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Charles Green
Verified Expert in Engineering
Data Warehouse Design Developer
Camden, SC, United States
Toptal member since June 22, 2018
Bio
Charles has over a decade of experience architecting, designing, and implementing SQL solutions and software applications. He's led technical teams of up to 10 members, directly and indirectly, and worked in up to 100 TB data environments. Charles specializes in BI, data warehousing, ETL, automation, databases, and data management solutions in the Microsoft technology stack.
Portfolio
Insight
Databricks, Data Governance, Big Data, Python 3, Continuous Integration (CI)...
eMoney
SQL, SQL Server 2017, ETL, Data Warehouse Design, Database Performance...
Mingle Health
SQL Server 2019, Business Intelligence (BI), Indexing, SQL Performance...
Experience
- Database Design - 13 years
- Transact-SQL (T-SQL) - 13 years
- C# - 10 years
- Visual Studio 2017 - 10 years
- Data Warehouse Design - 10 years
- Database Administration (DBA) - 10 years
- Automation - 10 years
- Continuous Integration (CI) - 8 years
Preferred Environment
SQL Server 2019, Visual Studio, C#.NET, Databases, Azure SQL, Azure, DevOps, Agile
The most amazing...
...project I've architected was automating the creation of new data warehouses from an XML configuration managed through a web application.
Work Experience
Data Practice Manager and Architect
2022 - 2024
Insight
- Architected a $1.1 million Databricks ecosystem for a Fortune 500 company, leveraging Unity Catalog, Medallion Architecture, and a metadata-driven approach to build a scalable and secure data environment.
- Directed a team of 15 engineers, implementing CI/CD pipelines with unit testing and governance and coding standards to enhance team performance and align technical solutions with business objectives through paired programming and cross-training.
- Led the migration of a machine learning model from GCP to Azure for the Cleveland Clinic, boosting prescription recommendation accuracy by 15% and optimizing performance by converting Pandas-based notebooks to PySpark for scalability.
- Automated CI/CD pipelines for AgAmerica, cutting deployment time by 30% and ensuring seamless deployments across development, test, and production environments using SQL DB project and DACPAC integrations.
- Managed nine direct reports, mentoring team members and fostering professional growth. Cultivated team growth, ensuring alignment between business goals and technical solutions while maintaining accountability for performance and project delivery.
Technologies: Databricks, Data Governance, Big Data, Python 3, Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Discovery, Management, Data Architecture, Azure, Performance Tuning, Database Schema Design, Database Normalization, Data Modeling, Data Pipelines, Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Data Consultant
2021 - 2022
eMoney
- Executed large-scale stress testing, validating scalability with a 10X test with 26 TB of synthetic data, identifying bottlenecks and ensuring system resilience.
- Designed and developed C# code to simulate financial advisor activities, scaling operations with JSON configurations to generate millions of subscriptions and accounts.
- Architected a T-SQL framework to generate 26 TB of transactional data, ensuring privacy and scalability with configurable JSON.
Technologies: SQL, SQL Server 2017, ETL, Data Warehouse Design, Database Performance, Dynamic SQL, C#, Database Design, SQL Stored Procedures, Microsoft SQL Server, Agile Software Development, .NET, Data Manipulation, Query Optimization, ETL Development, CSV File Processing, C#.NET, Indexing, SQL Performance, CI/CD Pipelines, Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Visual Studio 2017, Data Engineering, Data Strategy, Performance Tuning, Database Schema Design, Database Normalization, Data Modeling, Data Pipelines
Senior Database Engineer
2019 - 2022
Mingle Health
- Architected an archival process separating historical data into a new database with page compression for 150+ tables. Reduced the production database from 1.2 TB to 300 GB and removed contention from audit triggers.
- Designed data transfer processes to allow PHI data for select practices to be migrated to QA. Data were de-identified during transfer and included 115 tables.
- Identified problematic code patterns, reducing several 15+ hour executions to under 1 hour.
- Implemented memory-optimized objects to relieve disk pressure related to temp tables usage, which resulted in a 70% recovery of execution time.
