Benoit Coste, Developer in Ambilly, France
Benoit is available for hire
Hire Benoit

Benoit Coste

Verified Expert  in Engineering

Data Mining Developer

Location
Ambilly, France
Toptal Member Since
September 17, 2020

Benoit is a scientist at heart transformed into a software engineer. He worked as an astrophysicist where he did data analysis and data science in order to measure cosmic-ray fluxes. Lately, he's worked as a software engineer for a neuroscience research project where he redesigned a full scientific software stack. His major skills are developing and designing algorithms or improving scientific codes by making them faster or more optimized.

Portfolio

PepsiCo Global
Python, SQL, Pandas, Data Science, Spark, PostgreSQL...
Blue Brain Project
Pandas, NumPy, Python, JSON, YAML, APIs, C++, PyBind11, Plotly, Matplotlib...
Amadeus
NumPy, Python, SQL, C++, AngularJS, MySQL, JavaScript, API Integration...

Experience

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

Emacs

The most amazing...

...thing I've developed is an I/O library for reading and writing neuroscientific morphological data which is now widely used across the Blue Brain Project.

Work Experience

Python Engineer for a Data Science Team

2021 - 2022
PepsiCo Global
  • Supervised the refactoring of the codebase. Set up the continuous integration (CI) and the test framework. Optimized code performances, got rid of unused and duplicated code. Shared best practices with other developpers.
  • Developped new data analysis pipelines using Spark in order to run clustering algorithms. Set up AWS buckets to cache intermediate computation and store final results.
  • Automated a manual workflow into a one click operation. The task went from being one hour long to five minutes long.
  • Used Hydra to simplify configuration file management.
  • Designed a Python package to interact with the company Jira board (automatically saved command line history, configured files and results into their respective Jira ticket).
Technologies: Python, SQL, Pandas, Data Science, Spark, PostgreSQL, Continuous Integration (CI), Pytest, Data Engineering

Senior Scientific Developer

2017 - 2021
Blue Brain Project
  • Developed an open-sourced Python, C++, and I/O library for reading and writing neuron morphology files.
  • Supported, modernized, and enriched the morphology stack (around 20 libraries) of the Blue Brain Project.
  • Interacted with and managed scientists to make them develop their code according to the project standard. Evangelized them to use our team's recommended software.
  • Maintained a PostgreSQL database to keep track of the provenance of each newly generated scientific artifact.
  • Developed and maintained our team's continuous integration environment (Travis CI, Github, and Jenkins). Published our open-source software to PyPI.
  • Tasked with producing standard compliance Python wheels and Python projects written in C++.
  • Developed and maintained an internal website (Django and Vue) connected to our Python internal packages for scientists.
Technologies: Pandas, NumPy, Python, JSON, YAML, APIs, C++, PyBind11, Plotly, Matplotlib, SciPy, PostgreSQL, GitHub, GitHub API, PyPI, Django, Vue 2, JavaScript, Analytics, Data Analytics, Data Visualization, API Integration, Web Development, REST APIs, Open Source, Data Engineering

Python Back-end Developer

2016 - 2017
Amadeus
  • Developed optimization algorithms to reseat flight passengers in case of disruptions.
  • Maintained and improved the MySQL database storing the passengers in each flight.
  • Did on-shift duties to fix bugs found by client airlines.
  • Contributed to the front-end development of the website (Angular).
Technologies: NumPy, Python, SQL, C++, AngularJS, MySQL, JavaScript, API Integration, Web Development, REST APIs, Data Engineering

Post-Doctoral Researcher

2014 - 2016
AMS
  • Analyzed data to perform the measurement of the cosmic-ray deuterium flux. Used custom statistical Bayesian techniques and machine learning algorithms, including neural networks and boosted decision trees.
  • Performed particle physics simulation to improve the understanding of the AMS detector behavior.
  • Performed on-shift duties to ensure the communication between the detector HQ and NASA HQ.
  • Sampled probability distributions using Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques.
Technologies: BigQuery, ROOT, NumPy, Pandas, Google BigQuery, Data Mining, Machine Learning, Neural Networks, Gradient Boosted Trees, Bayesian Statistics, Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) Algorithms, Analytics, Data Analytics, Data Visualization, Data Engineering

