Raja Usman Raza - Merchant Integration Analyst

Summary

Results-oriented API Integration & Security Analyst with over 5 years of comprehensive IT experience, including 3 years in full-stack development and 2.5 years specialized in financial payment integration at ADIB. Expert in securing and managing the API lifecycle with a deep focus on REST/SOAP standards, Tokenization, and secure connectivity. Proven ability to troubleshoot complex integration issues and deliver scalable, secure solutions within Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud (GCP) environments to support leading financial platforms.

Overview

5

years of professional experience

4

years of post-secondary education

Work history

Merchant Integration Analyst

ADIB - ADIMAC UAE

Sharjah

2023.11 - 2026.03

API Integration, Security & Lifecycle: Managed the end-to-end Payment API integration with Merchants lifecycle, strictly enforcing security standards including mTLS, OAuth 2.0, and JWT to protect sensitive cardholder data.
Hybrid Environment Management: Facilitated complex merchant integrations across On-Premises, Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud environments, ensuring secure, high-availability connectivity.
Strategic Payment Enablement: Spearheaded the technical enablement of Jaywan (Debit/Credit) and Aani (Instant Payments) schemes via REST APIs across POS and E-commerce platforms.
Gateway Policy Validation: Configured and validated API request/response parameters, including DCF file validation and authorization mandates, to maintain scheme compliance.
Root-Cause Analysis: Conducted deep-dive troubleshooting of production integration failures, resolving connectivity and security handshake issues between third-party systems and bank gateways.
Security Projects: Led the transition of merchants from legacy gateway tokenization to Network Tokenization, significantly enhancing data security and reducing fraud risk.

Senior software engineer

Nayatel

Islamabad

2021.05 - 2023.09

Full-Stack Development: Engineered national-scale applications using PHP Laravel and React.js, focusing on high-performance backend APIs and intuitive user interfaces.
Secure API Development: Architected and secured RESTful APIs for NAYATV and Digital Signage, implementing robust billing models and JWT-based authentication.
High-Volume Integrations: Developed an online payment module integrated with the Etisalat Payment Gateway (EPG), processing 400–500 secure transactions daily.
System Optimization: Managed the enterprise billing system, optimizing modules for customer agreements (ECAF) and CRM functionality using PHP Laravel.

Education

Bachelor's Degree - Software Engineering

COMSATS Institute of Information Technology

Islamabad

2015.09 - 2019.09

Skills

Core Technologies: PHP (Laravel, CodeIgniter), Reactjs, JavaScript (ES6), HTML5/CSS3, Bootstrap 41
Cloud & Gateways: Azure API Management, AWS API Gateway, Google Cloud Platform (GCP)1
API Security & Protocols: OAuth 20, JWT, mTLS, REST, SOAP, Tokenization4

Payment Integration: Jaywan & Aani Enablement, MPGS Gateway, Network Tokenization, C2P Enablement, ECR DLL-integrated POS systems4
Databases & Tools: PostgreSQL, Oracle, MySQL, SQL, Git, Linux, Windows

Languages

English: Fluent (Written and Spoken)

KEY PROJECTS

Jaywan & Aani Integration (POS & Ecom): Managed the technical enablement of UAE-specific payment schemes, focusing on real-time API connectivity and secure transaction validation across diverse merchant environments.
Network Tokenization Implementation: Successfully implemented Network Tokenization on the MPGS Gateway for ADIB Acquirers and migrated existing merchants from legacy gateway tokenization.
C2P Enablement (Hosted & Direct): Led the implementation of Click-to-Pay (C2P) on Hosted Checkout, Hosted Session, and Direct Integration Merchants, providing API upgrade support.
NAYATV API Architecture: Developed PHP Laravel REST APIs and a secure billing cycle for a nationwide on-demand streaming service, integrating with EPG for instant payment processing.
Nayatel Online Signup & ECAF: Optimized the Electronic Customer Agreement Form (ECAF) system and launched new service offerings by collaborating with cross-functional teams to resolve complex bugs.
MIT/CIT Security Framework: Deployed recurring transaction projects (Merchant/Customer Initiated) using Tokenization, validating critical data element changes in DCF files.
Cloud-Based Transaction Automation: Developed backend services for the Bookleets project using GCP Functions to automate and manage high-volume transaction data securely.
Digital Signage Prepaid System: Created secure APIs and a prepaid billing system in PHP Laravel for digital signage, ensuring the reliability of transactions while processing customer payments.

Timeline