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Open to senior GRC engineering roles

I turn GRC into software.

I'm Akhil, a GRC systems developer. I design and build Archer solutions across SaaS and on-premises deployments, and today I'm shaping the GRC platform at Pinnacle Financial Partners.

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Portrait of Akhil Chandra Gorakala
5+ yrsGRC, cloud and security
Pinnacle Financial PartnersWalmartCognizantRavin IT SolutionsArcherIntegrated risk managementMicrosoft AzureISO 27001HIPAAPCI DSS Pinnacle Financial PartnersWalmartCognizantRavin IT SolutionsArcherIntegrated risk managementMicrosoft AzureISO 27001HIPAAPCI DSS

What I do

GRC platforms that the business actually wants to use.

I sit between the business and the platform. I learn what the business needs, then build it into Archer so it runs cleanly, scales and stands up to an audit.

0years in GRC, cloud and security
0enterprises: banking, retail, consulting
0Walmart business units supported on Archer
0reporting downtime in the Azure cutover

GRC solution design

Risk, compliance, issues and vendor programs turned into clean, auditable workflows shaped around how the business really works.

  • Risk
  • Compliance
  • Third party
  • Issues

Archer development

New applications and modules, workflows, calculated fields, data feeds, dashboards and reports, on Archer SaaS and on-premises.

  • Archer SaaS
  • On-premises
  • Advanced Workflow
  • APIs

Cloud migration & compliance

Moving GRC platforms from on-premises to Microsoft Azure while keeping ISO 27001, HIPAA and PCI DSS obligations intact.

  • Azure
  • ISO 27001
  • PCI DSS

GRC solutions

One platform, every kind of risk record.

This is how I think about GRC solutions in Archer. Every record, whether it's a risk, a control test, a vendor or a policy exception, moves through a clear path with an owner, a score and an audit trail. Each step is a requirement I gathered from the business.

Archer workflow
CP

Card payment processor

Handles cardholder data
Tier 1
Intake
Assess
Review
Remediate
Closed
0residual score

Illustrative demo with sample records. No real data.

Journey

From classroom to shaping a bank's GRC.

Pinnacle Financial Partners

IT Developer II, Archer GRC solutions
Nov 2025 – present
  • Shape the bank's GRC platform on Archer, partnering with risk, compliance and business teams to turn their requirements into working solutions.
  • Design and develop new Archer modules, including data models, forms, Advanced Workflow, Data Driven Events, calculated fields and reporting.
  • Deliver across GRC use cases such as third-party risk, assessments, findings and remediation tracking, and leadership dashboards.
  • Connect Archer to other systems of record through Data Feeds and REST APIs so records stay current and auditable.
ArcherGRC solutionsModule developmentBanking

Ravin IT Solutions

Professional Security Engineer, 6-month contract
2025
  • Monitored and triaged security alerts in Microsoft Sentinel and Splunk, escalating confirmed incidents through containment and remediation.
  • Ran post-incident reviews and root cause analysis, and fed the findings back into detection logic and playbooks.
Microsoft SentinelSplunkIncident response

Texas A&M University–Commerce

M.S., Computer and Information Science (Cyber Security)
Jan 2023 – Dec 2024
  • Access Administration Manager at the Rayburn Student Center, running access provisioning, reviews and revocation.
  • President of the Indian Student Association, leading a 15-officer team.
Cyber securityAccess governanceLeadership

Walmart, via Cognizant

Cloud Security & GRC Engineer, Programmer Analyst
Feb 2021 – Oct 2022
  • Started my GRC career on Archer, supporting and developing the platform for 9 business units and resolving day-to-day business issues.
  • Worked on migrating Archer from on-premises infrastructure to Microsoft Azure, validating configuration, access and integrations with zero reporting downtime.
  • Supported compliance work against ISO 27001, HIPAA and PCI DSS across the business units on the platform.
ArcherOn-prem to AzureISO 27001HIPAAPCI DSS

GITAM University

B.Tech., Computer Science and Engineering
2017 – 2021
  • Built foundations in systems, networks and cryptography, and published my first research papers.
  • Technical Manager for the Computer Society of India chapter, designing and leading workshops.
Computer scienceCryptography

Frameworks

Fluent in the language auditors speak.

ISO 27001

Information security management, applied at Walmart.

HIPAA

Protecting health data across Walmart business units.

PCI DSS

Cardholder data controls in a large retail environment.

Integrated risk management

Risk, compliance, vendor and policy programs on one platform.

NIST 800-53 & CSF

Control families I map my work back to.

SOX & SOC 2

IT general controls and service organization reporting.

Certified: CompTIA Security+ and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

Publications

Research behind the engineering.

The Journal of Cryptographic Engineering

Post-Quantum Cryptography Utilizing Lattices

Under review
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology

Hash Functions and its Security for Snags

Published
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology

Message/Data Authentication Using Hash Functions

Published
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology

Audio-Video Scrutinizing Bot with Night Vision

Published

What's next

Senior software developer,
GRC systems.

I want to own the architecture of risk and compliance platforms, where good engineering turns audits from fire drills into a dashboard.

Need someone who speaks both risk and code?

I'm open to senior GRC engineering roles in financial services and other regulated industries.

akhilchandra.g@gmail.com LinkedIn