Software Engineer & Technical Lead

Hi, I'm Maha
Uddin

Full-stack software engineer and technical lead with hands-on experience shipping production-grade tooling and leading cross-functional engineering teams.

Lead Software Engineering Intern @ YouthTank
Leading the Joe Louis Greenway Map App
Former Software Engineering Intern @ JustAir

Wayne State University CS · GPA 3.95

View My Work About Me
Maha Uddin
CS '28

About

Builder. Thinker.
Problem Solver.

I'm a Computer Science student at Wayne State University (GPA 3.95, expected Dec 2028) currently leading a 6-developer team as Lead Software Engineering Intern at YouthTank, building a wayfinding map app for the Joe Louis Greenway Partnership.

I operate at the intersection of backend engineering and product thinking — comfortable owning architecture decisions and test-driven development across contract, integration, and accessibility layers, but equally fluent in requirements tracing, Architecture Decision Records, and cross-functional pairing that make products actually ship.

My background spans full-stack development (React, Node.js/Express, PostgreSQL/PostGIS, MongoDB), REST API design, OAuth 2.0, and cloud infrastructure automation. I've shipped tools actively used by engineering teams, built during real work hours on real infrastructure.

6
Devs Led
8
Engineers Served

Connect

Email
mahau1833@gmail.com
LinkedIn
GitHub

Experience

What I've Built
& What I'm Building

MongoDB Atlas Sandbox Deployment Tool

Software Engineering Intern · JustAir
MERN Stack MongoDB Atlas API OAuth 2.0 Express.js React / Vite REST API Async Job Queue
Jul 2025 — Dec 2025
Project Overview

An internal developer tooling platform built for JustAir's engineering team — automating multi-stage MongoDB Atlas sandbox environment provisioning that previously required hours of manual work. The tool sequences cluster creation, snapshot retrieval from production, and point-in-time restore jobs via an async job queue, and is now embedded in the active workflow of 8 engineers.

Technical Deep Dive
  • Architected a 3-tier backend (routes → services → Atlas API layer) with custom middleware for token lifecycle management — including automatic Bearer token refresh on 401 responses and a 5-minute expiry buffer to prevent mid-request token invalidation.
  • Implemented an async job queue using in-memory JavaScript Map storage to handle multi-minute cluster deployment workflows — enabling the React frontend to poll job status at 5-second intervals without blocking HTTP connections or hitting browser timeout limits.
  • Built a complete cluster orchestration engine sequencing MongoDB Atlas API calls: cluster creation → snapshot retrieval from production → automated point-in-time restore jobs.
  • Developed a RESTful API surface across 5 route modules: /auth, /clusters, /snapshots, /restore-test, /sandboxes with consistent error response schemas and Atlas-specific HTTP status mapping.
  • Engineered multi-layer production safety controls including regex-based cluster name validation blocking PROD*, PRODUCTION*, MAIN*, LIVE* patterns.
  • Enforced automatic SANDBOX- prefix and 409 duplicate-detection check with race condition handling.
  • Resolved a critical OAuth authentication failure caused by expired service account client secrets — implemented environment variable validation at server startup with process.exit(1) on missing credentials to prevent silent runtime failures.
  • Led end-to-end delivery, defining MVP scope and prioritizing a stateless async architecture over Redis-dependent alternatives — reducing infrastructure complexity and accelerating time-to-ship.
  • Evaluated synchronous vs. asynchronous API patterns; selected in-memory job queue that eliminated browser HTTP timeout constraints without adding infrastructure dependencies.
  • Scoped a phased roadmap: shipped backend infrastructure and async deployment engine as Phase 1, with React frontend dashboard queued as Phase 2 — prioritizing backend stability before UI investment.
  • Coordinated teammate onboarding via setup docs including .env.example templates, Atlas service account guides, and Postman collection validation workflows.
  • Managed Git collaboration across divergent branches, resolving merge conflicts and standardizing environment file handling to prevent credential exposure in version control.
  • Reduced manual sandbox setup from hours to a single API call — now serving a team of 8 engineers in JustAir's active workflow.
  • Eliminated a class of production safety incidents by encoding business constraints (protect live data) as formal system constraints at the API validation layer.
  • Demonstrated PM-level tradeoff reasoning as a freshman — evaluating async architecture decisions, sequencing a phased roadmap, and translating business requirements into technical specifications.
Project Demo

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Joe Louis Greenway Map App

Lead Software Engineering Intern · YouthTank · Client: Joe Louis Greenway Partnership
React.js MapLibre GL JS Node.js / Express PostgreSQL / PostGIS pgRouting TDD WCAG 2.2 AA
Jan 2026 — Present
Project Overview

A pre-launch wayfinding map app for the 27.5-mile, 23-neighborhood Joe Louis Greenway, built by a 100% student-led team for the Joe Louis Greenway Partnership. I lead a 6-developer Agile team from discovery through implementation, owning Phase 1 architecture and the full software development lifecycle.

