Nimesh Kavinda

Senior Software Engineer

Padukka, Sri Lanka·+94 71 695 6139·nimeshkavinda13@gmail.com
nimesh.site·linkedin.com/in/nimeshkavinda·github.com/nimeshkavinda·x.com/nimeshk_

Summary

Frontend- and mobile-focused Full-Stack Senior Software Engineer with 5+ years building scalable, high-performance web and mobile applications across FinTech, Retail AI, HR, and SaaS. Core contributor to Planigo, recognized as Sri Lanka's Most Innovative Service Provider of the Year at the 26th Presidential Export Awards 2024. Deep expertise in React, Next.js, React Native, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and Node.js APIs, paired with a hybrid engineering–design background. Proven track record leading frontend architecture, conducting code reviews, mentoring engineers, leveraging modern AI developer workflows, and partnering closely with product managers, designers, and clients to ship resilient software end-to-end.

Technical Skills

Languages
TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, Java, Kotlin, Swift
Frontend
React, Next.js, HTML5, Tailwind CSS, Redux, RTK Query, Zustand, TanStack Query, Webpack, Vite, Babel, Storybook
Mobile
React Native, Expo, EAS, Metro, Fabric/TurboModules, Reanimated, In-App Purchases (IAP), Offline Storage (MMKV, AsyncStorage), Biometrics (Keychain/Keystore), Deep Linking, FCM, APNs, Fastlane, Codemagic, App Store & Google Play Submission, Review & Release Lifecycle
Backend
Node.js, Express, NestJS, RESTful APIs, GraphQL, tRPC, WebSockets, RabbitMQ
Cloud & Platforms
AWS (EC2, ECS, Lambda, S3, CloudFront, Cognito, API Gateway, RDS, SQS, CloudWatch), GCP, Azure, Firebase, Supabase, Vercel, Railway, Cloudflare
Databases
PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Prisma
DevOps & Infra
Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes, Nginx, GitHub Actions, ArgoCD, GitOps, Sentry, Mixpanel, Linux/Bash
Testing & QA
Jest, Vitest, React Testing Library, Cypress, Puppeteer, Browserbase, Postman, TDD
AI & Agents
Claude Code, Cursor, OpenCode, t3code, BMAD, PStack, Vercel AI SDK, MCPs, Agentic Workflows, Multi-Agent Systems, Context Engineering
Design
Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Design Systems
Methodologies
Agile, Scrum, GitFlow, Code Reviews

Professional Experience

OREL IT — Labs · orelit.comColombo, Sri Lanka
Senior Software EngineerFeb 2026 – Present
  • Lead mobile (React Native, iOS & Android) development of XCHNG, a FinTech platform — own architecture decisions, technical roadmap, and end-to-end feature delivery for the mobile clients.
  • Shipped XCHNG's user onboarding, KYC verification, multi-currency virtual wallet creation (USD, GBP, EUR, NGN), and in-app currency swap — the core money-movement surfaces of the platform.
  • Own mobile release management and deployment strategy across XCHNG and Planigo — driving App Store & Google Play submission approvals, review guideline compliance, and staged production rollouts.
  • Mentor junior engineers, conduct code reviews, and drive ongoing feature engineering and production maintenance for Planigo across iOS, Android, and Web.
Software EngineerOct 2023 – Feb 2026
  • Engineered core platform capabilities for Planigo (Arigo) — an AI-powered dynamic shelf management SaaS featuring automated master planogram generation, store-specific layout adaptation (AUI), and predictive retail analytics used by global retail chains.
  • Shipped interactive visual planogram editing tools and shelf-compliance surfaces across React Native (iOS & Android) and the React web client, integrated with Node.js APIs on AWS.
  • Maintained mobile CI/CD pipelines and release processes for Android and iOS — automating builds, internal/closed testing tracks, and production deployments across Google Play Console and App Store Connect.
  • Led a multi-version React Native upgrade (0.64 → 0.74 → 0.77) and migration from the legacy architecture to Fabric (New Architecture) to meet Google Play's 16 KB native page-size compliance requirement — modernizing native dependencies and resolving breaking changes across the mobile codebase.

Professional Experience (cont.)

