🐍 CV 🐍
Stephen King's CV
Stephen King
Software Engineer | Python Developer
Summary
Experienced Python Developer and Software Engineer with 16+ years of expertise in automation, embedded systems, and scalable software design. Skilled at modernising legacy systems, streamlining workflows, and building efficient, maintainable codebases. Equally effective as an independent problem-solver or collaborative team member, with a proactive, results-focused approach that consistently delivers measurable improvements in performance and reliability.
💻 Key Skills
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🎓 Education
- MSc. Biochemistry, University of Reading.
- BSc. Biochemistry with Chemistry, University of Reading.
- ‘A’ Levels: Physics, Chemistry, Pure Mathematics and Biology.
📜 Professional Qualifications
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👨💻 Employment History
Senior Scientific Software Engineer, MetOffice (Dec. 2024 – Jul. 2025)
- Designed and implemented automated workflows using Cylc to replace legacy data feeds, streamlining the extraction and
- processing of meteorological data from MOGREPS-UK, UKV, and Global weather models.
- Developed data pipelines in Microsoft Azure, leveraging cloud resources for rapid prototyping and scalability,
- before deploying the final production workflows to the MetOffice supercomputer environment for operational use.
- Worked extensively with NetCDF formats and used Python libraries like xarray, numpy, pandas and scipy for efficient
- handling and analysis of high-resolution, multidimensional datasets.
- Utilised Dask to parallelise and optimise performance for large-scale data processing tasks.
- Managed environments with Conda/Mamba and integrated JFrog Artifactory for secure, versioned package management; and
- implemented CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions.
- Followed Python best practices, including modular architecture, unit testing, version control (Git), documentation,
- and PEP 8 compliance to deliver robust and maintainable code.
- Liaised with stakeholders to gather requirements, ensuring new data services were aligned with operational needs and
- delivered measurable improvements in reliability and performance.
- Promoted high standards of scientific software development within the team, including mentoring colleagues and
- contributing to long-term technical strategy.
Python Developer, Freelance (Sep. 2023 – Nov. 2024)
- Provided direct independent software development services to several clients, with recent focus on start-up IoT projects, medical diagnostic devices and robotic SDK.
Senior Python Developer, AMD (Jan. 2020 – Jul. 2023)
- Led a team of developers to design and implement a fully automated Continuous Integration testing and development framework by leveraging FastAPI on AWS EC2, S3, SQS, SNS, and DynamoDB utilizing Python Lambda functions and Boto3 scripts. Managed Source code on GitHub with linting and unit tests being performed by workflows and Actions.
- Streamlined the legacy performance test system, seamlessly integrating it into the new environment for enhanced efficiency.
- Automated the laboratory network infrastructure operations by utilizing Python libraries like nornir, netmiko, napalm, and fabric and employed Ansible YAML playbooks and Pulumi Python scripts as robust Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools.
- Developed comprehensive functional and load tests for web interfaces using Playwright and Locust Python scripts.
- Diagnosed inefficiencies and gaps in existing ecosystems and recommended / implemented remediation through process improvement, automation and tooling.
- Engaged in agile ceremonies including planning, retrospectives, backlog refinement, demonstrations and daily stand-ups.
- Conducted code reviews, provided technical guidance, and mentored junior developers to improve code quality and development practices.
Career Break (Jan. 2019 – Nov. 2019)
This period was taken to renovate the house and relocate.
Automation Engineer, Qualcomm (Aug. 2016 – Dec. 2018)
- Resolved issues within the Python framework and test code; identified and remedied bugs discovered. Engineered infrastructure automation software following CI/CD principles.
- Innovated and crafted new features for the automation framework.
- Ensured Python environments remained current and aligned with the latest language advancements and interfaced seamlessly with other company environments.
- Assisted colleagues in Python code development; delivered training for new users.
- Defined and engineered novel automation tools to optimize testing and debugging efficiency.
- Designed and developed various PyQT6 tools and utilities.
- Attained 100% unit test coverage leveraging Pytest.
- Bolstered and expanded the Automation for Software Configuration Management, Release, and Code Control tools in a complex Engineering setting.
- Managed source code within a distributed Git/Gerrit infrastructure.
- Orchestrated the integration of diverse tools in the toolchain, elevating team velocity while upholding top-notch quality and consistency.
