Mo Susie Yu, B.A.Sc., B.Sc.

Senior Backend & Cloud Infrastructure Engineer

Distributed Systems | Cloud Infrastructure | Security & Compliance

Toronto, ON, Canada

About

Senior Backend & Cloud Infrastructure Engineer and GCP Certified Professional Cloud Architect with 8+ years of experience building distributed systems and cloud-native platforms. Proven track record across startups and enterprises owning architecture end-to-end, from multi-AZ AWS VPCs and Kubernetes orchestration to event-driven serverless pipelines and zero-downtime database migrations. Combines software engineering rigor with zero-trust cloud security and high observability. Holds dual degrees in Computer Science (B.A.Sc.) and Life Sciences (B.Sc.) from McMaster University, with specialization in Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour.

Work Experience

  • Prospect Vector
  • May 2026 - Present
  • Senior Backend Engineer & Cloud Architect
  • Full Time
      • Technologies:
      • Python
      • Qdrant
      • Firestore
      • GCP
      • Kubernetes
    • Hypercare
    • Jul 2021 - Aug 2025
    • Backend Software Engineer
    • Full Time
    • Secure healthcare communication & coordination tool, MedTech.
      • ⋆ Architected secure, HIPAA-compliant microservices and GraphQL APIs for 50k+ clinical users, deploying containerized ECS tasks across multi-AZ AWS VPCs with private DocumentDB clusters.
      • ⋆ Standardized infrastructure provisioning across development and production environments using modular Terraform (IaC), eliminating configuration drift and accelerating environment spin-up times.
      • ⋆ Built automated CI/CD delivery pipelines via GitHub Actions to orchestrate container image builds, vulnerability security scans, and zero-downtime deployments to Amazon ECS.
      • ⋆ Engineered an event-driven User Lifecycle Management (ULM) microservice on AWS integrating Active Directory, Azure AD, and Okta via SCIM, cutting manual IT onboarding tickets by 95%.
      • ⋆ Decoupled production multi-tenant data into a Single Tenant Account architecture; refactored schemas and executed MySQL to MongoDB migrations for 50k+ users with zero data loss and minimal downtime.
      • ⋆ Configured centralized observability and alerting across AWS CloudWatch and Datadog; established synthetic monitoring, log aggregation, and operational runbooks that reduced Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR).
      • ⋆ Authored architecture documentation, disaster recovery procedures, and standard operating procedures (SOPs); partnered with security and clinical engineering teams to deliver HIPAA-compliant public API endpoints.
      • Technologies:
      • Node.js
      • GraphQL
      • MySQL
      • MongoDB
      • Docker
      • Kubernetes
      • AWS (ECS, Lambda, VPC, DocumentDB, SQS FIFO, EventBridge, ALB, Client VPN, CloudWatch, Secrets Manager, IAM)
      • Datadog
      • GitHub Actions
      • RabbitMQ
      • Doppler
      • Twilio
      • Postman
      • WorkOS
    • RLDatix
    • Oct 2017 - Jun 2021
    • Backend Web Developer
    • Full Time
    • Healthcare governance, risk & compliance, MedTech.
      • ⋆ Developed core REST APIs and backend web services in C# (ASP.NET) and Python for RLD HUB, maintaining 99.9% platform availability and high security standards for global healthcare compliance administrators.
      • ⋆ Modernized legacy application data layers and indexed PostgreSQL queries, optimizing throughput and implementing OWASP security controls to safeguard sensitive healthcare compliance records.
      • ⋆ Built automated cloud data synchronization pipelines using Heroku Connect and PostgreSQL, establishing reliable bi-directional data exchange between web platforms and enterprise CRM systems.
      • ⋆ Refactored and decoupled monolithic application components into modular backend services, reducing server compute overhead, eliminating single points of failure, and improving release stability.
      • Technologies:
      • C#
      • ASP.NET
      • Python
      • Django
      • PostgreSQL
      • Heroku Connect
      • JavaScript
      • HL7 FHIR
    • McMaster University
    • Sep 2016 - May 2017
    • Full Stack Engineer
    • Part Time
    • University administration web platform development.
      • ⋆ Developed an interactive web-based room allocation platform in PHP (Symfony) and JavaScript, enabling administrators to manage on-campus student housing allocations in real time.
      • ⋆ Engineered optimized database querying modules for live residence availability, eliminating manual paperwork and streamlining student placement workflows.
      • Technologies:
      • HTML
      • JavaScript
      • PHP
      • Symfony
      • CSS
    • Siemens Canada Limited
    • May 2014 - Sep 2014
    • Logistics Project Assistant, Healthcare - Imaging & IT
    • Co-op
    • Logistics and project support for the Canadian healthcare imaging and IT team.
      • ⋆ Designed data tracking models to reconcile budgeting metrics and streamline order processing workflows for diagnostic medical imaging equipment.
      • ⋆ Standardized project delivery documentation and resource tracking within SAP, improving cross-functional data accessibility across healthcare IT teams.
      • Technologies:
      • SAP
      • Microsoft Excel
      • Data Analytics

