Sr Python Developer

Position Title: Sr Python Developer

Type: Contract

Location: Houston, TX (Hybrid, 3 days)

Local to TX

Department: [Digital Manufacturing]

Position Summary

The Full Stack Software Architect will design, build, and own end‑to‑end manufacturing analytics applications focused on Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), daily production reporting, and inventory visibility. This role is hands-on and responsible for architecture, backend and frontend development, data integration, automated testing, CI/CD, deployment on Microsoft Azure, and ongoing enhancements.

The architect will work closely with manufacturing, operations, maintenance, supply chain, and IT stakeholders to translate business requirements into secure, scalable, and robust digital solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Architecture & Design

Define end-to-end solution architecture for manufacturing analytics applications (OEE, downtime, throughput, daily production, and inventory).
Design data models and integration patterns for ingesting data from shop-floor systems (PLC/SCADA/MES/Historians), ERP, and other manufacturing systems.
Select and design usage of Azure services for data ingestion, processing, storage, APIs, and front-end delivery.
Ensure solutions are scalable, secure, resilient, and aligned with enterprise architecture and IT standards.

Full Stack Development

Independently implement backend services, APIs, and microservices using Python (e.g., FastAPI, Flask, Django).
Develop modern web front-ends (e.g., React, Angular, or Vue) for dashboards, operator views, production reports, and configuration tools.
Implement OEE calculations, KPI logic, and business rules for production and inventory.
Build data pipelines to capture, clean, and transform time-series and transactional data from manufacturing systems.

DevOps, CI/CD & Quality

Design and maintain CI/CD pipelines (e.g., Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions) for build, test, and deployment of applications and infrastructure.
Write and maintain unit, integration, and regression tests to ensure code quality and reliability.
Implement Infrastructure-as-Code (e.g., ARM/Bicep/Terraform) for repeatable, auditable deployments.
Monitor application performance, reliability, and cost, and drive continuous improvement.

Azure Cloud Engineering

Evaluate, configure, and utilize Azure components such as:
Azure App Service, AKS or Azure Functions
Azure SQL Database, Azure PostgreSQL, Cosmos DB
Azure Storage, Data Lake
Event Hub, IoT Hub, Service Bus
Azure Data Factory / Synapse pipelines
Azure Monitor / Application Insights / Log Analytics
Continuously explore new Azure capabilities and recommend improvements to the existing architecture.

Stakeholder Engagement & Delivery

Work directly with plant and business users to gather requirements, understand pain points, and translate them into technical designs.
Lead design and code walkthroughs with IT and business stakeholders.
Coordinate UAT, rollout, and training for new features and applications.
Provide third-line support, troubleshoot complex production issues, and implement sustainable fixes.

Governance, Security & Compliance

Ensure solutions follow cybersecurity, networking, and data privacy guidelines.
Apply role-based access control (RBAC) and secure secret management (e.g., Azure Key Vault).
Document architecture, data flows, APIs, and operational procedures for IT and business teams.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or related field; or equivalent experience.
10+ years of professional software development experience, including:
Significant hands-on ,development (APIs, services, data processing).
Full stack experience (front-end + back-end + database).
3+ years designing and delivering solutions on Microsoft Azure.
Strong experience with:
RESTful API design and implementation.
Relational databases (SQL) and data modeling.
Source control (Git) and modern branching strategies.
CI/CD pipelines and automated testing frameworks (pytest, unittest, etc.).
Proven ability to independently deliver end‑to‑end features: design, code, test, deploy, and support.
Experience working directly with business stakeholders (preferably in manufacturing/operations).

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in manufacturing, process industries, or industrial automation environments.
Familiarity with OEE, TPM, lean manufacturing concepts, and production KPIs.
Experience integrating with MES, historians, SCADA, PLCs, or ERP (e.g., SAP) systems.
Knowledge of event-driven and microservices architectures.
Experience with:
Containerization (Docker) and orchestration (AKS/Kubernetes).
Message queues and streaming platforms (Event Hubs, Kafka, Service Bus).
Time-series databases or BI tools (Power BI, Grafana).
Azure certifications (e.g., AZ-204, AZ-305, AZ-400) or equivalent experience.

Key Competencies & Soft Skills

Strong problem-solving and analytical skills; able to break complex problems into practical solutions.
Ability to operate autonomously and take end-to-end ownership of solutions.
Clear, concise communication with both technical and non-technical audiences.
Strong collaboration skills; comfortable working with cross-functional teams across plants and corporate functions.
Continuous learning mindset; actively explores new Azure and Python capabilities and best practices.
Structured documentation and attention to detail.