An early React landing-page project for a plant website, exploring frontend layout and presentation.
React · WebEngineering, projects & everything in between.KELOWNA, CANADA ↗
SACurrently at UKG
Samir Aliyev.
Full-stack Software Developer
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
I work across backend systems, web applications, and mobile. Currently building workforce software at UKG. Previously founded RentalHunt and helped launch Ommaty on iOS and Android.
A UBC Computer Science & Data Science graduate and International Leader of Tomorrow Scholar. Outside work, I’ve built projects with teams at BCHacks, Cal Hacks, and McHacks.
Experience
2022 — presentIntermediate Software Developer
CurrentUKG · Ultimate Kronos Group
May 2023 — Present
Building enterprise workforce software across backend services, frontend workflows, automated testing, and production operations.
- Led an API performance initiative that reduced average duration from approximately 10 seconds to 200 milliseconds.
- Delivered effective-dated worker types end to end, including the complete backend API and 90+ automated tests.
- Shipped AI capabilities for shift incentivization to hundreds of enterprise customers, including workforces exceeding 100,000 employees.
- Java
- Spring Boot
- TypeScript
- Angular
- AngularJS
- SQL
- Redis
- LaunchDarkly
- Splunk
- Grafana
- Datadog
01Effective-dated worker types
Architected the capability from the data layer through production rollout: SQL schema changes and migrations, Redis cache updates, internal configuration, Java/Spring services, and Angular/AngularJS interfaces. Authored the complete backend API surface and 90+ automated tests covering UI/API behavior, integration paths, migrations, and regressions. Used LaunchDarkly to canary the release to existing enterprise customers.
02API performance & reliability
Owned root-cause analysis, Java/Spring Boot implementation, test updates, technical documentation, senior and architect review, monitoring, and production validation. The same performance initiative reduced both latency and timeout-related failures; its before-and-after results are below.
UKG Dimensions API performance initiative
| Measure | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Average API duration | ~10 seconds | ~200 ms |
| Calls taking over 5 seconds | ~4,000 | 5 |
| Maximum API duration | ~120 seconds | ~5 seconds |
| Related timeout-driven HTTP 500 errors | ~20,000 | 0 |
Approximate before-and-after results from the same initiative.
03AI-powered shift incentivization
Delivered new capabilities across backend services, SQL schema and Redis changes, a shared Angular/AngularJS/TypeScript frontend microservice, and UI/API automation. Worked with technical leads from design to production rollout. These capabilities supported hundreds of customers, including large enterprise workforces exceeding 100,000 employees.
04Two generations of enterprise UI
Extended a shared frontend microservice across modern Angular and long-lived AngularJS. Built scheduling and shift-incentivization features, API integrations, and workflow improvements. Resolved responsive layouts, browser-specific defects, and legacy compatibility issues while shipping safely across both UI generations.
05Production debugging & observability
Investigated distributed-system defects using Splunk, Grafana, Datadog, heap dumps, thread dumps, and tenant-level telemetry. Built Splunk dashboards to track latency, identify regressions, and validate releases. Coordinated with dependent teams across time zones to resolve retail, logistics, and enterprise customer issues. Closed up to 10 defects per week while checking recurring reports against production evidence.
06Developer tools & team contribution
Contributed across two major epics and 12+ engineering stories spanning performance, reliability, and production stability. Built internal tools and AI-assisted workflows for debugging and documentation. Created the team’s first hot-reloadable Java WFM backend prototype at an internal hackathon, and onboarded and mentored new hires on architecture, testing, and production workflows.
Founder / CTO
RentalHunt
Mar 2022 — Jan 2026 · Hands-on · Part-time
Founded and built a rental marketplace for tenants and landlords. Owned product, architecture, engineering, infrastructure, and day-to-day production operations.
- Grew the marketplace to 2,000+ monthly active users, 50K+ visitors, and 100+ paid users.
- Built rental search, tenant applications, landlord dashboards, listing management, profile verification, subscriptions, and internal admin tools.
- Created AI-assisted lead-generation and sales-support workflows that produced 5,000+ qualified leads.
- Next.js
- React
- TypeScript
- Python
- FastAPI
- PostgreSQL
- Firebase
- Stripe
01The tenant & landlord experience
Built both sides of the marketplace, from rental search and tenant applications to listing management and landlord dashboards. Delivered profile verification, responsive interfaces, and role-based access for tenants, landlords, and administrators.
02Architecture, infrastructure & operations
Led full-stack architecture and production delivery across React/Next.js, Python/FastAPI, PostgreSQL, Firebase, Stripe, and cloud infrastructure. Managed the platform beyond feature delivery, including database optimization, deployment choices, and production operations. Reduced operating costs through lean architecture and a more efficient database and deployment model.
03Payments & entitlements
Implemented Stripe subscriptions, checkout flows, paid-feature controls, and backend entitlement logic. Connected the customer-facing payment experience with administrative workflows for subscriptions, pricing, and access.
