Madhab Dhakal

About Madhab Dhakal

I’m Madhab Dhakal, a senior software engineer and ColdFusion technical architect based in Perth, Western Australia. I build and look after the long-lived systems that banks, businesses and public transport rely on.

Portrait of Madhab Dhakal wearing headphones, against a bright blue backdrop

What I do today

At Jacobs, I’m the ColdFusion technical architect for TRIS, a custom-built system that has handled parts of Transperth’s operations for more than two decades. My week is split between hands-on coding and system oversight: monitoring servers, fixing vulnerabilities, managing patches and keeping deployments smooth. I also work with spatial data in GIS environments and mentor junior developers.

How I got here

I started my career at Mercantile Communication, where I developed Pumori Support Plus, the support system for Pumori Banking software that was adopted by over 130 banks and financial institutions in Nepal.

In August 2018, I moved to Australia to study at the University of Newcastle. Finding work as an international student wasn’t easy, but a two-month trial as a junior developer at CRM Australia became a permanent role, where I went on to create CRM Renewals. After a year at LGI Australia building software with ColdFusion, Progress ABL and Android, I joined Jacobs in October 2022.

Outside the day job

I’m an organiser of GDG Perth and work as an IT trainer and mentor. I also write about ColdFusion architecture, single sign-on and working life as a developer, partly because support for ColdFusion is thin in Australia and sharing what I learn helps others who are stuck on the same problems.

  • Years building software
  • Banks and financial institutions using software I built
  • Projects completed
  • Awards won
Based in
Perth, Australia
Freelance
Available
Community
GDG Perth organiser
Languages
English, Nepali, Hindi, Binary
Countries visited
15+

Career

  1. Oct 2022 – Present

    Jacobs

    Senior Software Engineer & Technical Architect

    ColdFusion technical architect for TRIS, the custom-built system behind many of Transperth’s operations at the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia.

    • Oversee the design, development and implementation of TRIS, working with stakeholders on strategic requirements.
    • Manage ColdFusion servers across every environment, including patching, monitoring and troubleshooting.
    • Work with spatial data in GIS environments to support Transperth’s mapping and geographical applications.
    • Introduced automated deployment and continuous integration, and mentor the junior developers on the team.
    • Adobe ColdFusion
    • Java
    • Oracle
    • ArcGIS
    • REST API

  2. Oct 2021 – Sep 2022

    LGI Australia

    Software Engineer

    Product owner for an Android app that tracks deliveries across the business.

    • Researched, designed and built new software using ColdFusion, Progress ABL and Android.
    • Developed systems to manage job scheduling and access control for users and remote systems.
    • Integrated existing products and ensured compatibility across platforms.
    • ASP.NET
    • ColdFusion
    • Progress ABL
    • Android
    • SQL Server
    • Web API

  3. Jul 2018 – Oct 2021

    CRM Australia

    Software Engineer

    Product owner for a subscription management system.

    • Created CRM Renewals, a subscription platform handling renewal scheduling and automated payments.
    • Configured an Azure Hybrid Connection to pull data from SAP systems.
    • Analysed business requirements, designed software components and documented supported systems for the team.
    • ASP.NET
    • C#
    • Microsoft Azure
    • SQL Server
    • AWS S3
    • Power BI

  4. Sep 2014 – Jun 2018

    Mercantile Communication

    Software Developer

    Product owner across core banking support, branchless banking and insurance projects.

    • Developed Pumori Support Plus, adopted by over 130 banks and financial institutions in Nepal.
    • Implemented branchless banking in Java and Android, streamlining transactions for agents.
    • Secured apps and data across the network with cryptography and hardened APKs.
    • ASP.NET
    • C#
    • SQL Server
    • JavaScript
    • Entity Framework
    • Web API

Skills

ColdFusion
Adobe ColdFusion, CFCs & custom tags, Scheduled tasks, Server management, Performance tuning
Application
Java, C#, ASP.NET, Progress ABL, Entity Framework, REST APIs
Data
Oracle, SQL Server, Amazon Aurora, Power BI, AWS QuickSight
Cloud & spatial
Microsoft Azure, AWS, Azure AD SSO, ArcGIS, Continuous integration
Front end & mobile
JavaScript, HTML5 & CSS3, jQuery, Responsive design, Android
Practice
Agile, Application design, Testing, Documentation, SEO & SEM

Education

  • 2021Master of Information TechnologyThe University of Newcastle
  • 2020Graduate Certificate of Information TechnologyThe University of Newcastle
  • 2016Bachelor of Science and Information TechnologyKuvempu University, Bangalore
  • 2016Advanced Diploma in Information TechnologyNIIT, Bangalore

Have a system that needs a steady hand?

I’m available for freelance work and consulting. Tell me what you’re building.