I’m a results-driven backend software developer with 5+ years of hands-on experience designing, developing, and maintaining scalable Java applications. I specialize in Core Java, Spring Boot, Hibernate, RESTful APIs, microservices, and cloud integration (AWS). I focus on delivering secure, high-performance solutions and collaborating with cross-functional teams to turn ideas into reliable software. I’m a proactive learner who values clean code, code reviews, and continuous improvement. I’m passionate about staying ahead of industry trends and mentoring others to foster technical excellence.

Donatus Okpala

I’m a results-driven backend software developer with 5+ years of hands-on experience designing, developing, and maintaining scalable Java applications. I specialize in Core Java, Spring Boot, Hibernate, RESTful APIs, microservices, and cloud integration (AWS). I focus on delivering secure, high-performance solutions and collaborating with cross-functional teams to turn ideas into reliable software. I’m a proactive learner who values clean code, code reviews, and continuous improvement. I’m passionate about staying ahead of industry trends and mentoring others to foster technical excellence.

Available to hire

I’m a results-driven backend software developer with 5+ years of hands-on experience designing, developing, and maintaining scalable Java applications. I specialize in Core Java, Spring Boot, Hibernate, RESTful APIs, microservices, and cloud integration (AWS). I focus on delivering secure, high-performance solutions and collaborating with cross-functional teams to turn ideas into reliable software.

I’m a proactive learner who values clean code, code reviews, and continuous improvement. I’m passionate about staying ahead of industry trends and mentoring others to foster technical excellence.

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Experience Level

Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Intermediate
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Language

