Melissa Cromwell

Professional Summary

I specialise in Python and Django applications and data systems—PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, APIs, and the pipelines that connect enterprise platforms—and in reporting that stakeholders can act on: adhoc reports, SSRS and other report builders (including Tableau and similar tools), mass data updates, and in-app graphs, dashboards, and operational reporting built into the applications I ship—plus extracts, mass updates, and HR/payroll reporting (including T4 corrections) that feed other systems when urgent requests land. I also build in other stacks, including PHP enterprise sites and Next.js product apps, where the problem calls for it. Over more than a decade I have taken solutions from business analysis and project leadership through design, development, integration, deployment, reporting, documentation, training, and production support. That work spans operational business systems, customer-facing multi-tenant products, and the platform infrastructure used to host and operate them—including Google and LDAP sign-in, Firebase integrations for push and related services, email and SMS notifications, real-time and background processing with Redis and Celery, Linux-based DevOps (deploy, SSL, and automated backups of databases and application files), and reliable support after go-live.

Technical Skills

Core stack

Day-to-day tools for the systems I design and ship.

Python Django & DRF PostgreSQL Celery & Redis Tailwind · Alpine · HTMX Ubuntu Linux

Software Development

Python Django & Django REST Framework PHP JavaScript HTML & CSS

Also used: Next.js / Node.js for product apps; WordPress for content sites

Data and Reporting

PostgreSQL MySQL Microsoft SQL Server SQL, T-SQL & PL/pgSQL Adhoc reporting & urgent extracts SSRS, Tableau & third-party report builders In-app dashboards, graphs & operational reports Mass updates & data correction workflows HR / payroll extracts & T4 updates Data modelling, migration & integration

Frontend and User Experience

Tailwind CSS Alpine.js HTMX Tabulator Plotly.js

Infrastructure and Delivery

Ubuntu Linux Nginx & Gunicorn Celery & Redis Windows Server SSL/TLS configuration VM & application deployment Automated database & application-file backups Recovery and restore processes

Auth, Messaging & Real-time

Google OAuth / Google sign-in LDAP directory authentication Firebase (Auth, FCM / push) Session & multi-provider OAuth Email & SMS notifications Background jobs & scheduled tasks Redis-backed queues and caching API webhooks & integrations

Professional Capabilities

Project leadership & delivery planning Systems architecture Business-process automation API design and integration Technical documentation User training and production support

Professional Experience

Software Engineer

Point Lisas Industrial Port Development Corporation (PLIPDECO)

Trinidad and Tobago

January 2022 – Present

Lead software engineer for the Hauliers Management System (HMS), covering project leadership, business analysis, architecture, development, deployment, and production support for driver and truck port-pass workflows.
Lead development of PPE Management System v2 while supporting the fully operational PPEMS v1 estate during rollout and user training.
Own ongoing development and production support for Marine PDS, a PHP/MySQL harbour and marine-services platform used by agents, shippers, and harbour management—including Google and LDAP authentication, APIs, notifications, and support tooling.
Deliver reporting and data services across PLIPDECO—adhoc and SSRS reports (and equivalent work in Tableau or other report builders when needed), urgent extracts, mass updates (including T4 / payroll corrections), HR and payroll reports consumed by other systems, and in-app graphs, dashboards, and operational reporting built into applications such as HMS, PPEMS, and Marine PDS.
Designed a Celery-based synchronisation process from a read-only Microsoft SQL Server source into PostgreSQL so PPEMS stays available when the upstream source is down—reducing reliance on a single live connection for day-to-day PPE work.
Delivered operational UI capabilities for PPEMS including Plotly.js visualisations, dashboards, and electronic signature / acknowledgement capture.
Handle DevOps for production apps across Ubuntu Linux VMs and Windows Servers—provisioning, SSL, deploy, monitoring after go-live, and automated backups of databases and application files with tested recovery paths.

Programmer/Analyst

College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT)

Trinidad and Tobago

August 2011 – January 2022

Led a large-scale Accounts Receivable data migration, analysing and applying government funding records across 16 years of student accounts (2005–2021) within the ERP.
Built complex financial and operational reports—adhoc extracts, visualisations, and institutional reporting across SSRS-style / BI and other report-building tools—using advanced SQL and Python.
Partnered with local financial institutions to configure and launch the TouchNet online payment gateway for secure student payments.
Supported and extended the college WordPress site with custom forms and user-feedback features.

