Burak Kalafat
Software Architect | .NET & Java Backend Engineering
Istanbul, Turkey
Europe/Istanbul
burakkalafat89@gmail.com
+905403506161
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bkalafat/
https://github.com/bkalafat
https://cv.bkalafat.com

SUMMARY
Hands-on software architect with 14+ years across banking, payments, enterprise financial software and government identity systems. Builds .NET/Java backends for digital banking, CRM and collections; modernises COBOL/mainframe systems and EOD/batch workloads.

TECHNICAL SKILLS
Backend Development: C#, .NET, .NET Core, Java 21, Spring, ASP.NET MVC, REST APIs, EF Core, Asynchronous programming
Architecture: Clean Architecture, Domain-Driven Design (DDD), Distributed systems, Service-oriented architecture, Repository, Unit of Work, Facade, Strategy
Databases and Messaging: Oracle, SQL Server (MSSQL), PL/SQL, IBM MQ, RabbitMQ
Banking and Batch Systems: Payment systems, COBOL/mainframe modernisation, End-of-Day (EOD), Batch processing, Job dependencies, Workload orchestration
DevOps and Containers: Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, CI/CD, Docker, Kubernetes
AI-Assisted Engineering: GitHub Copilot Enterprise, AI-assisted SDLC, Agentic development, Spec-Driven Development (SDD), Developer enablement, Architecture enablement
Quality and Leadership: Architecture guidance, Code reviews, Mentoring, Coding standards, Unit testing, Playwright E2E testing
Web and Desktop: TypeScript, JavaScript, Knockout.js, WPF, WinForms, WCF
Additional Training: Microservices, .NET with AWS, React

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Software Architect | Innovance
January 2026 – Present
Istanbul, Turkey (Remote)
Previously: Senior Software Engineer (Backend, .NET) | May 2024 – December 2025
- Modernise Akbank COBOL/mainframe banking and payment systems into .NET and Java backends, with hands-on implementation primarily in Java 21; analyse legacy business rules and shape backend architecture.
- Work on mission-critical EOD and batch modernisation, analysing job dependencies and workload orchestration for scheduled banking processes.
- Designed and developed an enterprise GitHub Copilot plugin for the Architecture organisation, packaging reusable guidance, agent/sub-agent workflows and engineering standards.
- Built repository- and database-oriented Copilot workflows and reusable engineering knowledge to support AI-assisted SDLC and spec-driven development across teams.
- Developed internet and mobile banking services for Türkiye Finans, implementing ASP.NET MVC/WCF backends with SQL Server and unit tests.

Senior Software Engineer (Backend, .NET) | insightsoftware
September 2022 – April 2024
North Carolina, USA (Remote)
- Implemented C#/.NET Core backend features for enterprise financial software within an international remote engineering team.
- Contributed to backend architecture and feature design, connecting technical decisions with hands-on implementation.

Senior Software Engineer (Backend, .NET) | OBSS
September 2017 – September 2022
Istanbul, Turkey
- Led Halkbank mobile banking backend migration to .NET Core and Clean Architecture, restructuring the legacy .NET Framework implementation.
- Applied asynchronous programming and thread optimisation to banking request handling; built REST APIs with EF Core and SQL Server.
- Used Repository/Unit of Work patterns and Azure DevOps CI/CD pipelines for backend delivery.
- Owned code reviews and mentored Türkiye Finans developers, defining coding standards for WinForms/WCF customer applications.
- Led Akbank payment campaign development with C#, Java/Spring, TypeScript, Knockout.js and Oracle 12c.

Java Developer | TÜBİTAK
January 2017 – September 2017
Kocaeli, Turkey
- Implemented Java passport personalisation software, writing EAC/SAC security data to smartcard chips through APDU commands for government identity systems.

.NET Developer | VakıfBank
August 2013 – January 2017
Istanbul, Turkey
- Reworked VakıfBank CRM and collections applications towards service-oriented architecture, using WPF/MVVM, WCF and Oracle 11g/PL/SQL.

Part-Time .NET Developer | VeriPark
December 2012 – June 2013
Izmir, Turkey
- Developed ASP.NET widgets for Turkcell’s SharePoint environment, contributing to portal functionality while completing the Computer Engineering degree.

EDUCATION
BSc in Computer Engineering
Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
September 2008 – June 2013

CERTIFICATIONS
Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate
Microsoft | Certification
March 6, 2026
Expires March 6, 2027
Certification overview (AI-102): https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/azure-ai-engineer/

Introduction to GitHub Copilot
Microsoft Learn | Training
2024
Course overview: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/introduction-to-github-copilot/

Build Microservices with .NET and Amazon Web Services
Udemy | Training
February 2024

IELTS - Band 7
British Council | Language test
2023

React Nanodegree Program
Udacity | Training
February 2020

LANGUAGES
Turkish: Native
English: Professional proficiency; IELTS Band 7 (2023)

INTERESTS
Chess; LLM and RAG applications; AI-powered customer service; Travel and cultural exchange