Trent Mahaffey
Profile
Python/Django engineer with 5+ years building data-heavy, production systems. I design and maintain REST APIs, integrate third-party services, write clean/tested code (pytest, TDD), and modernize legacy stacks. Comfortable owning back-end (75%) with pragmatic front-end work (HTML/CSS/Bootstrap/jQuery). Strong SQL background, Docker/Git CI habits, and clear written English for specs, reviews, and docs.
Core Skills
- Backend: Python 3.8+, Django 4.x, Django REST Framework, Celery, Redis
- Testing/Quality: pytest, unittest, TDD, code reviews, Clean Code/Architecture
- Frontend: HTML5, CSS, Bootstrap, vanilla JS, jQuery
- Data & Integrations: REST/JSON APIs, ETL basics, OAuth/API auth, MySQL & SQL Server
- DevOps/Tools: Docker, Git (familiar with Mercurial), CI/CD (Jenkins/GitHub Actions), Node/npm & Webpack (familiar)
- Practices: migrations, refactors, legacy upgrades, performance tuning, observability
Experience
Business Systems Developer — NGL Energy Partners
- Built Python services and Django/REST endpoints to surface operations/asset data; added pytest suites and contract tests.
- Integrated multiple third-party APIs with retries/backoff and structured logging; improved resiliency and MTTR.
- Owned database design and tuning on Azure SQL / SQL Server; implemented safe, incremental migrations.
- Containerized services with Docker; used Git PR reviews and CI gates for reliable releases.
- Prepared legacy code for upgrades (Python → 3.10/3.11, Django 4 LTS → 5.x) by removing deprecations and adding tests.
Automation Engineer — Iron-IQ
- Delivered full-stack telemetry solutions; scripted Python data pipelines and API adapters to unify field data.
- Designed and tuned SQL schemas; implemented job queues (Celery/Redis patterns) for scheduled tasks.
- Drove production rollouts with versioned configs, DB migrations, and rollback plans; introduced unit tests for critical paths.
Automation Technician / Electrician — American Gypsum / Vail Resorts
- Implemented and maintained control systems (PLCs/VFDs); collaborated on reliability and monitoring initiatives.
Plant Manager — City of Glenwood Springs
- Managed 30 MGD facility with SCADA-driven process control; led a 4-person team, compliance, and capital projects.
Selected Projects
- Inventory & Asset API (Django/DRF): REST endpoints for asset lifecycle & costs; role-based access; end-to-end tests.
- Legacy Upgrade Initiative: Planned upgrade path to Python 3.10/3.11 and Django 5.x; raised coverage and removed deprecations.
- Integrations Hub: Normalized 3+ vendor APIs into consistent schemas with monitoring, retries, and alerting.
Education & Certifications
- B.S., Electronics Engineering Technology — Grantham University (ABET), Magna Cum Laude
- B.S., Environmental Health — Colorado State University
- PLC Technician Certificate — George Brown College
- Coursera — Python (Data/DB/Web), University of Michigan
Leadership & Community
New Castle Trails (RFMBA) committee volunteer & organizer; sponsor/vendor coordination and community tech tooling.