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Brandon Ray
Android Developer
Software Engineer
Backend Developer

Brandon Ray

Hello, my name is Brandon Ray and I am a Senior Software Engineer living in Chicago, IL. Currently, I'm leading Android and backend modernization initiatives at Walgreens, where I architect scalable solutions serving 9,000+ retail locations.

My career path has been diverse and intentional. I graduated from Mizzou with a degree in Information Technology, starting in manufacturing at Henkel Consumer Goods where I built MES systems and managed multi-million dollar capital projects. From there, I transitioned to Industrial Control Concepts as a Manufacturing Systems Engineer, architecting custom analytics engines and industrial automation solutions for clients like Miller Coors and Diageo.

Seeking more traditional software engineering, I joined Enterprise Holdings where I developed Android applications for 10,000+ rental locations and designed backend services deployed to AWS. I then moved to consulting at Daugherty Business Solutions, working on full-stack projects for Edward Jones, Anheuser-Busch, and Bayer - building everything from Android apps to edge-to-cloud IoT pipelines on Azure.

Today at Walgreens, I focus on enterprise-scale modernization: leading the migration of 26 microservices from Java 8 to Java 17/Spring Boot 3, architecting backend platforms for real-time order fulfillment and device orchestration, and establishing modern Android patterns with Jetpack Compose and Kotlin Multiplatform.

Outside of work, I'm building plan'r - a production-ready social dining platform that showcases my full-stack expertise. It's a 5-service cloud application featuring a Kotlin Multiplatform mobile app (70%+ shared code across Android/iOS), Spring Boot 3 backend, Python ML service for AI-powered recommendations, and React admin portal - all deployed on Azure with infrastructure-as-code.

Application architecture is where I find the most satisfaction - analyzing problems, determining scale requirements, and developing solutions that work flawlessly while providing room for future growth. Whether it's modernizing legacy systems or building greenfield applications, I'm passionate about creating robust, scalable software that solves real problems.

Download Resume

What I Do

Android & Full-Stack Platform Engineering

Currently at Walgreens, I lead modernization of 20+ Android applications and 26 Spring Boot microservices serving 9,000+ retail locations. I solo-developed the FOLLOW app in under 3 weeks (achieving a 4.4+ star rating), led the enterprise-wide migration from Java 8/Spring Boot 1 to Java 17/Spring Boot 3 + Kotlin, and validated modern frameworks like Jetpack Compose and Kotlin Multiplatform in production. I architect backend platforms powering SSO authentication, real-time order fulfillment, device orchestration, and cross-channel notifications - all while building custom Gradle plugins and monitoring dashboards to improve developer productivity across the organization.

Data Engineering

Throughout my career, I've worked with data at scale - from SQL and ETL pipelines feeding SSRS reports, to edge-to-cloud IoT systems processing millions of sensor transactions daily. At Anheuser-Busch, I built Azure-based data pipelines connecting manufacturing equipment to Databricks for real-time analytics. More recently with plan'r, I've moved into ML engineering: training LightGBM models with automated daily pipelines, implementing ONNX serialization for production deployment, and building Flask services that deliver AI-powered recommendations with optimized cold-start performance.

Manufacturing Systems

My career originated in manufacturing, where I quickly advanced from database applications to electrical and reliability engineering. I reviewed electrical schematics, programmed production lines and robotic devices, and created custom C# analytics engines with shared memory architecture that outperformed commercial alternatives. This foundation in industrial systems - MES software, PLC programming, SCADA integration, and OEE data collection - taught me to build resilient, mission-critical systems that operate in demanding real-world environments.

Architecting

System architecture is where I find the most satisfaction in software development. Whether starting from scratch or modernizing legacy systems, I enjoy analyzing problems, determining scale requirements, and designing solutions that work flawlessly while providing room for future growth. From architecting event-driven microservices handling millions of daily transactions to designing cloud migration strategies and building cross-platform mobile applications, I focus on creating robust, scalable systems that solve real problems.

Pet Projects

plan'r

plan'r

A production-ready social dining coordination platform that showcases modern full-stack development. Built as a 5-service cloud architecture featuring:

  • Kotlin Multiplatform mobile app with 70%+ shared code across Android/iOS using Jetpack Compose Multiplatform
  • Spring Boot 3 backend integrating 5 external APIs with Resilience4j circuit breakers, retry logic, and Caffeine caching
  • Python ML service with LightGBM for AI-powered restaurant recommendations, featuring automated training pipelines and ONNX deployment
  • React admin portal for analytics, user management, and push notifications
  • Azure infrastructure with Container Apps, PostgreSQL, and Bicep infrastructure-as-code
  • CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions, semantic versioning, and environment-specific deployments
This project demonstrates my ability to architect and deliver complete solutions from mobile UI to ML models to cloud infrastructure. Check out planr.fun!

QualiTech Checkpoint

A modern Android reimagining of quality control systems I built early in my manufacturing career. Brings inspection checklists, barcode verification, and compliance tracking to mobile devices.

Barcode Grader

An OpenCV-based Android app that uses a phone's camera to grade barcode quality - replacing expensive dedicated hardware. Proved more challenging than expected but taught valuable lessons about computer vision and mobile performance optimization.

