Open to opportunities

Sara Star

@sarastar

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Senior software engineer with 12+ years building scalable Python full-stack and AI/ML cloud-native systems.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I’m looking for a team in an agile environment where I can architect scalable Python full-stack systems, integrate AI/ML and RAG/LLM features, and drive measurable impact through microservices, performance tuning, and cloud-native DevOps automation.

I’m an accomplished Senior Software Engineer with 12+ years of Python-centric full-stack experience, specializing in scalable architecture design, AI/ML integration, and cloud-native solutions. I architect performant systems, optimize SQL/NoSQL databases, and lead agile teams to deliver secure, production-ready platforms.

In recent roles, I’ve built and launched greenfield microservices products, improved performance and engagement with hands-on Django/FastAPI and React/Next.js work, and delivered RAG/LLM-powered experiences using OpenAI and LangChain. I’ve earned “Engineer of the Year” and “Innovation in Technology” recognition for mentoring, rapid prototyping, and reducing costs while accelerating delivery through DevOps automation and CI/CD.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Senior Software Engineer

Current

Andela

Oct 2023 - Present (2 years 8 months)

Led end-to-end design of a greenfield microservices product, cutting manual verification from hours to seconds, and increased eCommerce engagement by 20% across 200K+ monthly visitors. Built RAG/LLM features, reduced document classification time 70%, lowered API costs 30%, and earned the 2023 Engineer of the Year award.

Python Django fastAPI React Next.js AWS Microservices Architecture GraphQL Docker Kubernetes

Full Stack Engineer

Ensight Technologies

Dec 2022 - Sep 2023 (9 months)

Improved application loading speed by 35% and increased average session duration by 80+ seconds using Next.js optimizations, Redis caching, and PostgreSQL query tuning. Designed FastAPI microservices on AWS with Docker/Kubernetes and delivered early LLM/RAG features that increased key engagement metrics by 25%.

Python fastAPI TypeScript React Next.js PostgreSQL Redis AWS Docker Kubernetes

Full Stack Engineer

American Endowment Foundation

Jan 2017 - Nov 2022 (5 years 10 months)

Optimized Python backends and React/Next.js frontends to increase loading speed 24% and boost average session time by 70+ seconds across 5+ production systems. Built scalable Django/FastAPI platforms using microservices patterns, driving 130% growth in user engagement and earning the 2020 Innovation in Technology Award.

Python Django Flask fastAPI React Next.js SQL Server Azure CI CD

Backend Developer

Cisco

Jan 2017 - Nov 2022 (5 years 10 months)

Developed and maintained high-traffic Django-based RESTful APIs, improving response times by 40% through scalable backend design and database schema optimization. Tuned SQL/NoSQL performance and implemented automated testing, CI/CD, and cloud deployment strategies to enhance security, release stability, and reliability.