Founder and Full-stack Developer for a Startup

2014 - 2015
Croustie
  • Launched a mobile app and website to simplify grocery shopping. Set it up so users would pick recipes from a list and get all the necessary ingredients added in the cart of the retailer of their choice.
  • Designed the website from scratch. Hosted using Django and connected to a database that would serve all the recipes.
  • Scrapped thousands of recipes to get ingredient lists and quantities.
Technologies: Web Scraping, AngularJS, SQLite, Android, Beautiful Soup, Web Development, REST APIs, Data Engineering

R&D Software Engineer

2013 - 2014
Optopartner
  • Maintained and developed embedded communication software.
  • Explored bugs related to bus communication issues.
  • Liaised between the engineer working on the server unit and those on the embedded device.
Technologies: Embedded C, Boost, C++, CAN Bus, API Integration, Data Engineering

Study and Phenomenology of Cosmic-Ray Fluxes

2009 - 2012
Joseph Fourier University
  • Modeled a physics simulation of a cosmic ray detector in order to improve the understanding of the detector behavior.
  • Performed data analysis in order to measure cosmic ray fluxes. Used Bayesian inference to compute the propagation of statistical uncertainties.
  • Implemented a Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm to compute the probability density functions of galactic cosmic ray propagation parameters. Published a paper about it.
Technologies: Data Mining, Data Science, ROOT, C++, Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) Algorithms, Analytics, Data Analytics, Data Visualization, Data Engineering

MorphIO

https://github.com/bluebrain/MorphIO
An I/O library for reading and writing morphological files.

Neuron morphologies are available in many different formats. This tool aims at providing a unified I/O layer to manipulate morphological data.

It is now the official tool of the Blue Brain Project to interact with the data and so, is used by many higher-level libraries within the project.

In order to reach both users from the Python and the C++ world and also to improve the performances, the library is coded in C++ but provides Python bindings.

SyncOrg

https://f-droid.org/fr/packages/com.coste.syncorg/
An Android note-taking app that supports Emacs OrgMode.

• Modern design using Android’s Material Design guidelines
• Automatic Git synchronization (via SSH and HTTP). Access to the raw files in case of conflict to solve.
• Independent of Emacs: it is no longer required to use it in conjunction with Emacs.
• Agenda view and Todo list view generated from the org files.
• Folding of items and sub-items.
• Share files button

Scientific Publication: A Markov Chain Monte Carlo Technique to Constrain Cosmic Ray Parameters

This publication is about how to constrain a model of galactic cosmic ray propagation using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique.

It also includes a work of compilation of critical data (nuclear cross-section) until then scattered across various and sometimes ancient scientific papers.

Back End of Amadeus Product: Optimized Passenger Recovery

https://amadeus.com/en/portfolio/airlines/passenger-recovery
I was part of the back-end team that implemented the prototype of this project.
The prototype was then successfully pushed into production for one test airline.

A wide range of airline companies now uses the product.

I mostly worked on implementing the Restful API and wrote some of the front-end parts using Angular.

Languages

Python, C++, Python 3, SQL, Lisp, Embedded C, Java, YAML, JavaScript, Clojure

Libraries/APIs

NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, SciPy, GitHub API, REST APIs, Vue 2, Beautiful Soup

Tools

Plotly, GitHub, PyPI, BigQuery, Emacs, Pytest

Paradigms

API Architecture, Data Science, REST, Continuous Integration (CI)

Other

Data Mining, APIs, Scientific Computing, Scientific Data Analysis, Analytics, Data Analytics, Data Engineering, Data Visualization, API Integration, Open Source, ROOT, PyBind11, CAN Bus, Google BigQuery, Machine Learning, Neural Networks, Gradient Boosted Trees, Bayesian Statistics, Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) Algorithms, Web Scraping, Web Development

Storage

MySQL, PostgreSQL, JSON, SQLite

Frameworks

Django, Boost, AngularJS, ClojureScript, Spark

Platforms

Django CMS, Android

2009 - 2012

PhD in Cosmic Ray Physics

Joseph Fourier University - Grenoble, France

2008 - 2009

Master's Degree in Physics

Joseph Fourier University - Grenoble, France

2006 - 2009

Master's Degree in Physics

Grenoble INP - Grenoble, France

Collaboration That Works

How to Work with Toptal

Toptal matches you directly with global industry experts from our network in hours—not weeks or months.

1

Share your needs

Discuss your requirements and refine your scope in a call with a Toptal domain expert.
2

Choose your talent

Get a short list of expertly matched talent within 24 hours to review, interview, and choose from.
3

Start your risk-free talent trial

Work with your chosen talent on a trial basis for up to two weeks. Pay only if you decide to hire them.

Top talent is in high demand.

Start hiring