Resume

12 Years of Experience

Education

2014
University of Missouri - Columbia

Bachelor of Science - Information Technology

Minor in Computer Science

Experience

Feb 2024 - Current
Walgreens

Senior Software Engineer

  • Leading modernization initiative for 20+ Android applications serving 9,000+ retail locations, focusing on scalability and feature velocity using modern frameworks (Jetpack Compose, Kotlin Multiplatform)
  • Sole developer of FOLLOW app—designed, architected, and delivered full-featured Android application in under 3 weeks, achieving 4.4+ star rating and demonstrating rapid full-stack delivery capability
  • Led enterprise-wide migration of 26 JVM microservices from Java 8/Spring Boot 1 to Java 17/Spring Boot 3 + Kotlin, significantly improving performance, maintainability, and developer experience
  • Architected backend platforms powering critical retail systems including in-store device orchestration, SSO authentication, real-time order fulfillment (Same Day Orders), cross-channel notifications, and checklist management
  • Designed cloud migration strategy from Azure VMs to Container Apps, reducing infrastructure overhead and enabling autoscaling for high-throughput services
  • Built developer productivity tools including custom Gradle plugins for unified build/test/release workflows and TME Service Health Dashboard for real-time microservice monitoring
  • Created automated Azure DevOps pipelines for smoke testing, service restarts, and release management, substantially reducing manual deployment overhead
  • Enhanced application quality through rigorous testing practices and embedded observability tools (Dynatrace, Omniture, SonarQube), resolving critical production issues and improving system resilience
  • Mentored engineers on Kotlin adoption, Jetpack Compose migration, Spring Boot modernization, and architectural decision-making while partnering across Product, Photo, Transportation, and Infrastructure teams
Nov 2020 - Feb 2024
Daugherty Business Solutions

Consultant - Software Engineer II, Software Engineer III

  • Led Android platform initiatives for Edward Jones, designing secure authentication, self-service, and settings flows for modern app using Kotlin and RxJava while maintaining legacy systems and contributing to shared architecture across iOS and web (React)
  • Solely responsible for sustaining legacy Android systems while simultaneously driving development of next-generation cross-platform solution as part of full-stack team
  • Migrated Bayer Crop Sciences internal Android app toward platform-agnostic architecture, improving scalability and maintainability across devices and form factors
  • Delivered edge-to-cloud IoT pipelines for Anheuser-Busch, connecting manufacturing equipment to Azure services and Databricks for real-time analytics at brewery scale
  • Architected event-driven microservices on Azure with Azure SQL and Event Hubs, reducing latency 25% and supporting millions of daily sensor-driven transactions across manufacturing operations
  • Collaborated across mobile, web, and cloud teams to ensure feature parity, performance consistency, and unified developer experience
Nov 2016 - Nov 2020
Enterprise Holdings

Software Engineer 1, Software Engineer 2

  • Developed and refined Android applications for enterprise use, enhancing rental operations across 10,000+ locations with Returns, Quick Returns, and secure payment/leasing flows
  • Led migration to Kotlin across multiple enterprise apps, ensuring reliability, performance, and modern development practices
  • Designed backend-for-frontend (BFF) services in Java deployed to AWS, ensuring performant and secure API layers between mobile clients and cloud systems
  • Mentored junior developers and participated in architectural planning across mobile and backend squads
Jan 2015 - Nov 2016
ICC Inc

Manufacturing Systems Engineer

  • Developed MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) for manufacturing clients across multiple industries, creating solutions that increased operational efficiency through integrated data collection and analysis
  • Programmed PLC logic to capture OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) information from plant floor equipment, seamlessly integrating with SCADA systems for comprehensive reporting and performance monitoring
  • Architected one-of-a-kind C# client-server analytics engine utilizing shared memory architecture for unprecedented real-time data collection from plant floor equipment, outperforming commercial systems in both efficiency and accuracy
  • Delivered diverse industrial automation projects as consultant for 10+ clients including Miller Coors (brewery and filling system design), Afton Chemical (chemical processing logic controller upgrades), Diageo Brands, Reckitt Benckiser, Paulo Products, Aisin, Sealed Air, Libman, and Sage Clarity
Jun 2011 - Jan 2015
Henkel Consumer Goods

Intern/Co-Op, Electrical Engineer Site Associate, Reliability Engineer

  • Developed and utilized MES software resources to identify areas for cost reduction and operational improvement
  • Resolved critical line performance issues, increasing production efficiency by 15% through systematic troubleshooting and optimization
  • Managed several $1M+ capital projects from initial concept through installation for new and existing production lines, including comprehensive IT infrastructure designs and deployments
  • Created software-database applications to improve quality processes and Management of Change (MOC) practices
  • Wrote standard operating procedures for best practices used by maintenance and operations personnel

Competencies

Mobile Architecture

90%

Android Development

95%

Cloud Technologies

88%

Backend Development

90%

API Design & Integration

88%

Desktop Development

40%

Web Development

75%

Data Engineering

85%

DevOps & CI/CD

85%

System Design & Architecture

88%

Machine Learning & Engineering

70%

Coding Skills

Java

85%

Kotlin

95%

C#

50%

Python

75%

Swift

30%

SQL

90%

NoSQL

70%

JavaScript

80%

TypeScript

85%

HTML / CSS

75%

Certifications

AZ-900

Contact

Get in Touch

573-579-5287

Chicago, IL

brandon@brandonray.me

Freelance Available

How Can I Help You?