Helitha Praveen — Backend Software Engineer

helitha@portfolio ~ bash
3+
years experience
10+
devs mentored
Colombo
remote-ready
location
01.

Skills & tech stack

18 technologies
Languages
JavaSQLPythonDart
Frameworks
Spring BootSpring SecuritySpring MVCHibernate/JPAJUnitFlutter
Backend & Infra
REST APIsSOAPMicroservicesNginxDockerLinuxCI/CD
Tools & Platforms
MySQLPostgreSQLAWSPostmanSwaggerGitJira
02.

Experience

3 roles · 3 yrs
Software EngineerApr 2025 – Present
PayMedia · Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • Leading backend for live fintech products with core banking & payment API integrations
  • Designed secure RESTful APIs for real-time transactions & fund transfers
  • Mentored 10+ junior developers, improved code review turnaround & reduced recurring bugs
  • Configured Nginx for reverse proxy, load balancing & SSL/TLS across UAT & production
  • Drove architectural decisions ensuring 90–100% on-time delivery of critical releases
Associate Software EngineerMay 2023 – Apr 2025
PayMedia · Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • Integrated DirectPay IPG for secure card onboarding & tokenization
  • Implemented Biller Switch API for real-time bill payments via bank accounts & stored cards
  • Deployed Spring Boot apps across cloud and on-prem multi-tier architectures
  • Built & maintained backend services for digital payment products across multiple core banking systems
Software Engineer InternNov 2022 – Apr 2023
PayMedia · Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • Built RESTful services & micro-features for financial applications using Java & Spring Boot
  • Collaborated with senior engineers to debug production issues & improve performance
03.

Education

2 qualifications
B.Sc. (Hons) in Software Engineering (Top-Up)2024 – 2025
Cardiff Metropolitan University
2.2 — Second Class LowerTop-Up DegreeUK Accredited
Graduate Diploma in Software Engineering (GDSE)2021 – 2023
Institute of Software Engineering (IJSE) · Sri Lanka
Graduate DiplomaFull StackSoftware Engineering
04.

Projects

3 projects
Next.js
De Silva Auto Tech
Freelance — a bilingual business website for an automotive service company. Clean, fast, and fully deployed on Vercel.
Next.jsVercelFreelance
Flutter
GhostLayer
A lightweight macOS overlay that stays hidden during screen sharing & recording. Features sticky notes, images, grids, and privacy mode. Built fully with vibe coding via Cursor.
FlutterSwiftmacOSVibe coded
Python
Gem Price Prediction
Final year project — users enter gem attributes (cut, carat, clarity, etc.) into a form and the system returns a predicted market price in real-time using a trained ML model.
Pythonscikit-learnFlaskReact
05.

Recommendations

5 peer reviews
$ cat peer-reviews.log

What it's like to work with me.

Feedback from people I've worked with, shared publicly on LinkedIn.

view on LinkedIn ↗

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Helitha on multiple projects, and I can confidently say that he is one of the most reliable and resourceful developers I’ve collaborated with. His ability to understand project requirements quickly, propose effective solutions, and deliver high-quality work on time has been invaluable to our team. Beyond his technical expertise, Helitha is exceptionally supportive, proactive, and always willing to go the extra mile to ensure project success. His strong communication skills, problem-solving mindset, and collaborative approach make working with him both productive and enjoyable. I highly recommend Helitha for any project management or technical leadership role. He brings not only the skills but also the dedication and professionalism needed to drive projects forward successfully.

CW
Chamika Weerasooriya
Business Analyst | Project Manager | Fintech
Nov 20, 2025 · managed Helitha directly

I had the opportunity to work closely with Helitha on several projects where I handled QA and he was responsible for backend development. Throughout our collaboration, I was really impressed by his strong technical knowledge, problem-solving mindset, and how smoothly he managed complex integrations and APIs. Helitha is extremely reliable and always makes sure the backend runs efficiently and securely. He’s quick to identify and fix issues, provides clear explanations when debugging, and always supports the QA process by sharing valuable insights that help ensure product quality. What I really appreciate about him is his professionalism and teamwork. He communicates clearly, takes feedback positively, and is always willing to collaborate to get the best possible results. His attention to detail and commitment to delivering stable, high-performing systems make a huge difference to the overall success of the product. I highly recommend Helitha as a talented Software Engineer. He’s knowledgeable, dependable, and an excellent team player who’s great to work with.

JW
Jayani Wickramathilaka
Quality Assurance Engineer at MB Tech | ISTQB® (CT-FL)
Nov 12, 2025 · worked with Helitha on the same team

I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Helitha, and I can confidently say that they are one of the most well-rounded and technically proficient full stack developers I’ve met. Their expertise spans across web(NextJs, SpringThymleaf), backend and even AI/ML application development, making them an invaluable asset to any tech team. What truly sets Helitha apart is not just their hands-on development skills, but also their deep understanding of computer science fundamentals and software architecture. Whether it’s designing robust monolithic systems or orchestrating scalable microservices, Helitha approaches each challenge with clarity and precision. They’re also highly capable when it comes to deployment—skilled in cloud platforms as well as on-premises infrastructures, ensuring reliable and secure delivery pipelines across environments. Helitha is a rare blend of a strong theoretical foundation and practical execution. If you’re looking for someone who can architect, build, and deploy modern software solutions end-to-end, I would highly recommend Helitha without hesitation.

DP
Dilun Panduka
Associate Team Lead at DirectPay
Sep 7, 2025 · managed Helitha directly

I am pleased to recommend Helitha Praveen as a software engineer in our team. Working closely with Helitha, I’ve seen him consistently demonstrate strong technical abilities, a collaborative spirit, and a proactive approach to problem-solving. Helitha handles his responsibilities with dedication and has proven capable of taking on complex tasks, delivering high-quality work efficiently. He adapts well to new challenges and always seeks opportunities to improve, which has positively impacted our team’s productivity. I am confident that Helitha will be a valuable asset to any organization looking for a skilled and dedicated software engineer.

PW
Pramitha Wanigarathne
Lead Senior Software Engineer at PayMedia (FinTech) | Digital & Contactless Payments | Fullstack Engineer | R&D
Nov 7, 2024 · was senior to Helitha

Helitha consistently demonstrates a strong willingness to tackle challenges and takes full responsibility for the tasks assigned to him. He goes the extra mile to achieve goals and is always proactive in helping his colleagues. His curiosity drives him to explore new ideas and technologies that interest him. He has a remarkable ability to understand, plan, and clearly communicate complex concepts. Moreover, he serves as a positive role model for other junior developers, fostering a collaborative and learning-focused environment.

SS
Supun Sadeepa
Fin-Tech | Solutions Architect | Digital Payments
Oct 13, 2024 · managed Helitha directly
06.

Contact

Let's build something great together.

Open to full-time backend roles and freelance projects. I'm most excited about fintech, payments infrastructure, and systems that need to be both fast and correct.