Software Engineer · Vancouver, WA
James Kunley
Making complex software systems simpler, faster, and more reliable.
Over 20 years building and evolving production software, from browser clients to the backend services behind them.
- Distributed Systems
- Software Architecture
- Real-Time Applications

Expertise
Architecture & Modernization
Drawing service boundaries, designing transactional and event-driven workflows, and untangling tightly coupled platforms while they stay in service.
Performance Engineering
Profiling slow systems under real load, removing wasted I/O, and caching where it pays off on the paths that matter most.
Real-Time Systems & Data Integrity
Keeping services and browser clients in sync, and keeping data correct when updates arrive concurrently or out of order.
Selected impact
Provider Scheduling
Cut assignment-related provider idle time by about 90% through scheduling optimizations on a healthcare platform handling roughly 10,000 visits each business day.
Real-Time Provider Messaging
Owned the browser notification architecture carrying millions of messages a day to hundreds of provider interfaces, and introduced delta-based updates to cut redundant traffic.
Core Platform Modernization
Led architecture across teams to modernize a central platform service, separating transaction processing, lifecycle management, and downstream integrations behind clear boundaries.
Philosophy
Understand the system before changing it.
I start with how a system actually behaves in production, find the constraints that matter, and prefer small, deliberate changes to rewrites.
Background
Experience across financial technology, enterprise logistics, and healthcare platforms.
Including work at
- TIBCO
- HP
- XPO Logistics
- DexCare
Beyond Engineering
Outside of engineering, I’m usually spending time with my two kids, catching waves, or exploring backroads on my motorcycle.
Connect
- linkedin.com/in/jameskunley
- GitHub
- github.com/jtkunley