Software Developer Senior

Michael E. Luken

Full Stack Senior Software Developer

Highly accomplished software development professional with over 25 years of experience in software design, development, and systems integration. Demonstrated expertise in C#.NET, .NET Core, Java, database architecture, mobile development, cloud and web technologies, with a proven track record of delivering robust, scalable solutions across enterprise, web, and mobile platforms.

A strategic thinker with a passion for innovation and technical excellence, skilled in leading cross-functional teams, mentoring developers, and driving best practices in software engineering. Adept at crafting responsive, user-centric applications and fostering collaboration across diverse teams to align technology initiatives with business goals. Committed to continuous improvement and delivering high-impact solutions that stand the test of time.

Work Experience

Senior Staff Software Engineer

John Deere, ISG Urbandale, IA August 2021 – February 2025

Led development of RESTful APIs for secure access management between autonomous tractors and organizational licenses, ensuring robust authentication and communication protocols.

Developed full-stack applications using Java 21, Spring Boot, React, and jQuery, delivering scalable and responsive software solutions.

Architected end-to-end systems, integrating front-end interfaces, back-end logic, and inter-system API communication to support complex enterprise workflows.

Facilitated technical planning and mentorship by leading discussions during sprint planning, enforcing architectural best practices, and resolving technical and security challenges.

Mitigated third-party vulnerabilities in John Deere’s public-facing applications, enhancing security and compliance posture.

Managed AWS cloud infrastructure, including DynamoDB, SNS/SQS, S3, and Lambda, to build resilient, serverless architectures.

Implemented microservices with test-driven development using Mockito and JUnit, improving reliability and maintainability of software releases.

Designed microservices using Test-Driven methodologies such as Mockito and Junit.

Implemented CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions, streamlining deployment workflows and improving software delivery efficiency.

Business Owner / Software Developer

Retinasoft Solutions, LLC Urbandale, IA April 2014 – Present

Spearheaded the development of an enterprise-level home security and automation retail suite, integrating desktop, web, mobile, and IoT components.

Built modern, responsive web applications using .NET 9, TypeScript, React, T-SQL, CSS, Bootstrap, and jQuery.

Designed and implemented RESTful APIs using .NET 9, enabling secure and scalable communication between systems.

Developed cross-platform mobile applications for Android and iOS using .NET MAUI, delivering a seamless user experience across devices.

Created a UWP (Universal Windows Platform) application with .NET 9 for programming and managing security system microcontrollers.

Engineered software for Raspberry Pi devices to monitor sensor activity and control wireless devices in real-time IoT environments.

Developed and integrated Amazon Alexa skills to perform system functions through voice commands, enhancing user convenience and accessibility.

Lead Java Developer

Rain and Hail Insurance Johnston, IA Aug 2019 – Sept 2021

Developed robust web applications for insurance agents to process crop insurance policies using Java Spring Framework and Angular for the front-end.

Mentored junior developers, promoting best practices in code quality, testing, and agile development methodologies.

Led an initiative to modernize existing applications by implementing responsive design with Bootstrap, enhancing usability across devices.

Utilized a modern DevOps toolchain including Jira for project tracking, Jenkins and Drone for CI/CD pipelines, Docker for containerization, and Confluence for documentation and knowledge sharing.

Software Developer 5 / Assistant Vice President

Wells Fargo Enterprise Technology Des Moines, IA Sept 2005 – Aug 2019

Led the design, development, implementation, and support of over 150 intranet and standalone applications across multiple business units, utilizing C#.NET as the primary development framework.

Collaborated directly with executive leadership to source and deliver complaint reporting data, later used in testimony before the U.S. House Financial Services Committee during a critical financial period.

Spearheaded the design and implementation of a mission-critical project supporting the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP)—initiated under President Barack Obama—to assist eligible homeowners in reducing their mortgage payments.

Architected and delivered enterprise-grade solutions for complaint tracking, mortgage compliance inspections, and SQL Server performance monitoring, driving operational efficiency and regulatory compliance.

Automated the management of employee underwriting authority, resulting in cost savings estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

Pioneered the adoption of modern web technologies, leading the transition from classic ASP to C#.NET, and integrating AJAX and Telerik controls to significantly improve user experience and application performance.

Mentored and guided junior developers, instilling coding best practices and development standards to elevate overall team capability and code quality.

IT Application Analyst

Principal Financial Group Des Moines, IA Sept 2001 – Sept 2005

Designed, developed, and maintained J2EE applications within a WebSphere environment to support Principal Financial's Mutual Funds operations.

Engineered a scalable Java servlet framework leveraging XML/XSL transformations and Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs) for robust backend processing.

Built a web-based application for dynamic PDF statement generation, delivering tax forms for publicly available Mutual Funds.

Integrated legacy mainframe systems by developing COBOL programs to connect backend data layers with modern Java modules through EJB components.

Executed database development and optimization tasks using IBM DB2.

Education

The University of Iowa Iowa City, IA

Bachelor’s of Art in Computer Science 1996 – 2001

Focused on distributed object-oriented systems, use case-driven SDLC, and programming in Java, C, and Assembly Language.

Member of Johnson County Landmark jazz ensemble and Hawkeye Marching Band.

Technical Skills

Skill

Proficiency

Programming

Languages

C#.NET, .NET Core, Java, C++, JavaScript, Shell Scripting, T-SQL, Entity Framework

Frontend

Development

HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, AngularJS, React.js, jQuery, Telerik, Node.js, Typescript, Bootstrap, Blazor

Backend

Development

Spring Framework, Spring Boot, JSP, .NET Core, ASP.NET MVC, Alexa Skills Kit, GraphQL, .NET 7/8/9

Webservices & APIs

REST/RESTFul APIs, Minimal API, JSON, XML, SOAP, Swagger

Windows Desktop

Technologies

Universal Windows Platform UWP, Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), WinUI, WinForms

Databases

SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, ETL/SSIS, DynamoDB, Hibernate, NoSQL, MongoDB

Cloud Platforms

AWS (Lambda, SQS, SNS, S3, RDS, Glue, ECS), Azure, Google Cloud Platform

CI/CD & DevOps

GitHub, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes

Mobile Development

Android (Java), iOS (Objective-C), Multiplatform (.NET Maui/Xamarin)

Testing Frameworks

JUnit, NUnit, XUnit, Mockito, Postman

Other Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Strong problem solving, analytic thinking, debugging and troubleshooting skills.

Ability to make decisions independently and collaborate when necessary.

Excellent organizational and time management skills.

Contact Information

Address: 15301 Maple Dr., Urbandale, IA 50323

Phone: 319-***-****

️ Email: ****.*****@*****.***

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mike-luken-55a7a995

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