Lead Automation Software Developer

Kamps Overview:

Kamps is the leading full-service pallet company in the United States. We meet the needs of varied industries through innovative services that include: new pallet manufacturing, pallet recycling, and sustainable byproduct production (from pallets that cannot be reused). We believe the talented individuals that make up the Kamps team are our biggest asset. Here at Kamps we recognize and reward hard working individuals that consistently exceed expectations. We are excited for you to join our team and help us in achieving our mission of revolutionizing supply chains and serving our customers!

Summary:

Kamps is looking for a highly qualified and motivated technical leader to architect and oversee advanced automation solutions integrating PLCs, Python-based applications, machine vision, containerized deployments (K3s), and database systems. This role will lead a team that drives Industry 4.0 initiatives and smart manufacturing projects.

This position is largely remote with occasional in office days required at the corporate office in Grand Rapids, MI. This individual will be expected to work collaboratively with the team by utilizing Microsoft Teams and other development tools.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead and mentor a team of automation engineers and developers
• Design, develop, and maintain AI-powered vision applications and features
• Build, test, and deploy scalable APIs
• Design and maintain containerized applications using K3s for edge and on-prem deployments
• Participate in the full software development lifecycle: requirements analysis, coding, testing, documentation, deployment, and support
• Write and perform unit, integration, and end-to-end tests to ensure reliability and performance
• Contribute to Agile ceremonies, including daily stand-ups, planning meetings, and retrospectives
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues across the stack (front-end, back-end, infrastructure)

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or higher in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience
• Experience with front-end frameworks: React/Remix or Angular (TypeScript) and backend languages/frameworks: TypeScript, Python, or C#/ASP.NET
• Hands-on experience with K3s or Kubernetes for container orchestration
• Proficiency in databases such as Postgres or SQL Server
• Proficiency in Kubernetes, Docker, and cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, or GCP)
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, OAuth2, REST APIs, and microservices architecture
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and documentation skills
• Quick learner, adaptable to new technologies and techniques

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) in manufacturing environments
• Knowledge or experience with Rancher/K3s tooling
• Experience with computer vision libraries and models (OpenCV, TensorFlow, PyTorch, YOLO)
• Prior work in manufacturing, logistics, or industrial automation
• Experience with build and deploy CI/CD pipelines for AI/ML workloads
• Knowledge of observability tools such as Grafana, OpenTelemetry, and Prometheus
• Knowledge of pub/sub messaging systems, including experience with MQTT

Languages, Frameworks, and Tools:

We commonly use the following tools in our development process. This is not an exhaustive list, but familiarity with these technologies will be considered advantageous and will contribute to success in this role.

• Programming Languages: Python, TypeScript, C#
• Frameworks & Libraries: .NET, OpenCV, TensorFlow, PyTorch, YOL
• Containerization & Orchestration: Docker, Kubernetes, K3s, Rancher/K3s toolin
• Cloud, Messaging & Architecture: Azure, MQTT, microservices architectur
• Databases: PostgreSQL, SQL Serve
• DevOps & CI/CD: Azure DevOps, Git, CI/CD pipelines
• Observability & Monitoring: Grafana, Prometheus, OpenTelemetry

This list of duties is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities that senior management may deem necessary.