Hi there! I'm Oliver, a Data and Software Engineer based in Cardiff, and I am currently working at the Department for Business and Trade.
My interests started out with Mechanical Engineering, then pivoted towards Data Science, and now lie within Data and Software Engineering. However, I am still intrigued by many aspects of Data Science, especially Artificial Intelligence and the field of optimisation. These days I am working on building Reproducible Analytical Pipelines and open systems in the UK Public Sector.
On the rest of this page (scroll down) you can find out more about me, including my experience and some projects I have worked on.
Experience
Senior Software Developer
Department for Business and Trade
Dec 2023 - Ongoing
Cardiff
- Maintained a web application with a Django (Python) backend and React frontend.
Principal Data Engineer
Public Health Wales
Nov 2022 - Dec 2023
Cardiff
- Led discovery projects (using Scrum) with multi-disciplinary teams to identify user requirements for national screening programmes and registers, resulting in full documentation of current systems and recommendations for improvements.
- Shaped the organisation's Digital and Data strategy, driving the effective utilisation of digital technologies and data to enhance public health outcomes in Wales.
- Developed a Django (Python) web application, working in sprints and using test driven development to deliver user-centred features; successfully streamlined the customer team's operations and improved user experience.
- Spearheaded a data specialist community of practice, facilitating knowledge sharing and upskilling colleagues in programming and data science.
- Led an alpha phase (using Scrum) to upgrade a register's data processing pipeline and transition it to a cloud platform (Azure); provisioned databases and APIs to make an efficient and scalable pipeline.
Senior Data Scientist
Office for National Statistics
Oct 2021 - Nov 2022
Newport
- Led a team to capture system requirements and build proof-of-concept solutions using Agile methodologies (Scrum/Kanban); prototypes involved ingesting data from public APIs and websites, and preparing it for downstream use.
- Redeveloped various parts of a survey data pipeline from legacy-based systems to Python and R. Built a custom parser to translate variable definitions to Python syntax.
- Carried out quality and statistical checks on social survey data using Machine Learning.
- Designed a personal feedback survey and fostered an environment of development and growth.
- Led a divisional programming initiative to up-skill colleagues and promoted the use of new technologies across the wider business.
Education
MSc Data Science (Distinction)
Swansea University
Sep 2020 - Sep 2021
Swansea
- Modules studied: Big Data & Machine Learning, Data Science Maths, Visual Analytics, Optimisation, Modelling & Verification Techniques, Data Visualisation, and Big Data & Data Mining.
BEng Mechanical Engineering with Year in Industry
Swansea University
Sep 2016 - Sep 2020
Swansea
- First Class Honours
Technical Skills
- Programming Languages: Python, R, SQL, JS
- Frameworks and Libraries: Django, SciKit-Learn, Tensorflow, React
- Data Technologies: Spark, Git, Docker
- Web Technologies: HTML, CSS, APIs
- Cloud Platforms: Azure, Google Cloud Platform
Projects
My Livery
Developing an application to provide management and communication tools for equine livery yard owners, staff, and customers.
Coding for Healthcare Professionals
Authoring an online book entitled "Coding for Healthcare Professionals", specifically tailored for healthcare professionals in Wales, highlighting the opportunities programming offers to augment their capabilities.
Public Health Wales Evidence Maps
Developed a web application that enabled the Evidence Service team to provide structured access to an up-to-date, high-level, and robust body of evidence on a range of topics.
COFOG Python Package
Developed a library to parse and interface with Classification of the Functions of Government (COFOG) taxonomy.
Manipula Parser
Created a custom tool to parse Blaise Manipula syntax to Python, aiding the translation of legacy code with thousands of variables.
Emergency Response Optimisation
Bridged the research domains of Emergency Vehicle (EV) route optimisation and traffic prediction; explored the effect of various predictors on EV performance based on real-world data.
Contact
Have a question about something? Want to find out more? Or, just want to get in touch? Let's connect! Please feel free to contact me using the links below.