Damon Edwards

About Damon Edwards

Experienced Senior Python Engineer with over 9 years of expertise in building RESTful microservices and scalable applications using Python(Flask, Django). Proficient in AWS cloud services, Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD pipelines, with a strong focus on performance optimization and DevOps practices. Proven track record in leading agile initiatives, streamlining deployments, and improving system efficiency through distributed caching and fine-tuning application layers.

Experience

1. Senior Python Engineer

   Merkle

   Apr 2020 — Present · Plant City, FL, US

   Designed and built scalable microservices using Python (FastAPI, Flask) and Golang, optimizing payment processing pipelines for low-latency, high-throughput transactions. Spearheaded the design and implementation of cloud-native microservices in Python (FastAPI, Flask) and Golang, reducing payment transaction latency by ~30% and supporting peak volumes of transactions per minute. Built resilient order fulfillment and inventory sync APIs, leveraging GraphQL and gRPC to integrate real-time inventory data across TJX’s global retail operations. Architected a streaming analytics platform using Kafka, Flink, and Pulsar—enabling real-time purchase insights and a 20% faster merchandising decision cycle. Developed and deployed fraud and anomaly detection pipelines using PyTorch, TensorFlow, and Hugging Face models—detecting 98% of suspicious e-commerce activities in under 1 second. Led the migration from monolithic architecture to a hybrid containerized/serverless cloud stack (Kubernetes, AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Run), improving system scalability and hitting 99.95% uptime during Black Friday. Engineered a vector-based recommendation engine with FAISS, Weaviate, and Vertex AI—achieving a 15% lift in click-through rates for product suggestions. Orchestrated the development of AI-driven demand forecasting, using Transformer-based time-series models, XGBoost, and Prophet—cutting inventory shrink by 12% and stockouts by 18%. Optimized high-volume databases (PostgreSQL, CockroachDB, Redis) via advanced sharding, columnar indexing, and parallelized queries—halving query times under load. Crafted an interactive BI dashboard suite using React, D3.js, and WebAssembly—enabling executives to monitor cross-channel KPIs in real time. Implemented FIDO2/WebAuthn passwordless login flows to enhance security and reduce identity verification friction in loyalty app sign-ups.

Education

• University of Florida

  Bachelor's

  2011 — 2015