Backend software engineer

I build backend systems that make complex data useful.

C# · .NET · distributed data systems · search

I’m a backend engineer whose work spans APIs, search infrastructure, identity resolution, and data pipelines for enterprise products. At Microsoft, I helped build the systems behind Dynamics 365 Customer Insights; at Knowledgehook, I worked on the platform supporting schools, districts, and classrooms.

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Selected work

A closer look at the work

Selected systems and technical problems that reflect how I approach performance, data quality, architecture, and product constraints.

C# / .NET Distributed systems

Entity Query API

Built and operated an enterprise API for retrieving unified customer data across a multi-tenant platform.

  • Sustained more than 10,000 requests per second.
  • Cut database round trips by 40% using Dapper.
  • Improved high-cost queries from about 2 seconds to 200 ms.
Search & retrieval Data platform

Unified Profile Search

Developed search, retrieval, and hydration paths across more than 100 million customer profiles and heterogeneous source systems.

  • Migrated search to Dataverse Search and Elastic Tables.
  • Achieved sub-150 ms p95 search latency.
  • Reduced duplicate profiles by 27% across 50+ sources.
Machine learning PySpark

Steam Game Recommender

Built a hybrid recommendation system combining collaborative filtering with game-tag similarity for personalized suggestions.

  • Developed model pipelines in Databricks and PySpark.
  • Served recommendations through FastAPI and React.
  • Evaluated ranking quality with Precision@10.

Experience

Enterprise engineering, end to end

2025–2026 · Toronto Knowledgehook

Senior Software Engineer

  • Developed backend and database features in a .NET and SQL Server platform across rostering, course management, district, and classroom workflows.
  • Contributed to a domain-driven redesign through schema changes, domain-model refactoring, and service-layer implementation.
  • Authored engineering proposals for frontend migration and a local PDF-generation pipeline, and removed legacy Firebase dependencies.
2020–2025 · Seattle Microsoft

Software Engineer · Dynamics 365 Customer Insights

  • Built metadata-driven C#/.NET services that orchestrated large-scale customer-data pipelines in a multi-tenant platform.
  • Developed retrieval and hydration systems for activity timelines, search, and unified profiles across enterprise-scale datasets.
  • Improved reliability through automated testing, CI/CD, telemetry, incident investigation, and operational guidance using Azure Monitor, Application Insights, and Kusto.

Technical capabilities

Backend depth with data-platform range

Languages

C#, Scala, Python, SQL, TypeScript

Backend & architecture

.NET, REST APIs, Domain-Driven Design, metadata-driven architecture, workflow orchestration

Data & infrastructure

SQL Server, Redis, Apache Spark, Databricks, Azure, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps

Observability & interfaces

Application Insights, Azure Monitor, Kusto, New Relic, React, Angular

Education

Computer science, mathematics, and learning

I found my interest in learning through computer science and mathematics, where solving difficult problems made me curious about how understanding develops in the first place. I now bring that engineering perspective into my graduate work in curriculum, assessment, and learning design—connecting the systems we build with the ways people actually learn.

Expected 2027

Master of Education

Curriculum & Pedagogy
OISE, University of Toronto

2019

BSc, Computer Science & Mathematics

University of Toronto

Current work

Learning & education

See my current M.Ed. work, learning-design projects, and writing on assessment, educational technology, mathematics, and AI-supported learning.

Visit my learning portfolio →

Contact

Building something that has to hold up?

Based in Toronto and open to backend, platform, and data engineering roles.

azmaali0@gmail.com