Technical Deep Dive
  • Prevented the pre-launch app from routing Detroit residents onto trail connections that don't exist: ran a topology analysis of all 51 published segments across the greenway, disproving a baselined single-loop premise.
  • Exposed 2 disconnected components in the trail network graph, forcing a routing rewrite before implementation began.
  • Write failing tests before implementation across contract (segments and tiles API endpoints), integration, accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA), and seed-data layers.
  • Build tooling that verifies applied database migrations and detects API type drift.
  • Lead a 6-developer Agile team from discovery to baselined requirements.
  • Pair to debug and unblock backend, frontend, UI/UX, and testing work.
  • Present at Demo Days to technical and non-technical stakeholders and senior software engineers.
  • Own Phase 1 architecture and the full software development lifecycle (SDLC).
  • Record every stack decision in an Architecture Decision Record traced to 15 functional and 22 non-functional requirements, so each implementation choice stays defensible against the client's baselined scope.
Jul 2026
Present

Cloud Architect & Event Coordinator (Board)

AWS Student Builder Group, Wayne State University
  • Secured an AWS professional to deliver a hands-on workshop.
  • Developing a board-run hackathon for 50+ Wayne State students.
Sep 2024
Present

Assistant Coach, Engineering Practicum

YouthTank, Detroit
  • Coach students through end-to-end PERN-stack delivery.
  • Built a text-based interactive data analysis tool with dynamic SQL queries evaluating 30,000+ job market outcomes across college majors.
Jun 2024
Aug 2024

Cybersecurity Analyst

Little Caesars Enterprises · Ilitch Holdings, Detroit
  • Developed engaging interactive activities, including Jeopardy-style games, to promote Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
  • Gained expertise in delivering targeted employee training to address social engineering vulnerabilities.
Sep 2023
Jun 2024

Software Engineering Fellow

Google Code Next, Detroit
  • Applied large language models to automate development tasks, working alongside Google software engineers.

Skills

Technical Toolbox

Tools, languages, and technologies I use to build reliable, production-grade software.

JSJavaScript
PythonPython
C++C++
SQLSQL
ReactReact.js
Map MapLibre GL JS
ViteVite
📊 Recharts
HTMLHTML
CSSCSS
NodeNode.js
ExpressExpress.js
PostgreSQLPostgreSQL
PostGIS PostGIS
pgR pgRouting
MongoDBMongoDB (NoSQL)
RESTREST API Design
OAuth OAuth 2.0
API OpenAPI
🗺️ QGIS
GitHubGitHub
GitGit
VS CodeVS Code
MongoDB AtlasMongoDB Atlas
☁️ AWS Replica Sets
CF Cloudflare Pages & R2
🔥 Firebase Auth
🐳 Docker Compose
PostmanPostman
✅ Test-Driven Dev.
🔗 Contract & Integration Testing
♿ Accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA)
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Pair Programming
📄 Architecture Decision Records
🗂️ Agile & Kanban (Jira)
🏅 CompTIA A+
🏅 TestOut PC Pro
🏅 TestOut IT Fundamentals

Portfolio

Projects

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MongoDB Atlas Tool

MongoDB Atlas Sandbox Tool JustAir

Full-stack internal developer tooling platform automating sandbox environment provisioning for 8 engineers — reducing setup from hours to a single API call.

MERN OAuth 2.0 Atlas API
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ProfessioNest

ProfessioNest YouthTank

A centralized platform helping learners tailor study habits and resource discovery based on career goals — organized by field and skill.

PERN Stack PostgreSQL React Express
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Eye-Controlled Mouse

Eye-Controlled Mouse CV / AI

Real-time vision-based mouse control using eye movements. Gaze moves the cursor; blinks trigger clicks. Built with OpenCV, MediaPipe FaceMesh, and PyAutoGUI.

Python MediaPipe OpenCV PyAutoGUI
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GreenUpDoe

GreenUpDoe WayneHacks 4 · 2nd Place

Converts a five-question assessment into a categorized annual carbon estimate and surfaces DDOT, SMART, QLine, MoGo, and Joe Louis Greenway alternatives. Built in 24 hours, pitched to 15+ judges among 40+ teams.

Node.js / Express React Recharts
+

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