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Curriculum Vitae

Summary
  • 10+ years of multidisciplinary experience, including 4 years in a senior role
  • Python and Robotics expert, with work in industrial automation, data science, web development, and more
  • Work experience
  • Project sampling
    • SPIRIT: Masters thesis; third person view interface for controlling a monocular drone
    • Yozakura: Software lead for a teleoperated rescue robot
    • Gestural control of robots: Infrastructure for controlling robots with gestures
    • Open source projects
      • Two packages on PyPI, including latexipy (129 stars) for exporting Matplotlib-based plots into native LaTeX
      • Many repositories on GitHub, including my resume generator (118 stars) and AoC 2021, 2022
      • Contributions to major and minor open source projects, including numpy, ROS, and more
  • 20+ years of mentoring experience
  • Education
  • Kyoto University (Mechatronics lab), MEng
  • University of Waterloo, BASc Mechatronics
  • Technical skills include data science, web development, and robotics (both hardware and software)
  • Soft skills include adaptability, communication, languages, and leadership skills
  • Tools and technologies
    • Programming languages: Python, Javascript, C++, bash
    • Development: Git, CI/CD, Docker, documentation (Sphinx, mkdocs), testing (pytest)
    • Data science: Jupyter, SciPy stack, pandas, scikit-learn, SymPy, Matplotlib, Seaborn, Plotly, Streamlit
    • Web development: Python (FastAPI, Pydantic), Javascript (Vue), HTML, CSS, SQLAlchemy
    • Robotics: ROS stack; various microcontrollers, boards, sensors, and actuators
    • Hardware: Raspberry Pi, ESP8266, Arduino, mbed; MicroPython, CircuitPython, C++, C
    • Mechanical: Solidworks, Autodesk Inventor, OpenSCAD; design, analysis, simulation, and manufacturing
    • Electrical: PCB design and manufacturing, soldering, wiring, crimping, cable management
    • Other: ChatGPT and other LLMs; Gimp, Inkscape; Linux, macOS, Windows; various office suites
  • Testimonials from my colleagues highlight my technical expertise in Python, robotics, and related tools, with specific emphasis on my innovative problem-solving skills, continuous learning approach, and commitment to excellence. They further appreciate my proactive knowledge sharing, engaging in thoughtful discussions, and being a reliable, enjoyable teammate.

Résumé

You can also download my two-page résumé (PDF).

I'm Jean Nassar, and I'm a senior Python and robotics expert with more than 10 years of multidisciplinary experience. My primary focus is software engineering and interfacing with hardware, but I am also strong in mechanical and system design, data science, visualization, and web development.

Work Experience

I have worked primarily in a software engineering role, with a focus on Python and some robotics. I have worked in a variety of fields, including industrial automation, data science, and web development.

Software Developer, Nipro Digital Technologies Europe

September 2023 – Present, Belgium (remote)

Senior Software Engineer, Adimian

January 2021 – August 2023, Belgium (remote)

  • Took end-to-end project responsibility, including initial design, development, deployment, and maintenance.
  • Developed and maintained a variety of Python applications, including a web-based data management system and a data processing pipeline.
  • Utilized Python libraries like Pydantic, FastAPI, SQLAlchemy, and Redis for backend development and Vue for frontend tasks.
  • Efficiently addressed bug reports and managed releases, maintaining high-standard deliverables.
  • Mentored colleagues, helping them improve their skills and on-board new team members, to high praise.

Senior Python Developer, Yields.io

December 2019 – August 2020, Belgium (remote)

  • Worked on the core of the platform as the primary Python developer.
  • Refactored and stabilized the codebase, added thousands of tests, fixed bugs, and developed new features.
  • Worked on automatically migrating and testing client code and artifacts with version increases, and deprecated old features.
  • Moved integration tests away from depending on mocks into tests that worked with a deployed Docker environment.

Industrial Automation Engineer, Kapernikov

March – October 2019, Brussels, Belgium (hybrid)

  • Developed a monitoring system for a conveyor belt using Python 3 and ROS.
  • Used a laser profiler and camera for object identification and created a 3D representation of the conveyor belt.
  • Detected potentially disruptive objects in real time and produced visualizations for the client’s video management system.
  • Fixed bugs in C++ code and created a standalone ROS node for camera communication.

Data Scientist, Sentiance

February – January 2019, Antwerp, Belgium (hybrid)

  • Moved the company’s codebase from Python 2 to Python 3.
  • Refactored core functionality into more modular components
  • Verified and built machine learning models in numpy and scikit-learn.
  • Used pyspark to increase code efficiency by parallelizing, or to add new functionality.
  • Created several docker containers and docker-compose files to automate environment setup and teardown.
  • Worked on standardizing DevPI index contents using Pipenv.

As a student at the University of Waterloo, I also completed six co-operative education internships between 2009 and 2012, working in six companies in three countries over a total of two years.

Project sampling

SPIRIT

  • Masters thesis project at Kyoto University, developing a third-person view interface for controlling a monocular drone.
  • Created a system that superimposed a CGI version of the drone on top of an actual image taken by the FPV camera earlier.
  • Designed, conducted, and analyzed user studies which were performed to test the efficacy of the system, which showed a large improvement in many metrics, even with a 2 Hz transmission rate.