Technologies: SQL Server 2019, Business Intelligence (BI), Indexing, SQL Performance, Database Performance, Query Plan, ETL, Automation, DevOps, Agile, Database Administration (DBA), Database Design, SQL Stored Procedures, Microsoft SQL Server, Agile Software Development, Test-driven Development (TDD), .NET, Data Manipulation, Query Optimization, CSV File Processing, C#.NET, Dynamic SQL, Windows PowerShell, Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Visual Studio 2017, SQL, Data Engineering, Data Analysis, Data Architecture, Data Strategy, Performance Tuning, Database Schema Design, Database Normalization, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Data Modeling
Data Solution Architect
2018 - 2022
Thorpe Abbotts Capital
- Architected an ETL process responsible for generating 750 GB per execution from a 1 TB data source that contains financials and market data from S&P Global.
- Designed CI/CD utilizing DevOps. I extended deployments to multiple environments and multiple deployments to one environment augmented with PowerShell, allowing side-by-side ETLs to compare.
- Integrated SSIS for parallel execution of procedures and reduced ETL run time by 50%.
- Worked side by side with financial experts in creating and tuning custom algorithms. As they devised complex equations spanning thousands of lines of code, I ensured efficient execution and accuracy.
Technologies: SQL Server 2019, Databases, Database Design, Data Warehouse Design, Data Warehousing, ETL, Python, DevOps, Azure SQL, Automation, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), SQL Stored Procedures, Microsoft SQL Server, Agile Software Development, Azure, Test-driven Development (TDD), .NET, Data Manipulation, Query Optimization, ETL Development, CSV File Processing, Database Administration (DBA), Database Performance, C#.NET, Indexing, SQL Performance, Dynamic SQL, Windows PowerShell, CI/CD Pipelines, Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Visual Studio 2017, SQL, Data Engineering, Data Analysis, Data Architecture, Data Strategy, Performance Tuning, Database Schema Design, Database Normalization, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Data Modeling, Data Pipelines
Software Developer
2014 - 2017
Capsaicin
- Implemented the company’s first continuous integration data solution via Visual Studio Team Services. Incorporated automated deployments to test and development environments, where unit tests were automatically triggered.
- Created service broker processes to migrate gated user changes from isolated internal environments to client-facing AWS machines.
- Developed and implemented the company’s first consolidated central reporting platform with email delivery providing the daily status of SQL job executions and SQL backups across 20+ SQL servers.
- Reduced the ETL query performance by over 80% by reengineering ETL processes using binary hashing. The previous codes took over 10 hours to run, invoking race conditions, deadlocks, and excessive IO consumption, leading to failed data migrations.
- Circumvented performance problems related to normalization by utilizing Bitwise coding patterns.
Technologies: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Power BI, HTML5, Azure, C#, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, Databases, Data Warehouse Design, Data Warehousing, Database Performance, ETL, Dimensional Modeling, Database Modeling, DevOps, Dynamic SQL, SQL Stored Procedures, Agile Software Development, Automation, Test-driven Development (TDD), .NET, Data Manipulation, Query Optimization, ETL Development, CSV File Processing, Database Administration (DBA), C#.NET, Indexing, SQL Performance, Windows PowerShell, CI/CD Pipelines, Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Visual Studio 2017, SQL, Data Engineering, Data Analysis, Performance Tuning, Database Schema Design, Database Normalization, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Data Modeling
Senior Software Engineer
2011 - 2013
Microsoft
- Spearheaded five refactoring projects to reduce database size reduction from 1 TB to 300 GB for one project and averaged a 15% reduction for the remaining four projects.
- Built and maintained SQL scripts, indexes, and complex queries for analysis and extraction of data vital to product roadmaps and strategic decision-making.
- Conducted SQL server tuning. Designed C# libraries, data warehouses, and ETL processes.
- Performed code and design reviews and introduced enhancements to meet established time frames for query execution.
- Liaised with international team members for product training and facilitating product handoff.
- Collaborated with project managers and internal stakeholders to develop KPIs and metrics for reporting performance and growth of the Windows Azure product line to division heads.
- Led training, web demonstrations, and knowledge transfers between three teams across three continents.
