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Lawrence Karanja

@lawrencekaranja

I am a Software Engineer specializing in scalable Java/Spring Boot systems, adaptable to new tech, resourceful, delivers with minimal supervision.

Kenya

Message

What I'm looking for

I seek mid/senior backend or platform roles where I can design scalable Spring Boot systems, lead engineering teams, and implement secure, containerized CI/CD pipelines in an agile, growth-oriented environment.

I am a Software Engineer focused on building scalable, secure enterprise applications with Java and Spring Boot. I architect maintainable systems and drive projects from conception through production with a pragmatic, feature-first approach.

I recently architected and developed a bicycle registration system using Java 17, Spring Boot 3.4.4, and PostgreSQL 15, designed to improve development efficiency by 40% and reduce law enforcement verification time by 75% through QR code identification, secure RESTful APIs, and containerized CI/CD pipelines.

I have led teams as a Manager and Team Lead at Moringa School—improving retention and coaching junior developers—and worked as a Technical Screener at Toptal with an 80% match rate. I prioritize security, automated testing, and observable, microservices-ready architectures.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Software Engineer

Current

Bicycle Safety Registration System

Mar 2024 - Present (2 years 3 months)

Architected and developed a bicycle registration system using Java 17 and Spring Boot, improving development efficiency by 40% and reducing law enforcement verification time by 75% via QR code identification. Built secure RESTful APIs with Spring Security and JWT, and implemented Docker-based CI/CD and automated testing.

Spring Boot PostgreSQL Spring Security JWT RESTful APIs Docker Junit Flyway

Technical Screener

Toptal

Mar 2022 - Feb 2023 (11 months)

Screened software engineers, achieving an 80% match rate to role requirements and a 4.7/5 satisfaction score. Contributed to internal screening tools that improved evaluation efficiency by 40% and created technical assessments with >90% accuracy requirements.

Technical Screening Coding Assessment Interviewing Remote Collaboration

Manager and Team Lead

Moringa School

Dec 2017 - Feb 2022 (4 years 2 months)

Led backend development and internal tooling using Java, increasing introductory prep class retention from 60% to 85% and advanced class retention from 35% to 73% through data-driven monitoring and dashboards. Maintained a 92% student satisfaction score while mentoring and coaching junior developers.

Java Spring Backend Development Monitoring Dashboards Mentoring SQL Performance Optimization