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DICKENS ALPHONCE JUMA

Software Engineer | Platform & Backend Engineering | High-growth SaaS & Fintech
Phone: +254 704 868 023 (WhatsApp/Signal available) | (GMT+3) | Flexible to US/EU time zones
dickensjuma13@gmail.com | GitHub | Portfolio | LinkedIn | Medium

Summary

Backend/Platform engineer (6+ yrs) building event-driven, multi-tenant SaaS & fintech systems (Node.js, TypeScript, Kafka, AWS): led architecture modernization, reliability uplift, cost optimization, and developer velocity initiatives. Experienced in building resilient integration workflows, data pipelines, and cross-system automations (Gov APIs, payments, messaging).

Core Skills

Backend & APIs: Node.js, TypeScript, Express, GraphQL, Python
Architecture: Microservices, Event-Driven (Kafka/Pub/Sub), Saga / Outbox, Idempotent workflows, Multi-Tenancy
Cloud & DevOps: AWS (Lambda, ECS, EC2, S3), Docker, Kubernetes, GitHub Actions, CI/CD, Caching (Redis)
Data: PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, MySQL | Query tuning, indexing, partitioning
Security & Auth: OAuth2, SAML, JWT, least-privilege IAM, secrets rotation, audit/log hygiene
Reliability & Observability: Structured logging, tracing, metrics/SLO dashboards, failure injection
AI & Automation: OpenAI API, LangChain, Vector search (Pinecone), conversational/task automation
Integrations: Payments (M-Pesa, multi-currency), Twilio/SMS, Government & compliance APIs (KRA), Webhooks (durable retry)

Professional Experience

Software Engineer
Residia AI - US PropTech/AI Startup
Nov 2025 – Present
  • Fine-tuned property-specific LLMs and RAG pipelines, raising workflow accuracy 40% and reducing hallucinations 30% across leasing and tenant support tasks.
  • Built and deployed AI microservices (Node.js/Python/LangChain) powering US property ops, cutting inference latency 30% and speeding issue resolution 50% via real-time vector search.
Software Engineer
HelloDuty - AI & Automation SaaS (Kenya)
Oct 2025 – Nov 2025
  • Built automation and AI-driven customer care & marketing solutions for SMEs, integrating backend services and scalable messaging APIs.
  • Designed and maintained conversational AI flows and system integrations to enhance customer engagement and operational efficiency.
Software Engineer
Nathan Digital - ERP SaaS (UAE/Kenya)
Nov 2024 – Oct 2025
  • Led design of modular payroll & ERP services; automated 80% salary computation; infra cost –25%.
  • Introduced event-driven patterns (Kafka) for orchestration and decoupling; improved change velocity.
  • Mentored junior engineers; uplifted code review quality and delivery predictability (sprint acceptance >90%).
Software Engineer
Old Mutual South Africa (Remote)
Feb 2024 – June 2024
  • Built GraphQL + REST hybrid API layer (Node.js, PostgreSQL), reducing avg latency by 20%.
  • Embedded secure-by-default practices (token scope, PII masking) aligned to PCI/GDPR guidelines.
  • Developed integration adapters for OAuth2/SAML identity providers, enabling seamless authentication workflows across 4 regional systems.
Lead Backend Developer
WayaMoney – Fintech (Remote – Ghana)
Jan 2023 – Feb 2024
  • Architected high-availability payment + wallet services (Kafka + GraphQL) processing 10K+ tx/mo.
  • Reduced transaction processing time 30% via async workflows + idempotent handlers.
  • Deployed AWS Lambda pipelines for notification + settlement events; improved reliability under spikes.
  • Rolled out multi-currency + SMS verification (Twilio), increasing onboarding completion.
Backend Developer
Lami Insurance - Insurtech (Kenya)
Nov 2021 – June 2023
  • Built onboarding & policy APIs; manual processing time cut from 3 days → 8 hours (‑70% ops workload).
  • Implemented Kafka-based claims pipeline; throughput +35% and error retries automated.
  • Integrated M-Pesa payment flows; improved payment success rate +25%.
Lead Software Developer
Bluewave Insurance - Microinsurance (Kenya)
Oct 2020 – Oct 2021
  • Built a scalable microinsurance USSD platform (Node.js, Angular, PostgreSQL) serving 50K+ users across Africa.
  • Partnered with One Acre Fund to launch a farmer insurance system in Malawi, improving access and real-time reporting.

Leadership & Initiatives

Founder & Lead Engineer
Spark (SaaS for Beauty Industry)
October 2023 – Present
  • Enabled 100+ SMEs in Africa to digitize operations via AI-powered integrations (WhatsApp, payments, scheduling).
  • Built multi-tenant platform (React, Node.js, MongoDB, AWS) with CRM, scheduling, staff & inventory modules.
  • Containerized deployments (Docker), enabling rapid isolated environment spins for beta clients.
  • Drove closed beta adoption; established feedback loop → accelerated iteration cycles.

Mentorship & Culture

Impact Snapshot

Awards

Education & Certificates

BSc in Software Engineering
The Cooperative University of Kenya

Certifications

Key Domains

Fintech / Payments | Insurtech | Communications APIs | Workflow Automation | Multi-Tenant SaaS | AI-driven automation

Open Source & Community