- Headed up the SQL code review; evaluated TSQL peer code for query optimization.
- Was routinely commended for superior critical thinking skills and ability to quickly assess and resolve issues on the fly, with traditional and outside-the-box solutions to sustain forward momentum.
Technologies: C#, Database Design, ETL, Database Modeling, Database Performance, SQL Server 2016, Automation, DevOps, SQL Stored Procedures, Microsoft SQL Server, Agile Software Development, Test-driven Development (TDD), .NET, Data Manipulation, Query Optimization, ETL Development, CSV File Processing, Database Administration (DBA), C#.NET, Indexing, SQL Performance, Dynamic SQL, Windows PowerShell, CI/CD Pipelines, Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Visual Studio 2017, SQL, Data Engineering, Data Analysis, Database Schema Design, Database Normalization, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Data Modeling
Senior Software Engineer
2010 - 2011
Huron Group
- Reduced 35-minute queries to eight seconds by rearchitecting the reporting for a real-time BI data warehouse.
- Discovered and eliminated design flaws from inaccurate business assumptions that had indexed views of 800 million records (45 GB), with 52% of those records never being reported on.
- Designed a configurable C# solution that exposed a CSS-type functionality to SSRS reports. Provided visual consistency between reports and allowed customization due to the XML base.
- Minimized the footprint of queries by 45% after utilizing various techniques with cross applies and grouping sets in conjunction with pivots.
- Presented a novel idea to address a critical performance bug that crippled the application during the initial pilot release; resolved the issue within 45 minutes, saving days of development cycles in other solutions.
Technologies: C#, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Microsoft SQL Server, ETL, Database Design, SQL Performance, Database Modeling, SQL Stored Procedures, Agile Software Development, Automation, Test-driven Development (TDD), .NET, Data Manipulation, Query Optimization, CSV File Processing, Database Administration (DBA), Database Performance, C#.NET, Indexing, Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Visual Studio 2017, SQL, Data Engineering, Database Normalization, Data Modeling
Senior Software Engineer
2009 - 2010
Apriva
- Recruited to design query requests and reports, which quickly progressed into a leadership role coordinating the design and maintenance of a web portal for managing credit card transactions, merchant accounts, and provision of credit card devices.
- Migrate code from four web applications into a common solution, illuminating business logic previously buried in the application to unit tests, subsequently hailed as the single most important product improvement to their products in five years.
- Refactored 50 stored procedures to use more efficient joins while removing redundant codes and logic.
- Normalized core databases to reduce redundancy and prevented duplicate work by employees by eradicating the need to update several records for a single change.
- Implemented the company’s first data mart to resolve the long history of problems with reporting performance.
Technologies: C#, Microsoft SQL Server, SQL Stored Procedures, Agile Software Development, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), Automation, Test-driven Development (TDD), .NET, Data Manipulation, Query Optimization, CSV File Processing, Database Administration (DBA), Database Performance, C#.NET, Indexing, SQL Performance, Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Visual Studio 2017, SQL, Database Normalization, Data Modeling
Software Engineer II
2007 - 2009
Quest Software
- Created SSIS packages for five different products; successfully developed data mashup from the Exchange, Active Directory, event logs, and network alerts.
- Completed a complex project of modifying 200 SSRS reports four weeks ahead of schedule.
- Teamed with offshore developers in designing OLAP database and SSRS reporting strategy for an Exchange reporting solution.
- Tuned and refactored sprocs (stored procedures) necessary for generating dynamic SQL for an ad-hoc Active Directory reporting product. Incorporated configurable logging to lessen the time required for creating root cause analysis of bugs.
- Played an integral role in the development of the company’s first OLAP cube.
Technologies: ETL, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), SSAS, C#, Microsoft SQL Server, SQL Stored Procedures, Agile Software Development, Automation, Test-driven Development (TDD), .NET, Data Manipulation, Query Optimization, CSV File Processing, Database Administration (DBA), Database Performance, Indexing, SQL Performance, Transact-SQL (T-SQL), Visual Studio 2017, SQL, Data Modeling
Experience
Automated Warehouse Creation
I architected and designed a software solution to automate data warehouse creation that reduced daily workload by 40%. The configuration of the warehouse was exposed via an ASP.NET MVC web application that enabled project managers and stakeholders to customize their client-specific data warehouse.