    Skills

      Cloud Architecture & Networking
      • AWS (ECS, Lambda, VPC, DocumentDB, SQS FIFO, EventBridge, ALB, Client VPN, CloudWatch, IAM)
      • Google Cloud Platform (GKE, Compute Engine, Cloud Run, Cloud Storage)
      • Multi-AZ Network Isolation & Subnet Design
      • CIDR Whitelisting & Ingress Control
      • Cloudflare (DNS, Workers, Load Balancing)
      • Cloud Cost Optimization
      Container Orchestration & DevOps
      • Kubernetes (Deployments, Services, ConfigMaps, RBAC, PVCs)
      • Docker & Multi-Stage Builds
      • Helm
      • Terraform (IaC)
      • CI/CD Pipelines (GitHub Actions)
      • RabbitMQ & Message Queuing
      • Zero-Downtime Rolling Deployments
      Backend & Distributed Systems
      • Node.js
      • Python
      • TypeScript / JavaScript
      • C# (ASP.NET)
      • GraphQL
      • REST APIs
      • Microservices
      • Event Driven Architecture
      • PostgreSQL
      • MongoDB
      • MySQL
      • Redis
      Observability, Security & Compliance
      • Datadog (APM, Distributed Tracing, Dashboards)
      • AWS CloudWatch (Metrics, Alarms, Logs)
      • Zero Trust Access Control & Least Privilege IAM
      • Doppler Operator & Centralized Secret Management
      • Enterprise Identity (Active Directory, Azure AD, Okta, SCIM, WorkOS)
      • HIPAA & SOC 2 Compliance Controls
      • AWS Secrets Manager & KMS

    Education

    • McMaster University
    • Class of 2017
    • Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.)
    • Honours Computer Science
      • Focus on Distributed Systems & Human-Computer Interaction.
      • Selected Research & Design:
      • • Capstone (ClinicFlow): Developed a patient and staff flow simulation model in partnership with Joseph Brant Hospital using Python and relational data pipelines.
      • • Research Thesis (MacQuest): AR spatial navigation system based on empirical UX research and user psychology studies.
    • McMaster University
    • Class of 2015
    • Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)
    • Honours Life Sciences
      • Minor in Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour

    Projects

    • SickKids Milk and Cookies Truck Tracker App ↗
    • Live digital location tracker built for a SickKids Hospital fundraising campaign.
      • ⋆ Built the backend architecture and real time GPS tracking engine to facilitate active live donor engagement and real time location streaming.
      • Technologies:
      • Java
      • Spring Framework
    • ClinicFlow
    • Engineering capstone project with Joseph Brant Hospital. System design and deployment of a patient flow simulation model.
      • ⋆ Designed and deployed a discrete event simulation engine that ingested historical hospital metrics to predict staff and patient flow rates.
      • ⋆ Engineered data ingestion pipelines in Python and PostgreSQL to parse operational datasets into real time visual metrics for hospital staff.
      • Technologies:
      • Python
      • PostgreSQL
      • JavaScript
      • Git
    • MacQuest ↗
    • Research study centered on AR interaction and user psychology to design an AR based campus navigation application to help university students navigate campus.
      • ⋆ Created UX deliverables, including user flows, wireframes, and page hierarchy, informed by research, testing, and analytics.
      • ⋆ Developed an intuitive and visually engaging interface for seamless navigation.
      • Technologies:
      • Java
      • Adobe Photoshop
      • Git
      • Technical Documentation
    • Letters Connect! ↗
    • Designed, illustrated, and developed a cross platform word puzzle game with three game modes and 80+ levels.
      • ⋆ Integrated ads and in app purchases on iOS and Android, generating revenue.
      • ⋆ Conducted A/B testing to optimize monetization strategies.
      • ⋆ Used analytics to improve user engagement and retention.
      • Technologies:
      • C#
      • Unity
      • MongoDB
      • Game Development
      • Game Design
      • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
      • Adobe Photoshop
      • Git

    Certifications

    Volunteering