SmashTaps (Pvt) Ltd · smashtaps.comColombo, Sri Lanka
Associate Software EngineerApr 2022 – Oct 2023
  • Contributed to mobile (React Native, iOS & Android) development on Gudppl, a corporate volunteering and CSR platform, initially as the sole mobile engineer before the team expanded.
  • Engineered features across Otterz (AI-native bookkeeping & finance platform), Gudppl, and Molly — spanning React Native mobile applications and React / Next.js web clients in close collaboration with product designers.
  • Designed and built a cross-platform design system and component library shared between the web and mobile apps, and bootstrapped the team's first mobile CI/CD pipelines using Fastlane and GitHub Actions to automate build, test, and release for Android and iOS.
Consultant (Contract)Sep 2021 – Apr 2022
  • Core contributor on Molly, shipping online skill assessments and an in-app audio/video conferencing platform built on the Agora SDK — enabling candidate evaluations to run directly inside the product.
Full-Stack Software Engineer (Intern)Mar 2021 – Sep 2021
  • Built customer-facing conversational UI components and interactive chat widgets for Pypestream (enterprise conversational AI platform), alongside early features for Worky and Molly.
Thyaga · thyaga.lkRemote, Sri Lanka
Graphic, Product & UI/UX Designer (Freelance)Feb 2021 – Feb 2022
  • Designed brand identity, product UI, and virtual/physical voucher designs for Thyaga, Sri Lanka's multi-merchant e-gift-voucher platform — now accepted at 150+ retailers across fashion, F&B, hotels, and lifestyle.
  • Redesigned the web application UX — virtual voucher flows, transactional email templates, and billing — and produced launch marketing collateral.

Key Projects

Planigo — Award-winning AI-powered dynamic shelf management & planogram automation SaaS by Arigo: automated master planogram generation, store-specific layout adaptation (AUI), mobile shelf-execution feedback with image recognition, and AI assortment recommendations (Aristo); iOS, Android, and Web. Enterprise customers report up to 18% average annual revenue growth. arigo-ai.com

XCHNG — Cross-border FinTech platform for global money transfers and multi-currency banking: USD / GBP / EUR / NGN virtual accounts, in-app currency swap, USDC and USDT stablecoin support, KYC, bulk payments, and local settlement for international businesses; iOS, Android, and Web. xchngfx.com

apt. (Personal project, in active development) — Map-first apartment finder & agency SaaS for Sri Lanka (Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Negombo): public commute-friendly property discovery with 250+ mapped transit stops (Lanka Metro & Rail), upfront cost calculators, and multi-seat enterprise SaaS tools for real estate agencies (team seats, branded showcases, lead analytics). aptlk.online

Gudppl — Purpose-driven social network connecting volunteers and organizations: verified service portfolios for scholarships and university applications, automated impact reports, and volunteer management (iOS, Android, Web). app.gudppl.com

Otterz — AI-native bookkeeping, real-time financial reporting, and tax platform built for startups and growing businesses; iOS, Android, and Web. otterz.co

Molly — Applicant tracking system built for startups: recruitment pipeline, interview scheduling with calendar sync, skill assessments, candidate messaging, and branded careers pages. hellomolly.io

Pypestream — Enterprise conversational AI and contact center automation platform deploying omni-channel voice and interactive chat agents for Fortune 500 enterprises. pypestream.ai

Education

University of PlymouthUnited Kingdom
BSc (Hons) Software Engineering — First Class HonoursOct 2019 – Jan 2023
National School of Business Management (NSBM)Sri Lanka
Foundation in IT & Business ManagementOct 2018 – Sep 2019

Awards & Certifications

  • Most Innovative Service Provider of the Year — 26th Presidential Export Awards (PEA) 2024, presented by the President of Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka Export Development Board), for Planigo.
  • 1st Place — Parallax 2020 UI/UX Hackathon, Rotaract Club of IIT.
  • 1st Place — IEEE Day 2020 Hackathon.
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900).
  • Anthropic — Introduction to Subagents; Introduction to Agent Skills; Claude Code in Action; AI Fluency Framework & Foundations.

Leadership & Community

Industry Mentor — Mentoring Into Corporate (MIC) ProgramFeb 2026 – Present
Dept. of Industrial Management, University of KelaniyaSri Lanka
Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador (Beta) — Microsoft Sri LankaOct 2021 – Oct 2024
Delivered developer workshops and student tech community outreach on Azure & Web technologiesSri Lanka
Volunteer Designer — FOSS Sri LankaFeb 2021 – Feb 2024
National open-source community design, brand identity, and advocacy campaign collateralSri Lanka
Council Member & Design Lead — FOSS Community, NSBM Green UniversitySep 2020 – Jan 2022
Lead Organizer, Esthétique '21 UI/UX Hackathon · Coordinator, OpenHackDay & Software Freedom Day '20Sri Lanka
Design Team Lead — IEEE PES Day & IEEE Student Branch, NSBMMar 2020 – Apr 2021
Led visual identity & media production for IEEE PES Day 2021 and university branch eventsSri Lanka
Community Coordinator — Mozilla Campus Club, NSBMOct 2019 – Oct 2021
Facilitated open-web workshops, student dev meetups, and campus developer onboardingSri Lanka
Volunteer Designer — Facebook Developer Circle: ColomboJan 2021

Languages

English (Full Professional) · Sinhala (Native / Bilingual)

References

Roshan Indrajith Wettesinghe
Senior Tech Lead, SmashTaps (Pvt) Ltd
roshan@smashtaps.com
Sachin Wickramasinghe
Co-Founder & CEO, Thyaga
sachin@thyaga.lk