04Internal products
Built admin products for managing users, listings, tenants, landlords, subscriptions, pricing, and operational processes. These tools supported the everyday work behind the public marketplace.
05AI-assisted growth workflows
Created AI-assisted scraping, lead-generation, and sales-support workflows that produced more than 5,000 qualified leads from competitor platforms.
Mobile Application Developer
Ommaty
Jun 2022 — May 2023
Helped ship a cross-platform mobile product through its production launch on iOS and Android, working across Flutter interfaces, backend APIs, messaging, and release reliability.
- Developed Flutter/Dart interfaces with Bloc and Provider, alongside REST APIs in NestJS and TypeORM.
- Integrated Matrix real-time chat and Firebase Messaging workflows; notification work increased engagement by 20%.
- Worked through launch-stage UI, authentication, and API issues, then shipped improvements from customer feedback.
- Flutter
- Dart
- Bloc
- Provider
- NestJS
- TypeScript
- TypeORM
- Matrix
- Firebase
- Jest
- Bash
Engineering case study
A closer look at RentalHunt, how its systems work, and the engineering choices behind them.
Hackathons & awards
2021 — 2022Small teams, short weekends, and a lot of building.
11 team recognitions across 4 projectsSOTERIA
BCHacks 4.0 · Nov 2022
- First Place
- Best Startup Idea
- Best Use of DeSo
A document-analysis prototype that helps students understand rental contracts and online privacy policies.
My contribution
Built the homepage and upload interface, the service wishlist, the privacy-policy results page, and basic CI. Also resolved frontend integration issues.
- Next.js
- TypeScript
- FastAPI
- TensorFlow
- DeSo
- GitHub Actions
RentEasy
Cal Hacks 8.0 · Oct 2021
- BlackRock Challenge — Financial Wellbeing
- The @ Company — Mobile Apps Post “The Social Dilemma”
- MLH — Best Use of Google Cloud
- The @ Company — Best Use of @ Platform
A cross-platform rental app connecting tenants and landlords through listings, reviews, private conversations, and shared contracts.
My contribution
Worked on frontend and backend implementation: Firestore and Firebase Authentication, application interfaces, Google Maps, and chat/authentication using @ Company tools.
- Flutter
- Dart
- Firebase
- Cloud Functions
- Google Maps
- @sign SDK
- IPFS
SeniorBuddy + CaretakerBuddy
BC Hacks 2.0 · Feb 2021
- Best for Social Good
Two connected mobile apps for everyday coordination between older adults and their caregivers.
My contribution
Built caregiver task management, onboarding and login screens, Maps integration, and senior task views. Worked on analytics fixes and Firebase/Dialogflow setup, with collaborative quiz and speech work.
- Flutter
- Firebase
- Cloud Functions
- Dialogflow
- Google Maps
- Speech-to-text
Change My Mind
McHacks 8 · Jan 2021
- Top 5 Hacks
- Best Design
- Best use of Google Cloud
A mobile discussion app matching people with opposing viewpoints for focused, ten-minute conversations.
My contribution
Implemented authentication, Firestore data retrieval, Cloud Functions for matching, login and chat screens, reusable animated topic cards and inputs, and the rating dialog.
- Flutter
- Dart
- Firebase
- Cloud Functions
- Node.js
- Adobe XD
Earlier projects
2020 — 2021Where a lot of the learning started. A few things from the GitHub archive.
A mobile study app for IB Diploma chemistry students, built for iOS and Android with authentication around contacting the developer.
Flutter · DartA wallpaper app with image browsing, Firebase authentication, and native platform channels for applying wallpapers.
Flutter · FirebaseA desktop chatbot about endangered species. Combined a Tkinter interface, text classification, stemming, synonym recognition, and threaded text-to-speech.
Python · PyTorch · NLTKAn early Flutter task-management app exploring state management with Provider.
Flutter · ProviderYears reflect the original repositories. Source code and project notes are linked above.
Education
University of British Columbia
B.Sc. Computer Science and Data Science
Sep 2018 — May 2023 · Kelowna, BC
International Leader of Tomorrow Award
Fully funded four-year scholarship.
Technical skills
Languages
- Java
- Python
- TypeScript
- SQL
- Dart
- R
Frontend & mobile
- React
- Next.js
- Angular
- AngularJS
- Flutter
- HTML / CSS
- Redux
- Bloc
- Provider
Backend & data
- Spring Boot
- FastAPI
- NestJS
- PostgreSQL
- Redis
- Hibernate
- TypeORM
- REST APIs
- Microservices
Cloud & delivery
- AWS
- GCP
- Firebase
- Vercel
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- Jenkins
- GitHub Actions
- LaunchDarkly
Quality & observability
- JUnit
- TestNG
- Jest
- UI / API automation
- Splunk
- Grafana
- Datadog
- Production debugging