Role description

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.

RECRUITER NOTES:

Bottom Line
• This position is not only a database developer role. It is a critical full-time role needed to support manufacturing performance, data accuracy, standard reporting, system integration, and digital transformation. The required programming knowledge across SQL, Python, .NET, VBA, Qlik Sense, and web technologies makes this position essential for building sustainable systems that support operational improvements across the plant network, this is not a position that can be easily replaced and trained.

Business Case for Full-Time Hire
• This role directly supports manufacturing stability by enabling faster identification of bottlenecks, downtime drivers, and throughput losses.
• A full-time position provides ownership and continuity for critical databases, dashboards, applications, and reporting systems used across multiple functions.
• The role reduces dependency on manual reporting, fragmented spreadsheets, and temporary support by creating standardized and scalable data solutions.
• Full-time support is needed to maintain and expand digital tools across plants, including data ingestion, dashboard development, system integration, and application support.
• The position bridges the gap between ICT and plant execution by understanding both technical system requirements and manufacturing operational needs.
• Internal ownership improves response time for plant issues, work order requests, dashboard gaps, data quality problems, and reporting changes.
• The role supports future digital transformation initiatives such as predictive maintenance, AI/ML analytics, vision system integration, CMMS connectivity, and automated performance reporting. (New 2026)
• Hiring full-time builds internal capability and protects long-term knowledge of systems, logic, data relationships, and business rules that would otherwise be dependent on contractors or temporary resources.
• The position has cross-functional impact across Maintenance, Quality, Operations, Engineering, and leadership teams, making it a strategic resource rather than a task-based developer role.