Hayley Collins

I’m a Systems Design Engineering student at the University of Waterloo with experience across backend development, infrastructure, and embedded software. I’ve worked on production systems at Ford Motor Company and RBC, contributing to secure, reliable services using Java, Spring Boot, Docker, OpenShift (Kubernetes), IBM MQ, C++, Python, and CI/CD pipelines. During my term at RBC, I was selected by enterprise architects to design and build a modular sanctions-screening microservice proof-of-concept, integrating messaging, workflow orchestration, and clean architecture. I also worked on security hardening across multiple production services, resolving vulnerabilities surfaced by enterprise scanners and carrying those fixes end-to-end into production. Earlier at Ford, I contributed to embedded testing and infrastructure using GTest/GMock and QEMU, and collaborated on manufacturing solutions with NI TestStand. Outside of work, I enjoy building side projects, reading, playing basketball, and learning new languages. I like exploring new ideas both through code and through the world around me. I’m curious by nature, quick to learn, and motivated by solving real engineering problems that make systems more reliable and more understandable. I’m currently open to roles where I can grow as a developer, collaborate with strong teams, and contribute to meaningful, real-world technology.