Working for a Makers Academy client (Aker Systems) at a Home Office site to support and document the data processing pipeline for UK passenger information (rail, air and maritime) using these technologies:Python, AWS, Greenplum DB, SQL Server, GitHub, JIRA

Assisted the Due Diligence team with reports and data requirements.

Working within Finance IT Product Control: PowerShell, SQL and VBA.

Working within Trade Management Group (Product Control) remediating and documenting EUDAs/EUCs.Wrote a trade validation rules engine (Excel FE; SQL Server BE) for DTCC trade submissions that ultimately subsumed three different applications for other product areas and provided validation capability to a fourth area for the first time.- First pass written in nine weeks- Includes completely flexible, user-customisable, hierarchical rule sets. These will comfortably accommodate future rule changes to the 700 or so data columns in the source files- Matches lists of values, regex (pattern-based matching), field lengths, data types and others- Supports pre/post field population with default values- Data entry times down by 60+%- Submission errors on their way to zeroRe-engineered a high-profile, slow and poorly designed reporting application (Access/VBA/Excel/SQL Server IS/RS) with >100 sources (a heady mix of linked Excel & text files and pass-through queries).- Established DEV/UAT/PROD environments and testing protocols- Redesigned input forms to dramatically improve data transparency- Reduced data import times by ~75-95+% (~1hr to <2mins with 5k Excel rows)- Retro-fitted error handling and auditing while streamlining logic- Added data validation rules and customisable auto-run functionality to allow the process to continue while users are away from their desks- Introduced separate import classes for Excel, text files, SQL Server data reducing complications and providing well-commented, structured, high-performance sophistication- Expanded the scope, depth and quality of the application's documentationThese changes saved 5-8 days of support and dev work every month and reduced the handover from months to weeks. It now runs regularly with no application issues, highlighting data issues before importing rather than just abruptly failing mid-process.Also performed bug fixes and support duties on other applications.

Working within Finance IT Product Control: VBA and SQL.Overhauled a business-critical application relating to Euro-zone submissions: made it more robust, flexible and feature-rich (e.g. user-customisable data validation rules). Also reduced execution times by 75-90% while working with 3x more data (tested up to 5x data), thereby re-establishing trust between IT and stakeholders.Successfully implemented an 11th hour rescue of a timekeeping EUC spreadsheet (~200 users) despite severe, imposed design constrictions and no time to properly re-engineer, winning praise from the original author.Re-engineered an extremely complicated business reconciliation process: reduced execution times by ~75%; dramatically simplified its data and metadata structures; eliminated multiple previously unknown errors and inconsistencies from the original.Created the solution behind the global email reminder system used to alert managers regarding the end dates of their contractors. Extremely flexible and capable of taking into account unannounced changes to HR-provided source files without any further developer input.Re-wrote and consolidated multiple position netting EUCs into MS Access front (& back) DBs that automated Excel templates for each area. Execution times were reduced by ~60% on average, configuration data was easier to access and very serious operational risk issues and errors (known and unknown) addressed. The previous business processes were usually very complicated and poorly documented: the new process reduced this to a handful of mouse-clicks. Included full error handling, security on DBs and templates, customised ribbon and process auditing.Solutions were always documented to a very high standard.

Worked within the business as part of the Counterparty Risk Reporting team. Improved and automated reports; slashed reporting times by more than an order of magnitude; played a leading role in maintaining the team's high profile and excellent reputation for delivery.Seconded to a high-profile project for the bank dealing with FSA and FINMA reporting requirements as the business team's main liaison with IT proper. Worked on the analysis, summary and presentation of large amounts of data to very senior management while also engaging teams related to ours who would be impacted by the changes resulting from this project.Wherever possible, I created and distributed simple yet powerful software tools written in Excel to my colleagues to assist with the analysis. The time saved using these tools allowed a more sophisticated analysis to take place under a very tight delivery schedule.Also wrote the SQL that formed the monthly reporting metrics for the project. It was dynamic and therefore capable of handling new scenarios and sensitivities as and when they were available and without any further intervention.

Supported the Longevity Derivatives desk by providing enhancements and bug fixes for their main Excel spreadsheet and ad hoc data reporting (Oracle back-end). Analysed business issues and provided solutions. The main spreadsheet was developed over many years and contained many objects and a great deal of VBA.I added functionality to assist with trouble-shooting VBA issues within the spreadsheet and helped to shape the team’s approach to version control and integration.

Wrote applications for the Risk and Equities divisions, using a mix of Excel, Access and SQL Server to achieve the end result: stable, robust applications that exceed the users' expectations and quality documentation that allowed any colleagues to swiftly gain the knowledge to support that application.The Risk application produced multiple collateral files for external valuation agents, greatly reducing the time spent by the team on the task. It had five external system dependencies, yet was sophisticated enough to determine which systems were available and allow the user to choose to carry over stale data (from one or more systems), rather than simply fail. Complex, well-written maintenance tools allowed the users near-complete control over their data, significantly reducing support issues.Successfully re-engineered a spreadsheet to be used for a fund launch to a tight deadline. Sophisticated user tools provided a great deal of control and reporting capability.Other tasks included writing bug fixes for other applications supported by our team.

Supported the Asset Back Securities desk on a day-to-day basis. Helped to strengthen the desk's main trading spreadsheet and also fixed bugs and added functionality to the main XLA used across the Credit and ABS desks.

I wrote and supported IT solutions, using VB6 and/or MS Office, for many different departments across the Securities Division. These ranged from HR to the Equity Derivatives desk.

A centre of excellence for MS Office for over 3500 users. We provided support and small solutions for MS Office.