Nipuna Shanthidewa, Developer in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Nipuna Shanthidewa

Verified Expert  in Engineering

Full-stack Developer

Location
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Toptal Member Since
July 5, 2021

Nipuna is an accomplished software engineer with 5+ years of hands-on experience in the full software development lifecycle in corporate, higher education, and startup environments. He specializes in developing sophisticated, future-proof web, mobile, and AR/VR applications, using an expansive array of cutting-edge technologies. With proactive and critical thinking abilities, Nipuna delivers high-quality solutions that meet or exceed expectations within tight deadlines.

Portfolio

Cyber Security NSW
Django, Bootstrap, ECharts, JavaScript, HTML5, CSS...
University of New South Wales
JavaScript, React, Django, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Serverless...
Plannero
Agile Software Development, Python, Django, React, Amazon Web Services (AWS)...

Experience

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

Linux, Visual Studio Code (VS Code), PyCharm, Docker, Windows

The most amazing...

...project I worked on is the web back end for The University of New South Wales flagship MOOCs on Coursera that enlighten millions of students around the world.

Work Experience

Senior Python Developer

2020 - PRESENT
Cyber Security NSW
  • Built a web-based platform for Cyber Security NSW to collect and aggregate information.
  • Developed scalable and security-focused web apps using HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, and Python Django.
  • Designed and developed optimized PostgreSQL databases to support a large amount of government data.
  • Designed user-centric and user-friendly UX prototypes using Figma.
  • Designed and developed secure REST APIs to support the integration of third-party web services and software.
Technologies: Django, Bootstrap, ECharts, JavaScript, HTML5, CSS, Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Figma, Postman, Web Development, Python, PyCharm, Databases, Programming, Agile Software Development, Algorithms, Human-computer Interaction (HCI), Amazon Web Services (AWS), PostgreSQL, Git, Windows

Full-stack Developer

2019 - 2020
University of New South Wales
  • Collaborated with the education intelligence and analytics team within education delivery services in the office of the pro-vice-chancellor.
  • Developed scalable, full-stack web applications, using React, JavaScript, Python, and Django.
  • Maintained the AWS infrastructure with Terraform and worked on migration, cloning data between different database clusters.
  • Debugged issues and enhanced the features and performance of existing applications.
  • Designed and developed optimized MySQL and PostgreSQL databases.
Technologies: JavaScript, React, Django, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Serverless, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), AWS Lambda, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Linux, Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Web Development, Python, Databases, Programming, Agile Software Development, Algorithms, HTML5, CSS, Postman, Git, Docker, Antd, Flask, Amazon DynamoDB, Pandas, Qualtrics

Full-stack Engineer

2019 - 2019
Plannero
  • Collaborated with the Plannero web development team and developed a dynamic platform for planning tasks and to-do lists.
  • Managed the development team and the back-end and front-end aspects of the development process.
  • Produced high-impact, user-friendly websites to accomplish all business goals with the aid of a Python Django framework and React.
  • Integrated Google Calendar into the system, enabling users to get the benefits of the Plannero task scheduling system while leveraging existing calendars.
  • Maintained Linux servers on AWS, including Elastic Beanstalk, RDS, CloudFront, S3, and Route 53.
Technologies: Agile Software Development, Python, Django, React, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google API, Linux, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Amazon RDS, Amazon CloudFront CDN, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Amazon Route 53

Engineer-Technology

2016 - 2017
Virtusa
  • Designed and developed cross-platform mobile applications for Siemens Energy and Alere Health.
  • Utilized a variety of technologies, including AngularJS, HTML5, CSS, and Node.js, to create web apps.
  • Engineered HoloLens applications for the engineering domain (Unity3D).
  • Communicated and coordinated multiple small development teams to develop web and mobile POCs, leveraging my experience in estimating and planning software development projects.
  • Negotiated with stakeholders during the requirements gathering phase and engaged with clients during other phases in the development lifecycle.
Technologies: Java, Android, Xamarin, Node.js, HoloLens, C#, Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Databases, Programming, Agile Software Development, Web Development, Algorithms, JavaScript, HTML5, CSS, SQLite, Git, Raspberry Pi, Windows, AngularJS, Unity3D

Software Engineer Intern

2014 - 2014
WSO2
  • Designed and developed WSO2 Carbon, a Java-based middleware component.
  • Resolved a WSO2 Message Broker build stabilization issue.
  • Created user manuals and documentation for a software component.
  • Designed and created automated test cases for the WSO2 Message Broker.
  • Produced well-written test scripts for automated testing in the WSO2 Message Broker.
Technologies: Java, IntelliJ IDEA, Ubuntu, Linux, Databases, Programming, Agile Software Development, Web Development, Algorithms, Git

Data Collection and Visualization Portal

A web-based system with two-factor authentication (2FA) and user management. I developed the system, which has multiple levels of users and groups with different privileges. Users can create custom surveys with different types of questions, such as text, numbers, MCQs (radio, dropdown, and checkboxes), and range sliders, similar to Qualtrics or SurveyMonkey. Surveys can be shared with different groups or users, and the information collected is sent through a chain of approvals to verify its quality and accuracy. The information collected can then be used to generate real-time, dynamic charts and dashboards.

