I'm a software engineer who enjoys turning complex problems into reliable, scalable software solutions. I design and implement both frontend interfaces and robust backend services, with a focus on data-driven dashboards and real-time visibility for stakeholders. I collaborate in agile environments to deliver features that matter and continuously improve through feedback. My work spans finance, environmental data platforms, and government-facing applications. I combine Go, Python, JavaScript, and modern cloud and container technologies to build maintainable systems, from API services to data pipelines, with a strong emphasis on usability, accessibility, and impactful user experiences.

Cynthia Liu

5.0 (1 review)

I'm a software engineer who enjoys turning complex problems into reliable, scalable software solutions. I design and implement both frontend interfaces and robust backend services, with a focus on data-driven dashboards and real-time visibility for stakeholders. I collaborate in agile environments to deliver features that matter and continuously improve through feedback. My work spans finance, environmental data platforms, and government-facing applications. I combine Go, Python, JavaScript, and modern cloud and container technologies to build maintainable systems, from API services to data pipelines, with a strong emphasis on usability, accessibility, and impactful user experiences.

Available to hire

I’m a software engineer who enjoys turning complex problems into reliable, scalable software solutions. I design and implement both frontend interfaces and robust backend services, with a focus on data-driven dashboards and real-time visibility for stakeholders. I collaborate in agile environments to deliver features that matter and continuously improve through feedback.

My work spans finance, environmental data platforms, and government-facing applications. I combine Go, Python, JavaScript, and modern cloud and container technologies to build maintainable systems, from API services to data pipelines, with a strong emphasis on usability, accessibility, and impactful user experiences.

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Experience Level

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

Javanese
Advanced
Aragonese
Advanced

Work Experience

Software Engineer (Freelance Contract) at Kai Cao Inc.
January 1, 2025 - Present
Designed and implemented a financial application with React frontend and AWS-based backend, including a forecasting dashboard that replaced ad-hoc Excel tracking, providing real-time visibility into net cash flow and reducing manual financial planning effort by 60%. Created normalized relational schemas, stored procedures, and indexed queries in Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL, improving report generation speed by 40% and ensuring data integrity across financial records. Built automated data pipelines to process employee work hours and billing rates weekly for accurate payroll processing and timely invoicing. Conducted weekly agile-style meetings with nuclear industry stakeholders, maintaining 100% on-time milestone delivery and translating business requirements into technical specifications.
Software Engineer Co-op at Ontario Financing Authority
May 1, 2021 - May 1, 2022
Developed and shipped 10+ new features for an internal financial analysis application in C# and VB.NET. Optimized SQL queries for accurate, high-performance data extraction in Microsoft SQL Server. Automated financial reporting with Crystal Reports, ensuring timely and reliable report delivery and eliminating manual assembly errors. Coordinated quarterly cross-department networking events for 100+ employees, overseeing planning, logistics, and post-event follow-up to strengthen team collaboration.

Education

M.Eng at McMaster University
September 1, 2023 - August 31, 2024
B.A.SC at McMaster University
September 1, 2018 - April 30, 2023
M.Eng in Computing and Software at McMaster University
September 1, 2023 - August 31, 2024
B.A.SC, Computer Science (Co-op) at McMaster University
September 1, 2018 - August 31, 2023

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Software & Internet, Financial Services, Government, Energy & Utilities
    paper Love, Cat & Robot - A Narrative-Driven Pixel Adventure Game

    Love, Cat & Robot is an RPG game that combines emotional storytelling with retro aesthetics. Players step into Tyra’s life, navigating her daily routine and uncovering the hidden truths of a mysterious world. Through interaction with two central NPCs—Tyra’s pet cat and Derek, an AI assistant, players are allowed to shape the direction of the story, unlocking different endings based on their decisions. As the plot evolves, the game transforms from a peaceful routine into a haunting experience filled with metafictional twists and darker undertones, keeping players immersed and eager to discover the true endings.

    Developed in Unity, Tyra features pixel art backgrounds to evoke a nostalgic yet atmospheric setting. The gameplay blends exploration, branching dialogues, and mini bullet-hell combat. Players use WASD keys for movement and the mouse for interactions, seamlessly shifting between contestant-based dialogue choices and avatar-based combat sequences. This hybrid interaction model ensures a varied and engaging experience, balancing narrative depth with gameplay challenge.

    paper Waterra - Real-time Water Quality Platform

    Waterra is a web-based platform developed under the Ohneganos program to monitor water quality. It features a functional map that allows users to explore real-time environmental data, such as pH, turbidity, etc., which are collected from water quality sensors. Designed with accessibility in mind, the platform automatically generates intuitive line graphs to help both professionals and community members interpret trends.

    The platform was built using React and TypeScript, with a custom UI component library designed to present sensor data on a color-coded Leaflet map for geographic and temporal analysis. Backend APIs were developed in Go to query sensor data stored in InfluxDB, a time-series database linked to remote monitoring hardware.

    paper BCEP - Bridge Chloride Exposure Predictor

    Bridge Chloride Exposure Predictor (BCEP) is a scientific software tool that forecasts corrosion risks on highway bridges by modeling chloride exposure from deicing salts like sodium chloride. BCEP helps stakeholders, such as government agencies, assess exposure levels and plan maintenance budgets accordingly, allocating more resources to areas with higher predicted chloride exposure.

    Built as a web application using Vue.js, HTML, and CSS, BCEP delivers visualizations of chloride exposure predictions through an intuitive user interface. Python was used to construct the backend database and generate prediction trends based on climate and traffic datasets. The project incorporates Continuous Integration via GitHub Actions for streamlined testing, while stakeholder feedback is managed through GitHub Issues. A tailored requirement validation process ensures ongoing alignment with user needs and supports long-term maintainability.