Yağız Akalın

Backend Engineer | Gaming Settlement Systems | Microservices | Java · Node.js · Redis · Event-Driven Architecture

Istanbul, Istanbul, Türkiye

About

Backend Engineer with 4+ years of experience building high-throughput, fault-tolerant systems, most recently architecting event-driven settlement engines for real-time iGaming platforms. At Interactive Digits, I engineered 150+ sport-specific settlement functions across 9 sports, designed dual-trigger validation pipelines, and built idempotent processing layers that eliminated duplicate payouts under live betting conditions. The systems I built process millions of real-time events with high reliability in production environments. My background spans backend engineering (Node.js, Java, C#), distributed systems (Redis, Kafka, event-driven architecture), and data engineering (MySQL, MongoDB). I'm comfortable owning critical paths end-to-end, from system design to production deployment. Before my iGaming career, I contributed to defense-industry research at HAVELSAN/Boğaziçi University, co-authoring an IEEE publication on Kalman Filter-based maritime target tracking systems. Boğaziçi University graduate - B.S. Computer Engineering, M.S. Electrical & Electronics Engineering. Open to backend engineering roles in fintech, gaming, real-time data systems, or distributed systems domains. Skills: Node.js · Java · C# · Redis · MySQL · MongoDB · Kafka · Docker · REST APIs · Event-Driven Architecture · Microservices · Distributed Systems · High-Throughput Systems · Idempotent Processing · Fault Tolerance · iGaming · Settlement Systems · Real-time Data Processing · Signal Processing · Kalman Filter

Experience

  • Software Engineer at Interactive Digits
    Jul 2024 - Apr 2026 · 1 yr 10 mos

    Designed an event-driven settlement engine processing real-time gaming events across 9 sports, engineering 150+ sport-specific settlement functions covering all major markets. - Integrated real-time sports data feeds via JSON-based pipelines, implementing resilient ingestion logic to handle delayed, missing, and out-of-order event signals without settlement disruption - Implemented a dual-trigger settlement system using message types and state codes, paired with an idempotent validation layer and re-check mechanisms to eliminate duplicate payouts - Designed fault-tolerant backend logic in Node.js and Redis to sustain reliable settlement across 1,000+ concurrent matches and up to 2,000 simultaneous markets during peak weekend loads - Collaborated cross-functionally with QA, Product, and DevOps teams to deliver production releases in mission-critical live gaming environments

  • Profesyonel gelişim at Career Break
    Oct 2023 - Jun 2024 · 9 mos

    Independent Study & Game Development - Pursued a deliberate career transition into game development, completing focused Unity training in gameplay programming, software architecture, and interactive application development - Applied backend engineering expertise to game systems design, studying object-oriented design patterns and game engine architecture in depth - Developed a fully playable 3-match puzzle game in Unity, applying core game mechanics, scene management, and object-oriented design patterns - Evaluated game industry opportunities with the goal of combining strong software engineering foundations with game development specialization

  • Mandatory Military Service (Lieutenant) at Turkish Armed Forces / Turkish Land Forces
    Aug 2022 - Aug 2023 · 1 yr 1 mo

    Served as a software-focused Lieutenant at Kuleli Military School, responsible for both IT operations and internal software development for an institution of 500+ personnel. - Developed and deployed internal software solutions digitalizing manual attendance, examination seating, and administrative workflows - Built custom applications improving operational efficiency and reducing administrative overhead by 50% - Owned the institution's complete IT infrastructure including system maintenance, user support, and operational continuity Received Outstanding Service Plaque (Üstün Hizmet Plaketi) upon completion of service.

  • IT Consultant at Ceno Schoolwear
    Dec 2016 - Jul 2022 · 5 yrs 8 mos

    Served as the sole technology owner for a textile export company, responsible for end-to-end IT consultancy, software development, and business process automation. - Designed and launched the company website and LinkedIn business page to establish digital presence and support outreach to UK and Canadian school textile markets - Conducted targeted B2B outreach by researching prospects via LinkedIn, compiling contact lists, and deploying a Python script to automate bulk catalogue distribution via email - Engineered 10+ Excel VBA macro programs automating export invoice generation, eliminating repetitive manual processing across recurring export workflows - Managed company IT infrastructure, internal systems, and technology operations supporting day-to-day business activities

  • Software Engineer at HAVELSAN
    Mar 2020 - Jun 2022 · 2 yrs 4 mos

    Part-time academic collaboration focused on defense-grade maritime target tracking systems, conducted in parallel with professional software engineering work. - Contributed to a HAVELSAN defense project developing maritime vessel tracking systems for the Turkish Armed Forces - Conducted performance analysis and optimization of multiple Kalman Filter algorithms for naval vessel tracking applications, simulating diverse motion scenarios and models - Co-authored and published a peer-reviewed conference paper in IEEE based on this research Publication: "Performance Analysis of Multiple Kalman Filter Systems" İ. Coşandal, M. Karayaka, Y. Akalın, M. Altun, E. Anarım and M. Koca, IEEE ASYU 2019 — doi: 10.1109/ASYU48272.2019.8946382