Senior Software Engineer and Explainable AI

Varalakshmi J

Senior Software Engineer · AI Engineer · PhD Researcher — Explainable AI

Mysore, Karnataka, India +91-636******* ****.*.******@*****.***

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Senior Software Engineer and emerging AI Engineer with 7+ years of experience delivering production-grade applications at Flipkart — India's largest e-commerce platform. Expert in full-stack web engineering (PHP, Java, Angular, React) with a growing specialisation in AI — actively integrating Generative AI, LLMs, and AI-assisted engineering into real-world software delivery. Currently pursuing a PhD in Explainable AI (XAI) at Alliance School of Advanced Computing, Alliance University, researching compliance intelligence for regulated enterprise systems. Holds professional certifications from IBM, Google, DeepLearning.AI (Andrew Ng), and Vanderbilt University. Uniquely positioned at the intersection of proven engineering depth and applied AI research — able to build, integrate, and make AI systems explainable and production-ready.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Backend Engineering: PHP (Laravel, CodeIgniter), Java, REST APIs, SOAP, Microservices, System Design, MVC, OOP Frontend Development: Angular, React, JavaScript (ES6+), HTML5, CSS3, jQuery, AJAX

AI & Generative AI: LLM Integration, Generative AI, Prompt Engineering, AI API Integration, AI-assisted Development Explainable AI (XAI): Model Interpretability, Transparency Frameworks, Compliance-aware AI — PhD Research Specialisation Databases: MySQL, Oracle — query optimisation, schema design, ERD modelling

Tools & Platforms: Git, JIRA, Postman, VS Code, Apache, Linux/Unix, CI/CD pipelines

Methodologies: Agile / Scrum, Code Review, SOLID Principles, AI-driven Development

Research: Academic Writing, Research Methodology, Quantitative & Qualitative Analysis

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Senior Software Engineer AI-Integrated Engineering July 2021 – Present Horizontal Integration India Pvt. Ltd. (Client: Flipkart) Bengaluru, Karnataka

Technologies: PHP · Laravel · CodeIgniter · Java · Angular · React · MySQL · REST APIs · Generative AI

● Led end-to-end ownership of 5 enterprise applications across Flipkart's logistics and security domains — spanning requirements gathering, system design, development, QA, and production support.

● Designed and delivered 4 Vehicle & Dock Management tools operational pan-India across Flipkart's warehouse network — enabling real-time vehicle scheduling, dock allocation, and logistics throughput tracking at scale. ● Built and maintained the enterprise Incident Management platform used to log, triage, and resolve cybersecurity threats and cyber attack complaints across Flipkart, ensuring adherence to internal security SLAs.

● Developed and maintained pages on Flipkart's client-facing website and internal portals using Angular and React, delivering responsive, high-quality user experiences across both external and internal platforms. ● Conceptualised and developed multiple in-house tools and internal applications to streamline warehouse operations, team productivity, and cross-functional workflows.

● Pioneered the integration of Generative AI and LLM-based tools into the engineering workflow — applied to code generation, intelligent debugging, automated documentation, and test acceleration.

● Led code reviews enforcing SOLID principles and design patterns; collaborated with product, UI/UX, and QA in 2-week agile sprints to deliver features consistently on schedule.

PHP Developer Jan 2020 – Jun 2021 Orangegrids Consulting LLP HSR Layout, Bengaluru

Technologies: PHP · CodeIgniter · MySQL · jQuery · AJAX · HTML5 · CSS3 · Oracle Web Services

● Built a full-featured e-commerce platform for myrhinoparts.com — product catalogue, order management, and payment integration — from design through production launch.

● Engineered an automated re-order system interfacing with internal Oracle web services, eliminating manual inventory replenishment workflows.

● Refactored a legacy monolithic codebase to MVC architecture, reducing technical debt and improving long-term maintainability.

● Coordinated end-to-end testing with QA and resolved production issues within agreed SLA windows.

PHP Developer June 2018 – Jan 2020 SBL Mysore Road, Bengaluru

Technologies: PHP · Laravel · MySQL · jQuery · AJAX · HTML5 · CSS3 · SOAP · REST APIs

● Delivered six ERP modules — Gate Pass, Dispatch, Labour Cost Management, Sprint Tracker, Warehouse Management, and Request Approval — all in live production use.

● Implemented SOAP and REST web service integrations as both client and provider, enabling seamless third-party connectivity.

● Built legal and analytical document reporting systems, replacing manual processes and saving significant operational hours per month.

● Mentored junior engineers on Laravel framework standards, code conventions, and best practices. RESEARCH

PhD – Explainable AI (XAI) July 2025 – Present Alliance School of Advanced Computing, Alliance University

Thesis: Autonomous Compliance Intelligence: Design of Explainable and Controlled-Context AI for Regulated Enterprise Systems

● Designing XAI frameworks to make AI decision-making fully transparent and auditable within regulated enterprise domains — finance, healthcare, and legal.

● Investigating controlled-context AI mechanisms that enforce regulatory compliance without compromising model accuracy or performance.

● Authoring an active research paper on XAI interpretability methods, targeting publication in a peer-reviewed venue. ● Bridging PhD-level XAI research with 7+ years of production engineering to enable direct application of explainability research to enterprise AI systems.

EDUCATION

PhD – Explainable AI (XAI) [In Progress] 2025 – Present Alliance School of Advanced Computing, Alliance University

Master of Computer Applications (MCA) 2013 · CGPA 7.98 NIE Mysore · Visvesvaraya Technological University

B.Sc. Mathematics, Statistics & Computer Science 2010 · 66% Yuvaraja's College · University of Mysore

CERTIFICATIONS & CONTINUING EDUCATION

Artificial Intelligence & Generative AI

• Machine Learning Specialization — DeepLearning.AI / Stanford Online · Andrew Ng · Coursera · Completed • Deep Learning Specialization — DeepLearning.AI / Stanford Online · Andrew Ng · Coursera · Completed • IBM AI Developer Professional Certificate — IBM · Coursera

• IBM Generative AI Engineering Professional Certificate — IBM · Coursera

• Google AI Professional Certificate — Google · Coursera

• Claude Code: Software Engineering with Generative AI Agents — Vanderbilt University · Coursera • Machine Learning with Python — IBM / Alliance University · Coursera · Completed

• Python for Data Science, AI & Development — IBM · Coursera · Completed

Research Methods & Academic Writing

• Research Design: Inquiry and Discovery — University of North Texas · Coursera · Completed • Research Methodologies — Queen Mary University of London · Coursera · Completed

• Understanding Research Methods — University of London · Coursera · Completed

• Introduction to Academic Writing — O.P. Jindal Global University · Coursera · Completed

• Writing in English at University — Lund University · Coursera · Completed

• Foundations of Teaching for Learning: Intro to Student Assessment — Commonwealth Education Trust · Coursera · Completed

• Foundations of Teaching for Learning: Planning for Teaching — Commonwealth Education Trust · Coursera · Completed

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