Systems Support Administrator

Covanta Energy Corporation

New Jersey, USA

July 2009 – June 2010

Supported PeopleSoft and Maximo ERP integrations, working with developers and DBAs to keep business-critical applications operational.
Diagnosed and resolved technical issues using SQL and XML-based troubleshooting against production systems.

Projects

Hauliers Management System (HMS)

Production / Active Development

Problem: Driver and truck port-pass applications involve documents, approvals, HSE orientation, payments, distribution, and status updates that must be managed consistently across multiple roles.
Role: Lead software engineer responsible for project leadership, business analysis, architecture, application development, deployment, and production support.
Solution: A Django-based system that centralises driver and truck records, port-pass applications, document handling, multi-stage approvals, HSE orientation, payment tracking, notifications, pass generation, and operational reporting for the roles that run the process.
Outcome: Improved visibility and traceability throughout the port-pass process—clearer application statuses, centralised driver/truck records, coordinated multi-stage workflows across requestors, managers, HSE, and administrative teams, and reporting stakeholders can use from within the application.

Python Django PostgreSQL Celery Redis JavaScript In-app reporting Linux deployment

PPE Management System (PPEMS)

v1 Fully Operational · v2 Rollout and Training

Problem: PPE processes needed a dependable company-wide system for managing requests, approvals, distribution, acknowledgement, and reporting—with resilience when upstream enterprise data sources are unavailable.
Role: Lead software engineer for architecture, development, deployment, and support across the PPEMS estate.
Solution: PPEMS v1 is the established production system. PPEMS v2 modernises and expands those capabilities with enhanced workflows, role-based approvals, distribution tracking, digital acknowledgement, auditability, and in-app reporting with graphs and dashboards, and is being introduced alongside v1 during rollout and user training. The stack centres on Django/DRF, PostgreSQL, Celery-based data synchronisation, and a Tailwind CSS, Alpine.js, and HTMX frontend with Plotly.js visualisations.
Outcome: PPEMS v1 remains the day-to-day operational system with reporting stakeholders can use in-app; a Celery sync into PostgreSQL keeps the app usable when the upstream MSSQL source is unavailable. PPEMS v2 is in company-wide rollout and user training.

Python Django / DRF PostgreSQL Celery Plotly.js In-app reporting Tailwind CSS Alpine.js HTMX

Marine PDS

Production / Active Development

Problem: Agents, shippers, and harbour management need a shared operational platform for marine services, support requests, integrations, and role-based access—without depending on a single authentication or notification channel.
Role: Software engineer responsible for ongoing development, security and usability upgrades, API and notification work, deployment, and production support.
Solution: A PHP and MySQL production system with role-specific agent, shipper, and harbour-management surfaces, Google and LDAP sign-in options, support ticketing, outbound email/SMS notifications, documented APIs for schedule and integration partners, and operational reporting for marine-services stakeholders.
Outcome: Marine PDS remains the live operational platform for marine-services stakeholders, with continued hardening, usability improvements, in-app and extract reporting, and integration support for administrators and external partners.

PHP MySQL JavaScript REST APIs Google sign-in LDAP Email & SMS notifications In-app reporting

Enterprise Data Migration & Reporting

Completed

Problem: Accounts Receivable needed accurate application of government funding across many years of student account history, with reliable reporting for finance stakeholders.
Role: Programmer/analyst responsible for analysis, migration logic, and reporting outputs.
Solution: Data engineering against the institutional ERP, applying funding records across 16 years of student accounts (2005–2021), plus SQL and Python-driven extracts and visual reports.
Outcome: Brought 16 years of funding history into consistent ERP account records and improved reporting support for financial decision-making.

SQL Python ERP data Reporting / BI Data migration

Education

Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, PA, USA

Major: Computer Science, Minor: Mathematics

Graduated: May 2009

Get In Touch

Contact

Location
Trinidad and Tobago

Email
mel@melissacromwell.com