SDET (DevOps), Cisco (Jul. 2011 – Aug. 2016)
- Designed, developed and maintained robust automated test suites using Python scripts, Selenium (Python bindings), and other relevant tools to validate software functionality across various platforms and environments. Created and maintained the test infrastructure, frameworks, and tools required for automated testing. This involved writing code to automate tests, ensuring they are scalable, maintainable, and integrated into the development process.
- Designed, coded, and executed automated tests to validate software functionality, performance, and security
- Worked closely with developers to understand the software architecture, design, and implementation. Participated in code reviews, offered insights into testability concerns, and advocated for best practices in testing.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to integrate automated tests into the CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, ensuring continuous and reliable software delivery.
- Implemented and managed configuration management tools such as Ansible playbooks and Puppet manifests to automate deployment and maintain consistency across environments.
- Developed and maintained Linux shell scripts for various automation tasks and system configurations.
- Utilized CouchDB, Memcached, Squid, ETL, ActiveMQ, Redis, and other relevant technologies to create comprehensive test scenarios and perform end-to-end testing of microservice architectures.
- Managed and orchestrated virtualized environments using VMware, VirtualBox, and KVM for testing purposes.
- Utilized containerization in the form of Docker to provide consistent development environments.
- Conducted performance testing using tools like JMeter, ensuring software scalability and efficiency.
- Utilized Logstash, Kibana, Grafana, Graphite, and Prometheus for log management, monitoring, and analysis of system metrics.
- Actively contributed to the identification and implementation of best practices for software testing and quality assurance. Project management and bug tracking was accomplished with the aid of Jira.
SDET, Solarflare Communications (Mar. 2010 – Jun. 2011)
- Engineered and implemented an automated test framework in Python, integrating open source and commercial tools to validate the performance and protocol functionality of 10Gb network devices.
- Conducted meticulous comparative performance tests against competitors’ products, leveraging Matplotlib to visualize and interpret the results graphically.
- Crafted test specifications based on IETF RFC and IEEE standards, facilitating protocol verification by automating processes with Ixia packet generators.
- Orchestrated the creation and maintenance of reporting dashboards using Django.
- Resolved intricate automation and product-testing challenges, collaborating closely with cross-functional product teams to deploy robust test strategies, plans, and processes.
- Generated product-specific test plans, ensuring comprehensive coverage aligned with precise product requirements.
- Designed and developed web scraping scripts to extract pertinent competitor product data.
QA Automation Engineer, 3Com (Feb. 2009 – Jan. 2010)
- Tested all functional and non-functional aspects of C++ embedded software on a unified security platform, encompassing firewall, Router, web filtering, spam filtering and anti-Virus functionality.
- Utilised Spirent Smartbits packet generators, Avalanche traffic generators and automated tests with Python, Perl and Tcl.
QA Team Leader, Citrix (Dec. 2005 – Dec. 2008)
- Completed many diverse full life cycle testing projects including release 4.5 of Presentation Server, XenApp, XenDesktop, XenServer and Edgesight products.
- Complex server farm environments were generated using VMware with automation scripts.
- Collaborated with product teams to implement and deploy test strategies, test plans, and test processes.
Network Support Analyst, BT
- Responsible for 3rd line support of the ISP Network infrastructure components.
- Diverse equipment base supported including Cabletron 8000 routers, Cisco Catalyst 5000/5500 Cisco 7500’s, F5 BigIP, Nokia ip650 and checkpoint-1.
- Implemented an “Acceptance into Service” procedure for newly installed networks: A comprehensive set of tests to confirm supportability.
Protocol Verification Engineer, 3Com
- Created test specifications utilising 3Com design documentation and specifications from the following standards bodies: IANA, IETF and IEEE.
- Designed test specifications for agent features and packet level protocol functionality for the following: VLAN tagging (802.1q), GMRP (802.1P), Spanning Tree (802.1d), Aggregated links (802.3ad), QoS, IGMP, SNMPv2c & v3, IGMPv3, Syslog, QoS, SNTP and 802.1x
- Identified areas for test automation. Maintained and updated existing test automation systems utilizing JavaScript.
- Participated in high level test planning and forecasting activities. Generated clear concise written reports of testing activities, progress of assigned areas of responsibility and product defects.
Full Career history available upon request
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