end-to-end validation.
Built a Record Score Matching Service to flag mismatched customer/dealer data early and reduce downstream rework.
Developed the Exception Generator workflow for controlled discount approvals, reducing manual back-and-forth and pricing mistakes.
Improved performance with Oracle SQL/PLSQL query tuning and backend optimizations on high-traffic paths.
Supported business-critical applications in production and debugged issues across code + data.
2020 — 2022
2020 — 2022
United States
Worked on backend services (and some UI) for security scanning workflows, delivering features through Agile sprints and supporting production troubleshooting.
Designed and developed REST services using Spring Boot and implemented business logic in Core Java.
Built backend scheduling support for scans to reduce manual triggers and improve operational consistency.
Built UI screens using React/HTML/CSS/JavaScript and worked with Redux/NPM components.
Supported CI/CD using Jenkins; used Docker + Kubernetes in the build/deploy flow to keep releases repeatable.
Fixed defects, validated APIs with Postman, and monitored logs via Splunk/Log4j.
Education
University of Central Missouri
Master's Degree
2016 — 2017