Yozakura

  • Led the software development team for the Yozakura teleoperated rescue robot at Kyoto University's Mechatronics Lab.
  • Developed a client-server system for robot control and wrote code for onboard Raspberry Pi and mbed chips, including drivers for various controllers and sensors.
  • The code was robust against failure and well-documented, providing useful error messages for hardware, software, and operator errors of various types, and correcting them where necessary.

Gestural control of robots

  • Initial research project at Kyoto University aimed at developing infrastructure to allow ergonomic control of robots using gestures.
  • Designed and developed infrastructure that abstracted away the interface used by using an API, with a proof of concept using the Myo armband from Thalmic Labs to control robots.

Open source projects

  • Two packages on PyPI, including latexipy (129 stars) for exporting Matplotlib-based plots into native LaTeX.
  • Many repositories on GitHub, including my resume generator (118 stars), as well as the 2021 and 2022 Advent of Code repositories.
  • Contributions to major and minor open source projects, including numpy, ROS, and more.

Mentoring Experience

  • Have mentored colleagues and coworkers in all my jobs, helping them with Python and software development best practices.
  • Over 20 years of experience as a private tutor, teaching subjects ranging from math and physics to English and Japanese, as well as Python for project work.
  • Recognized for the ability to explain complex concepts in simple terms and have received praise for my patience and effective teaching methods.

Skills

Technical skills

Tools and Technologies

For more details, please see the full list of tools and technologies I have experience with.

  • Software engineering, with expertise in Python
    • Proficient in multiple programming languages, including Javascript
    • Data science, including data analysis, modeling, and visualization.
    • Web development, including backend and frontend frameworks and languages.
  • Robotics, including software and hardware
    • Robotic software development using Python, ROS, C++, and C.
    • Experience developing drivers and working with various robotic hardware.
  • Mechanical and electrical engineering
    • Can design, manufacture, and assemble electromechanical systems, including robotic systems.
    • CAD software, mechanical system simulation, electrical design platforms, and digital logic design.
  • Knowledge of LLMs and other AI tools

Soft skills

  • Adaptability: Experienced in adapting to diverse environments and cultures.
  • Communication: Articulate and effective written and verbal communication skills.
  • Interpersonal: Exhibits patience and understanding when working with others.
  • Critical thinking: Applies methodical and analytical approach to problem-solving.
  • Leadership: Experienced in leading teams and projects effectively from start to finish.
  • Organizational: Experienced with project management as well as software development best practices.
  • Lifelong learning: Enthusiastic about expanding expertise across multiple domains.

Natural Languages

  • Native English and French
  • Intermediate Dutch
  • Advanced Japanese
  • And more

Education

Kyoto University

University of Waterloo

  • Completed Bachelor of Applied Science in Honours Mechatronics Engineering from 2008 to 2013.
  • Studied a combination of mechanical, electrical, and software engineering with a focus on practical application.
  • Completed six co-operative education internships in three countries over a total of two years.
  • Participated heavily in extracurricular activities, including several clubs and initiatives.
  • Completed numerous projects across a variety of disciplines.

Tools and Technologies

This is a small sampling of the tools and technologies I have experience with. For a more complete list, please see the full list.

  • Programming languages: Python, Javascript, C++, bash
  • Development: Git, CI/CD, Docker, documentation (Sphinx, mkdocs), testing (pytest)
  • Data science: Jupyter, SciPy stack, pandas, scikit-learn, SymPy, Matplotlib, Seaborn, Plotly, Streamlit
  • Web development: Python (FastAPI, Pydantic), Javascript (Vue), HTML, CSS, SQLAlchemy
  • Robotics: ROS stack; various microcontrollers, boards, sensors, and actuators
  • Hardware: Raspberry Pi, ESP8266, Arduino, mbed; MicroPython, CircuitPython, C++, C
  • Mechanical: Solidworks, Autodesk Inventor, OpenSCAD; design, analysis, simulation, and manufacturing
  • Electrical: PCB design and manufacturing, soldering, wiring, crimping, cable management
  • Other: ChatGPT and other LLMs; Gimp, Inkscape; Linux, macOS, Windows; various office suites

Testimonials from colleagues

  • Antonio Ferraro appreciates my talent, enthusiasm, innovative thinking, and quality Python coding skills, learning a lot from our time together.
  • Ann Peeters endorses me for my deep knowledge, methodical approach, advanced Git operations expertise, and my dedication to excellence, enjoying our nerdy topic discussions and my continuous learning pace.
  • Kenny Van de Maele recommends me for my impressive Python expertise, quick learning, innovative problem-solving skills, and collaborative demeanor, acknowledging my diverse knowledge beyond typical coding.
  • Bram Vereertbrugghen notes my ability to learn quickly, in-depth, and with enthusiasm, appreciating my specialized and well-researched questions and my excitement about new things.
  • Sergey Paramonov commends my deep knowledge of Python programming and ability to tackle challenging technical problems due to a strong understanding of computer science fundamentals.