Maria Maldonado

About

Software Engineer with 13 years of experience in enterprise software engineering and recent professional experience in Python development. Transitioning from a strong Java and Spring Framework background into Python-based backend and data-oriented systems, with hands-on experience building RESTful APIs, containerized applications, and cloud environments. Combines deep architectural understanding and object-oriented design principles with practical Python implementation skills, including ML model deployment and LLM integration via OpenAI-compatible APIs.

Experience

• Founder / Lead Backend Developer · Confidential Mental Health Startup02-01-2026

  Building a Mental Health web application as a solo technical founder, driving all backend design, API development, and third-party integrations end-to-end. Key Contributions: ● Designing and developing full-stack backend systems using Python and FastAPI, following object-oriented design principles and a layered architecture to ensure maintainability and scalability. ● Built and maintained RESTful APIs with clean separation of concerns, enabling reliable communication between frontend and backend services. ● Implemented full-stack integration endpoints connecting React/TypeScript frontends with Python backends. ● Integrated Supabase (PostgreSQL) as the primary database layer, handling schema design and backend data operations in Python. ● Configured and integrated Redis-based rate limiting to protect API endpoints and ensure service stability. ● Utilized Docker to containerize and orchestrate local Redis and PostgreSQL (Supabase) services, ensuring consistent development environments. ● Integrated LLM capabilities via OpenAI-compatible API endpoints, extending backend services with AI-driven features. ● Utilized GitHub Copilot and Google Gemini as AI development assistants to support code generation, problem-solving, and technical decision-making throughout the project. Tech Stack: React, TypeScript, Python, FastAPI, LLM APIs (OpenAI-compatible), OpenAPI/Swagger, PostgreSQL (Supabase), Redis, VS Code, PyCharm, Git, GitHub Copilot, Google Gemini (AI-assisted development).

• Professional Development Break · Montréal, Canada01-01-2025 – 02-01-2026

  Planned career pause dedicated to transitioning toward Python-based backend and data-driven development. Focused on strengthening skills in Python, backend API design, and ML-related technologies, while exploring modern development tools, cloud practices, and emerging architectures. Key Activities: ● Designed and built a full backend application using Python 3.11, FastAPI, Postgres, OpenAPI, Docker, SQLAlchemy, OAuth2, implementing RESTful APIs with clean architecture principles. ● Designed and built a full backend application using Python 3.11, FastAPI, and OpenAPI, implementing RESTful APIs with clean architecture principles. ● Deployed a Machine Learning model using FastAPI and Docker, exposing a production-simulated REST API for inference and integration testing. ● Completed Kaggle courses (Pandas, Intro to Machine Learning) and explored modern NLP tooling through Hugging Face, strengthening data processing and ML integration skills. ● Built cloud-ready backend services using Java 21 + Spring Boot + Docker, reinforcing architectural and object oriented best practices applicable across Python and JVM ecosystems. ● Implemented asynchronous communication patterns using Kafka, exploring event-driven architecture and distributed systems design. ● Experimented with AI-assisted development tools (GitHub Copilot, Gemini Code Assist) to evaluate productivity and code quality improvements.

• Java Backend Developer – Programmer Analyst · L evio Conseils inc. | Desjardins General Insurance05-01-2021 – 01-01-2025

  Contributed to the modernization of the Automobile Insurance system by developing and maintaining Java microservices within Azure & Docker environments. Key Contributions: ● Built and optimized multiple Java microservices, boosting critical component performance by up to 90%. ● Developed RESTful services in Java using object-oriented design and layered architecture. ● Designed comprehensive unit tests (JUnit, Mockito, Wiremock), improving development efficiency by 80%. ● Developed and maintained business rules using Kraken Rules Engine, including automated validation tests. ● Conducted root-cause analysis using logs and diagnostics, ensuring alignment with business and architectural needs. ● Collaborated with architects, business analysts, and multidisciplinary teams to deliver stable, high-quality features. ● Validated microservice behavior through local Docker deployments before release. ● Managed complex merge conflicts and contributed to seamless integration in distributed environments. ● Contributed to cloud-native microservices architecture deployed in Azure and containerized with Docker.

• Senior Software Engineer · HCL Technologies | USAA Banking07-01-2019 – 04-01-2021

  ● Developed backend Java features and REST services for accounting systems. ● Wrote unit tests (JUnit, Mockito) and optimized performance (+80%). ● Technologies: Java 8, DB2, WebSphere, Gradle, GitLab.

• Senior Software Engineer · DANAVIS | Government & Media Sector05-01-2015 – 03-01-2018

  Semantic Analysis System (Python 3.6 (Scrapy) + Java + MongoDB) – Web scraping, keyword extraction, public impact analysis and RESTful API development. Biometric Criminal System (Java / .NET) – Desktop Java and .NET development for biometric data processing (iris, fingerprints, voice, signature).

• IT Analyst · TCS(TATA Consultancy Services) | Government - Tax Administration Service09-01-2013 – 04-01-2015

  Java backend development, full-stack features (PrimeFaces, JSF, jQuery). Implementation of unit tests with JUnit.

• Programmer Analyst · Quality & Knowledge in IT Services01-01-2012 – 08-01-2013

  Automotive Data Evaluation System | Daimler Automotive Company Backend Java development (Spring, Hibernate, JPA), full-stack functionalities (ZK), JasperReports reports and SQL Server automations.

Education

• Instituto Tecnológico de ZacatepecBachelor’s, Computer Systems Engineering

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