Curriculum Mapping Tool

Web-based applications for university faculties to manage, control quality, and monitor their offerings based on the integrated curriculum framework and to support a more granular level of program analysis for accreditation. I developed the tool for mapping different components (academic objects) with learning outcomes, capabilities, and customizable mapping rubrics, representing standards, graduate capabilities, and accreditation criteria. I also developed the custom selector input to select mapping between each component.

The system has different levels of users, such as super admins, faculty admins, course admins, and guest users. Anyone in the university network can log in to the system and get an idea of the contribution of each and every course and assessment toward the final outcome or standard accreditation criteria.

SOLA2051 | Lab Application

https://sola2051.teaching.unsw.edu.au/live
A web-based lab application tool I developed for the photovoltaics and renewable energy course at UNSW. Tutors divide students into groups and are assigned solar sensors. These solar sensors send data directly to the tool via cloud services. The system provides data filtering, data visualizations, data storage, and data export facilities, enabling students to carry out the practical work for the course.

LTTO | Learning to Teach Online

https://www.coursera.org/learn/teach-online
This is associated with the flagship MOOCs in Coursera to provide personalized recommendations to learners. It uses Qualtrics as the activity engine, and it bridges the coursera.org course (LTTO) by tracking the activities completed and responses to offer recommendations. It also enables students to crowdsource resources for the course and helps teachers update the existing database of resources when they get outdated or become dead links, as students can report, rate, and upvote the quality of resources. System admins get daily reports that help them manage activities.

Pronouncemate

A web application that enables students to practice foreign languages. Instructors can create modules, exercises, assets, and customized learning activities. As a peer and tutor evaluation system, the system was set up to enable AI-based assessment. Students perform practice exercises and submit their version to the system, then teachers can review submissions and peer reviews of submissions.

Siemens Energy SDFC

A cross-platform mobile application to manage the tasks of engineers at Siemens Energy. I developed the application for assigning tasks and tracking their progress. Engineers can sync with the central office and report their progress and managers can make decisions based on the status of engineers' duties.

Siemens TCTP

A POC for an inventory management system for Siemens TCTP. This POC was proposed as a solution for a problem at Siemens that required employees to carry around their laptops in warehouses to collect orders. I implemented a mobile-based warehouse inventory management system that improved the efficiency of warehouse workers. It's a cross-platform mobile application solution for both Windows and Android mobile devices. I added inventory barcode scanning capabilities to the smartphone application, and offline capabilities allowed users to pick their orders without a network connection and submit them to the central server when a connection was available.

Tutor Chatbot

https://youtu.be/84MSrEyabGM
A web-based chatbot that acts as a tutor, which I developed as a final-year project for my master's degree. The learning experience is designed to aid students who are struggling with course content and provide admin-related materials. The bot provides extra reading materials, such as textbooks, chapters, and sections. If students' answers are still unacceptable, they can post questions for staff members to answer manually. The application extracts information from textbooks, online resources, and courses, and implements the knowledge base on top of AWS Elasticsearch.

Languages

Python, HTML5, JavaScript, CSS, Java, C#

Frameworks

Django, Bootstrap, Flask, AngularJS, Unity3D

Libraries/APIs

React, Antd, Node.js, Pandas, Google API

Tools

Git, PyCharm, IntelliJ IDEA, HoloLens, Figma, Postman, Qualtrics, Amazon CloudFront CDN

Other

Programming, Web Development, Algorithms, Serverless, Computer Networking, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Neural Networks, ECharts, Amazon RDS, Amazon Route 53, Online Classes & MOOCs, Chatbots

Paradigms

Agile Software Development, Human-computer Interaction (HCI)

Platforms

Linux, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Docker, Windows, Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Ubuntu, Android, Xamarin, AWS Lambda, Raspberry Pi, AWS Elastic Beanstalk

Storage

Databases, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Elasticsearch, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon S3 (AWS S3)

2017 - 2019

Master's Degree in Information Technology

The University of New South Wales - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

2011 - 2015

Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology

University of Moratuwa - Colombo, Sri Lanka

AUGUST 2016 - PRESENT

A Developer's Guide to The Internet of Things (IoT)

Coursera

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