English
Fluent
Igbo
Fluent

Work Experience

Senior Backend Engineer - Java at Moniepoint
June 1, 2025 - Present
Led the design and development of scalable backend services supporting high-volume financial transactions across core platforms. Architected and deployed event-driven microservices using Java and Spring Boot, integrated third-party APIs for identity verification, loan eligibility, and account linking. Championed performance monitoring and logging tools, reducing downtime and improving incident response times. Collaborated cross-functionally to streamline CI/CD pipelines and mentored junior engineers.
Backend Engineer - Java at INTERSWITCH LIMITED
June 1, 2025 - September 8, 2025
Designed and developed a microservice to monitor network performance of commercial banks. Spearheaded the creation of a dispute service application for payment-related issues, enhancing user experience. Implemented unit tests and resolved bugs to improve reliability. Optimized payment processing algorithms using multithreading and data caching, reducing transaction processing time by 25%.
Backend Software Developer / Consultant - Java at PRIMER SPACE
December 1, 2023 - September 8, 2025
Designed and developed RESTful APIs using Java, Spring Boot, and Hibernate for scalability and performance. Implemented Spring Boot microservices to process payment-related messages into the Kafka cluster. Integrated Spring Security for authentication and authorization, and utilized OAuth2 for secure third-party integrations. Optimized database queries, reducing query times by 45%, and performed AWS cloud integration (S3, EC2, Lambda).
STEM Robotics Instructor at ST. CHARLES LWANGA COLLEGE
December 1, 2021 - September 8, 2025
Taught electronics, Arduino programming, and foundational robotics concepts. Led hands-on projects including an automatic day/night switch, a solar-powered ultrasonic car, and an automated egg incubator. Fostered problem-solving skills and practical understanding of robotics and automation.
Senior Backend Engineer - Java at Moniepoint
June 1, 2015 - Present
Led design and development of scalable backend services supporting high-volume financial transactions across Moniepoint’s core platforms. Architected and deployed event-driven microservices using Java and Spring Boot; integrated third-party APIs for identity verification, loan eligibility, and account linking. Championed performance monitoring and logging to reduce downtime and improve incident response. Collaborated with DevOps, QA, and Product teams to streamline CI/CD pipelines, accelerating release cycles by 30%. Mentored junior backend engineers through code reviews and pair programming. Enhanced system security with best practices in authentication, authorization, and data protection compliant with financial regulations.
Backend Engineer - Java at INTERSWITCH LIMITED
June 1, 2025 - September 8, 2025
Designed and developed a microservice to monitor the network performance of commercial banks. Spearheaded the creation of a dispute service application for handling payment-related issues, enhancing user experience and ensuring seamless payment processing. Implemented unit tests for the dispute service using JUnit and Mockito. Diagnosed and resolved bugs, improving payment processing reliability. Optimized payment processing algorithms using Java multithreading and data caching techniques, reducing transaction processing time by 25%. Participated in code reviews and pair programming, contributing to a 20% improvement in code quality and knowledge sharing.
Backend Software Developer / Consultant - Java at PRIMER SPACE
December 1, 2023 - September 8, 2025
Designed and developed RESTful APIs using Java, Spring Boot, and Hibernate for scalability and performance. Implemented Spring Boot microservices to process payment-related messages into the Kafka cluster. Integrated Spring Security for authentication and authorization, preventing unauthorized access. Utilized RESTful APIs and OAuth2 for secure integration of third-party services. Optimized Java database queries, reducing query times by 45%. Successfully integrated AWS services (S3, EC2, Lambda) for seamless cloud integration. Participated in code reviews and pair programming, improving code quality. Conducted testing and bug fixes to ensure superior user experience.
STEM Robotics Instructor at ST. CHARLES LWANGA COLLEGE Anambra
December 1, 2021 - September 8, 2025
Introduced students to electronics and foundational programming concepts. Taught Arduino programming and basic circuit design using C++ and Arduino. Led hands-on projects, including an automatic day/night switch and a mini car with ultrasonic sensor, controlled by Arduino. Supervised the construction of a fully automated egg incubator. Fostered problem-solving skills and a practical understanding of robotics and automation.
Senior Backend Engineer - Java at Moniepoint
June 1, 2025 - Present
Led design and development of scalable backend services supporting high-volume financial transactions across Moniepoint’s core platforms. Architected and deployed event-driven microservices using Java and Spring Boot, improving modularity and resilience. Integrated third-party APIs for identity verification, loan eligibility, and account linking. Championed performance monitoring and logging, significantly reducing downtime and improving incident response times. Collaborated cross-functionally with DevOps, QA, and Product teams to streamline CI/CD pipelines, accelerating release cycles by 30%. Mentored junior backend engineers through code reviews, pair programming, and design sessions, fostering technical excellence. Enhanced system security by implementing best practices in authentication, authorization, and data protection aligned with financial regulations.
Backend Engineer - Java at Interswitch Limited
June 1, 2025 - September 9, 2025
Designed and developed a microservice to monitor the network performance of commercial banks. Spearheaded the creation of a dispute service application for handling payment-related issues, enhancing user experience and ensuring seamless payment processing. Implemented unit tests for the dispute service application using JUnit and Mockito. Diagnosed and resolved bugs within the fintech application, improving payment processing reliability. Optimized payment processing algorithms using Java's multithreading and data caching techniques, reducing transaction processing time by 25%. Participated in code reviews and pair programming, resulting in a 20% improvement in code quality and knowledge sharing. Collaborated with Team Leader, Business Analyst, and Product Owner to align technical implementation with business goals.
Backend Software Developer / Consultant - Java at PRIMER SPACE
December 1, 2023 - September 9, 2025
Designed and developed RESTful APIs using Java, Spring Boot, and Hibernate for scalability and performance. Implemented Spring Boot microservices to process payment-related messages into the Kafka cluster setup. Integrated Spring Security for authentication and authorization, preventing unauthorized access. Utilized RESTful APIs and OAuth2 authentication to securely integrate third-party services. Optimized Java app's database queries, reducing query times by 45%. Successfully integrated AWS services (S3, EC2, Lambda) for seamless cloud integration. Participated in code reviews and pair programming, resulting in a 20% improvement in code quality and knowledge sharing. Performed testing, bug fixes, and identified technical solutions to ensure superior user experience.
STEM Robotics Instructor at ST. CHARLES LWANGA COLLEGE
December 1, 2021 - September 9, 2025
Introduced students to basic electronics and foundational programming concepts. Taught Arduino programming and basic circuit design using C++ and Arduino. Led hands-on projects, including the development of an automatic day/night switch. Collaborated with students to build a mini car fitted with an ultrasonic sensor, controlled by Arduino. Supervised the construction of a fully automated egg incubator. Fostered problem-solving skills and practical understanding of robotics and automation.
Senior Backend Engineer - Java at Moniepoint
June 1, 2025 - Present
Led design and development of scalable backend services for high-volume financial transactions; architected event-driven microservices using Java and Spring Boot; integrated third-party APIs for identity verification, loan eligibility, and account linking; championed performance monitoring and logging to reduce downtime and speed incident response; collaborated across DevOps, QA, and Product teams to accelerate CI/CD release cycles by 30%; mentored junior engineers and implemented secure authentication and data protection aligned with financial regulations.
Backend Engineer - Java at INTERSWITCH LIMITED
June 1, 2025 - September 9, 2025
Designed and developed a microservice to monitor network performance for commercial banks; built a dispute service to handle payment-related issues; implemented unit tests with JUnit and Mockito; resolved bugs to improve payment processing reliability; optimized algorithms using multithreading and caching to reduce processing time by 25%; contributed to code reviews and pair programming to boost code quality by 20%; aligned technical work with business goals with stakeholders.
Backend Software Developer / Consultant - Java at PRIMER SPACE
December 1, 2023 - September 9, 2025
Designed and developed RESTful APIs using Java, Spring Boot, and Hibernate for scalable performance; implemented Spring Boot microservices to process payment-related messages via Kafka; integrated Spring Security and OAuth2 for secure authentication; optimized database queries reducing times by 45%; integrated AWS services (S3, EC2, Lambda) for seamless cloud integration; participated in code reviews, improving code quality by 20%.
STEM Robotics Instructor at ST. CHARLES LWANGA COLLEGE
December 1, 2021 - September 9, 2025
Taught Arduino programming and electronics, led hands-on projects including an automatic day/night switch and a robotic incubator, supervised team projects, and fostered practical problem-solving skills and robotics awareness.

Education

Bachelor of Technology in Physics (Electronics) at Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO)
August 1, 2019 - September 8, 2025
Bachelor of Technology in Physics (Electronics) at Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO)
August 1, 2019 - September 8, 2025
Bachelor of Technology in Physics (Electronics) at Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO)
January 11, 2030 - August 1, 2019
Bachelor of Technology in Physics (Electronics) at Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO)
January 11, 2030 - August 1, 2019

Qualifications

Scrum Fundamentals Certified
October 1, 2023 - September 8, 2025
Scrum Fundamentals Certified
October 1, 2023 - September 8, 2025
Scrum Fundamentals Certified
October 1, 2023 - September 9, 2025
Scrum Fundamentals Certified
October 1, 2023 - September 9, 2025

Industry Experience

Software & Internet, Financial Services, Education, Professional Services
    paper Logistics Platform

    I platform where clients can book for pickup and delivery of items from any location in Nigeria and can track the item as it is on route to the delivery location.