Senior Database Developer

Job Title: Senior Database Developer

Location: Auburn Hills, MI

The position bridges the gap between ICT and plant execution by understanding both technical system requirements and manufacturing operational needs.

Summary of Duties, Responsibilities, and Knowledge Required

The Database Developer is required to support the planning, design, development, implementation, and continuous improvement of manufacturing data systems. This position enables standardized reporting, advanced analytics, digital tools, and user interfaces needed to improve plant performance, identify bottlenecks, and support operational decision-making across the organization.

Summary of Duties and Responsibilities

• Plan, design, develop, and implement company databases for reporting, analytics, and operational decision support.
• Modify existing databases and develop new database solutions from concept through deployment.
• Define data structures, database requirements, documentation, operational guidelines, and protection standards.
• Write and maintain database code, including queries, stored procedures, data access logic, and database modifications.
• Install, configure, manage, and support database environments used by manufacturing and support functions.
• Maintain database dictionaries, data relationships, and system integrations through effective database design.
• Support database standards, naming conventions, governance practices, and development guidelines.
• Monitor service requests and problem tickets, working directly with customers to resolve database and application issues.
• Perform data analytics and create dashboards using tools such as Qlik Sense to visualize manufacturing performance.
• Analyze manufacturing metrics to identify top bottleneck areas, downtime drivers, throughput constraints, and performance gaps.
• Work with ICT to migrate server data, normalize datasets, and build algorithms to ingest information from multiple sources.
• Develop user interfaces and applications to collect, display, and manage information across the organization.
• Support cross-functional teams including Maintenance, Quality, Operations, Engineering, ICT, and plant leadership.

Detailed Programming Language and Technology Requirements

• SQL: Advanced knowledge required to design and optimize complex queries, stored procedures, triggers, data structures, reporting tables, and high-volume manufacturing databases. SQL is critical for data integrity, performance, historical analysis, and standard reporting.
• Python: Required for data automation, ETL scripting, data validation, analytics, API integration, and future machine learning or predictive analytics use cases. Python supports scalable data processing and reduces manual reporting effort.
• C# / .NET / ASP.NET: Required to develop enterprise applications, web-based tools, backend services, and user interfaces that connect databases with plant systems, dashboards, and data collection processes.
• VBA: Required to support legacy Excel-based tools, automate repetitive reporting tasks, and bridge current plant-level processes with future database-driven solutions.
• Qlik Sense: Required to build dashboards, data models, visualizations, and leadership reporting tools for KPIs such as OPE, downtime, bottlenecks, and production performance.
• HTML / CSS / JavaScript: Required to create browser-based interfaces for data entry, validation, reporting, and user interaction across plant and corporate teams.
• C++ / Java / VB.NET: Required or strongly preferred to support legacy applications, vendor systems, object-oriented programming needs, and integration with existing manufacturing platforms.

Knowledge and Skills Required

• Strong knowledge of database design, data architecture, data structures, and database administration practices.
• Experience developing and reporting large, complex databases with high data accuracy and performance requirements.
• Advanced data analysis, validation, normalization, and processing skills.
• Ability to translate manufacturing needs into technical solutions, dashboards, applications, and automated reporting tools.
• Understanding manufacturing KPIs, plant performance metrics, downtime analysis, bottleneck identification, and throughput improvement.
• Ability to integrate data from multiple systems and create a reliable single source of truth.
• Knowledge of data analytics, machine learning, and data science concepts to support future digital transformation initiatives.
• Strong communication and coordination skills with ability to interface with hourly employees, engineers, plant leadership, ICT, and senior leadership.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, work under strict timelines, and support urgent plant operational needs.

Key Must Have’s:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or Master’s degree in Computer Science or related field preferred.
• 3-5 years of professional experience in Manufacturing Database Development
• Experience with MS Office and Google Workspace tools.
• Experience with SQL, Python, ASP.NET, VBA, Qlik Sense, HTML, and CSS.
• Experience developing, maintaining, and reporting from large and complex databases.
• Manufacturing experience preferred.
• Knowledge of analytics, machine learning, and data science preferred.