Carl J Koepke

Professional Summary

Engineering leader and strong individual contributor with 20+ years writing fast, maintainable, and readable code across enterprise web applications. Experienced leading agile teams while remaining hands-on with architecture and implementation. Currently providing technical consulting for platform modernization projects, with recent focus on AWS infrastructure, database migrations, and site reliability engineering. Proven ability to deliver high-impact systems in regulated environments including healthcare (SOC2, HITRUST compliance). Proficient in PHP, Go, C#, and Javascript, with operational expertise across AWS, Docker, PostgreSQL, and MSSQL environments.

Software Projects

• Sumocard.io - Cloud-based spaced repetition vocabulary learning platform for Japanese language acquisition utilizing machine learning algorithms to optimize question frequency and difficulty. Built with Go, continuously maintained and enhanced over 10 years with quarterly updates. Designed around gamified sumo ranking system integrating with freely available content (articles, songs, stories).

• Created numerous site reliability tools and compliance systems for Wellsource health assessment platform including SOC2/HITRUST compliance automation, performance testing infrastructure, developer tools, and revenue-generating participant communication systems.

• Helped design, create and update the B2B enterprise ordering system Replacement Parts Pros System used by over 2300 home improvement retail locations across North America.

Professional and Technical Skills

• Designing code and documentation that prioritizes human readability.
• Experienced leveraging LLMs as development tools when appropriate, while maintaining proficiency in traditional development workflows using language documentation and standard libraries.
• Ability to work with and manage large datasets in MSSQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL.
• Expertise with Continuous Integration Agile Development cycles.
• Source Control Management using git.
• Operational proficiency across LINUX LAMP & LNMP stack, Docker and Windows Server (.NET Framework, MSSQL) environments.
• Creating robust, secure, web scale software applications using C#, MSSQL, PHP, Go, MYSQL and Nginx.
• Skilled in common cloud based technologies on the Amazon and Google Cloud platforms.
• Communicating new and emerging technologies to relevant stakeholders.

Work Experience

• Established and facilitate Agile development processes including daily standups and scrum ceremonies for a small engineering team executing platform migration.
• Conduct comprehensive code reviews ensuring adherence to modern development practices and conventions.
• Architected and deployed AWS infrastructure including PostgreSQL database and containerized application environment using Docker.
• Leading database modernization effort migrating legacy non-relational schema to normalized database following modern conventions.

• Developed comprehensive SOC2 compliance tooling including automated log parsing for IDS events, PHI/PII access tracking and indexing, and File Integrity Management verification ensuring production environment integrity. [C#/MSSQL]
• Developed rapid database cloning system enabling <3 minute replication of 100GB+ production Data Warehouse to isolated sandbox environment, eliminating production downtime risks and reducing troubleshooting time by hundreds of hours through safe destructive testing of customer-specific issues. [Go/MSSQL]
• Created and deployed integrated participant mailing system processing 500,000+ messages annually, generating $180K in incremental revenue. [AWS/Go]
• Designed cloud-based performance testing platform that validated MDM Data Warehouse capacity (10,000+ concurrent connections/minute), established performance baselines for ongoing optimization, and enabled iterative load testing. Ported existing .NET application to Linux ARM64 for cost-efficient cloud-based load generation. [Go/C#/.NET on Linux]
• Performed deep-dive diagnostic work across full application stack to identify and resolve complex production performance issues, including root-cause analysis of legacy code patterns causing customer-impacting delays. [C#/MSSQL/Valgrind/SolarWinds]

• Optimized Windows and Linux updates to make them more efficient. Update window shrunk from ~ 6 hours to 3 hours. Disk overhead was mitigated as well. [MS System Center/dnf]
• Optimized production and development nginx environments making them more secure and efficient. [nginx]
• Created a production environment emulator allowing Developers and QA Engineers a “live like” testing environment in the dev zone. [Go/Docker/Nginx]
• Created tooling to reduce overall deployment time from development to production [PowerShell/MSSQL]

• Migrated complete software platform from hosting center to Amazon Web Services.
• Develop and implement procedures using git and docker to streamline server scaling and deployment.
• Monitor, maintain and enhance production services on AWS infrastructure.
• Coordinate with stakeholders to identify goals and design software changes to implement them.
• Perform weekly security audits using OpenVAS to identify and patch security vulnerabilities.
• Design and implement patches to mitigate application security vulnerabilities.

• Designed and created Product Content Validation System which managed inventory and provided an REST API for disclosing product information to customers and vendors.
• Oversaw developer operations and production platform migration from self hosted facility to hosting center.
• Arbitrated expectations of stakeholders and set and reviewed project deadlines.
• Created PCI compliant code review process.
• Designed and implemented package to manage product information and digital assets.
• Oversaw technology department in organization that grew from $40 million to $60 million in revenue.
• Managed team of eight with both IT and IS/Software Development responsibilities.

• Developed Replacement Parts Management tool used by all employees.
• Created and updated corporate intranet system.
• Created a custom e-mail indexing system which provided access to thousands of e-mails archived for legal and operational reasons.
• Leveraged technology to help grow company to $40 million in revenue and over 1000 employees.

• Transformed Green Screen COBOL Inventory Management System to a web based application using PERL, PHP and COBOL.
• Integrated Vertex Tax Software with Inventory Management System.
• Helped design Linux Kernel module to allow older legacy software to run on modern systems.

Education

• Presented Original Research Findings on Modern Web Programming Practices using PERL.
• Conducted mentored research on 6502 emulation.
• Conducted mentored research on gaming theory.

Other certifications

JLPT N2 (Professional working proficiency) Level certificate available on request.