Zayd Tahir

Milton, ON · (647) 572-3990 · contact@zaydtahir.com

I am a student at the University of Waterloo studying Mechatronics Engineering. I love facing new challenges and learning through them.

Aside from my time pursuing a career in Mechatronics Engineering, I am an avid skier and enjoy training in Go Ju Ryu Karate. During the warmer months, I also like to spend my time biking.


Education

University of Waterloo

Candidate for Bachelor of Applied Science - Mechatronics Engineering

Cumulative GPA: 3.97

September 2020 - Present

Milton District High School

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)

John Milton Chapter IODE Shield, - Highest Academic Standing in Year 3

September 2016 - June 2020

Experience

Full-Stack Software Engineering Intern - DNAStack

Toronto, ON

Developed Access Request Management feature using React, following Figma designs, with form validation, database integration, data table filtering/export
Implemented Hive Metastore Service (Helm) with support for Iceberg and Hive connectors, expanding data processing capabilities
Optimized infrastructure costs by designing and implementing a "slim" deployment, optimizing Helm chart profiles
Implemented an incremental caching strategy for service jobs (Java), reducing E2E and journey test execution times by over 50%
Refactored E2E tests into Angular unit tests, improving code testability, and resolving numerous test failures, working in TypeScript
Improved development efficiency through comprehensive documentation updates, test infrastructure improvements (including email testing setup), and resolution of code quality issues through SonarQube analysis

January 2024 --- August 2024

Technology Team Lead/Advisor - UWMSA & IIC

Waterloo, ON

Developed and launched a cross-platform mobile app (Android & iOS) using Expo, serving 100s of users
Implemented backend notification server, including API endpoints, OCI database integration, and secure push token storage
Built key app features, including information hub, event calendar, interactive campus map, and a real-time notification system
Led app deployment to Google Play Store and iOS App Store, managing initial release, update process, and documentation
Maintained TypeScript app stability by troubleshooting and fixing critical bugs to provide a seamless user experience
Enhanced the IIC Data-Center using React to improve data visualization and analysis with dynamic date filtering

January 2024 --- August 2024

Software Engineering Intern - Cisco

Kanata, ON

Enhanced PBR testing suite using cmocka unit testing framework, improving test coverage and reliability
Architected test environment to simulate production router conditions, eliminating dependency on mocked objects
Developed and optimized C unit tests, enhancing code coverage

May 2023 --- September 2023

Software Developer - SPS Commerce

Brampton, ON

Built and maintained critical features for React web application serving 500+ enterprise clients
Designed and implemented RESTful API endpoints integrating Snowflake and MySQL databases across multiple services
Automated complex workflow processes through AWS State machines, reducing manual developer tasks, freeing up resources
Optimized email notification system to enhance error reporting and reduce incident response time
Architected new microservice infrastructure including database design and CI/CD pipeline using Azure and Liquibase

September 2022 --- December 2022

Software Developer - CGI

Markham, ON

Implemented dynamic event fetching for internal calendar tool, improving load times by over 50% using Java, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and jQuery within Tomcat environment
Refactored legacy SQL database architecture to align with modern industry standards to improve future development efficiency

January 2022 --- April 2022

Software Developer - TELUS Health

Waterloo, ON

Redesigned performance testing framework covering 300+ tests to remove database dependence (PostgreSQL)
Implemented JMeter automated performance testing pipeline, reducing release validation time, using Tomcat server

May 2021 --- September 2021

Projects

MSA App

Android, iOS, Expo, TypeScript, Oracle Cloud

Developed and launched a cross-platform mobile app (Android & iOS) using Expo, serving 100s of users
Implemented backend notification server, including API endpoints, OCI database integration, and secure push token storage
Built key app features, including a club information hub, event calendar, interactive campus map, and a real-time notification system
Led app deployment to Google Play Store and iOS App Store, managing initial release, update process, and documentation
Maintained app stability, troubleshooting and fixing critical bugs to ensure a seamless user experience

Jan 2024 - Aug 2024

IIC Website

TypeScript, React

Enhanced the Data-Center to improve data visualization and analysis, aiding the team in making informed decisions
Implemented dynamic date filtering, allowing users to filter data by various time ranges
Refactored Data-Center structure to support partner schools, enhancing scalability
Worked with TypeScript and React to develop and maintain the website

BediBot - Student Services Discord Bot

TypeScript, MongoDB, Jest, Node

Engineered a comprehensive student services bot serving 7,000+ users across official UWaterloo Discord communities
Implemented secure authentication with email verification and encrypted sensitive data
Designed scalable MongoDB schema and REST API endpoints to manage student deadlines and course schedules
Implemented a quote approval system for recording memorable quotes by students and professors
Achieved 95%+ test coverage with Jest, ensuring reliable feature deployment
Developed deployment pipeline on Oracle Cloud with automated monitoring and error reporting

Sept 2020 - Present

SpotiNet - Spotify Artist Visualizer Web-App

Hack the North, Python, Flask, NetworkX, Plotly Dash

Developed a web application using Flask and hosted it on Heroku to visualize a user's Spotify library as a dynamic network graph
Utilized NetworkX to generate and analyze relationships between artists, genres, and tracks for music recommendations
Integrated Plotly Dash to create an interactive dashboard for exploring the network graph
Implemented efficient data retrieval from Spotify's API to ensure real-time updates and responsiveness

Controller, Localization, and Path Planning on TurtleBot 4

ROS2, Python, SLAM

Performed SLAM-based mapping in simulation and real-world environments for autonomous navigation
Designed and implemented a PID controller for precise robot motion
Integrated an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to enhance localization accuracy by fusing sensor data using ROS
Implemented A* path planning with Manhattan and Euclidean heuristics for efficient route generation

Line Following Robot

C, C++, STM32

Developed a line-following robot using color sensors to detect and differentiate between colored lines
Implemented and tuned a PID controller for smooth and accurate line tracking
Programmed an STM32 microcontroller to manage sensors and actuators
Implemented driver functions for motor speed mapping and sensor data processing

Pacman Clone on Keil MCB 1700 Board

C

Developed a Pac-Man clone on the Keil MCB 1700 board, implementing a 2D maze, AI-controlled ghosts, and player-controlled movement
Implemented multithreaded gameplay with concurrent threads for input handling, animation, AI movement, and game state monitoring
Managed real-time scoring and game state updates via serial port
Utilized mutexes to protect shared resources, ensuring safe access to score, lives, and actor positions in a multithreaded environment

Maze Generator

Java, Swing

Implemented a maze generation algorithm using recursive backtracking to create randomized mazes
Created a visual representation of the recursive backtracking process, allowing users to observe the algorithm in action


Resume