The configuration for each client was stored in XML and managed under source control—enabling us to track schema changes for each client. This approach allowed the team to clone a star schema from one client to another, or to propose multiple variations of a schema with ease and no additional coding. The solution generated persisted code based on the configuration from XML, ensuring the client facing warehouse contained zero dynamic code for maximum query optimization.
I assured the stability and reliability through continuous integration and the replacement of bugs with proactive validation. The extensibility of this solution allowed us to devise multiple internal testing databases covering all use-cases. The quality was guaranteed through unit and regression testing.
The configuration for each client was stored in XML and managed under source control—enabling us to track schema changes for each client. This approach allowed the team to clone a star schema from one client to another, or to propose multiple variations of a schema with ease and no additional coding. The solution generated persisted code based on the configuration from XML, ensuring the client facing warehouse contained zero dynamic code for maximum query optimization.
I assured the stability and reliability through continuous integration and the replacement of bugs with proactive validation. The extensibility of this solution allowed us to devise multiple internal testing databases covering all use-cases. The quality was guaranteed through unit and regression testing.
Performance Optimization
I experienced a period of unexpected company growth, during which a surge of new clients increased ETL processing times from minutes to hours. In one quarter, we experienced 24 months of projected data growth.
As my team worked to devise an overhaul, I took a more pragmatic approach and reviewed the existing architecture. During the root-cause analysis, I identified the following errors in logic that hindered the ETL processes.
1. Each insertion of data caused page breaks in the clustered index.
2. Foreign keys on staging tables also hindered the data insertion.
3. Dimensional tables with large record counts and numerous text fields caused unnecessary table scans during upsert procedures.
To resolve these issues, I first devised a new clustered indexing strategy prioritizing record insertion speed. Removal of the foreign keys in the staging tables eliminated a bottleneck during record insertion. I then created a hash key derived from the text columns. Utilizing this field, I was able to ensure that only one column was needed to identify new or updated records. This change turned table scans into index seeks.
Once my solutions were implemented, we were able to reduce the ETL processing time to mere minutes.
As my team worked to devise an overhaul, I took a more pragmatic approach and reviewed the existing architecture. During the root-cause analysis, I identified the following errors in logic that hindered the ETL processes.
1. Each insertion of data caused page breaks in the clustered index.
2. Foreign keys on staging tables also hindered the data insertion.
3. Dimensional tables with large record counts and numerous text fields caused unnecessary table scans during upsert procedures.
To resolve these issues, I first devised a new clustered indexing strategy prioritizing record insertion speed. Removal of the foreign keys in the staging tables eliminated a bottleneck during record insertion. I then created a hash key derived from the text columns. Utilizing this field, I was able to ensure that only one column was needed to identify new or updated records. This change turned table scans into index seeks.
Once my solutions were implemented, we were able to reduce the ETL processing time to mere minutes.
Education
2004 - 2007
Bachelor of Science Degree in Software Engineering
University of Advancing Technology - Tempe, AZ, USA
Skills
Libraries/APIs
Web API 2
Tools
Azure DevOps Services, Microsoft Power BI, SSAS, Git, Visual Studio, Query Plan
Languages
Transact-SQL (T-SQL), SQL, XML, C#, HTML5, C#.NET, Python, Python 3
Paradigms
Database Design, Agile Software Development, ETL Implementation & Design, Continuous Integration (CI), Automation, Test-driven Development (TDD), ETL, DevOps, Agile, Business Intelligence (BI), Dimensional Modeling, Unit Testing, Management
Platforms
Visual Studio 2017, Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Databricks, Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Storage
SQL Stored Procedures, Microsoft SQL Server, Database Modeling, Database Performance, Data Pipelines, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), JSON, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), Database Administration (DBA), SQL Server 2017, SQL Server 2019, Databases, Azure SQL, SQL Performance, Dynamic SQL, SQL Server 2016
Frameworks
.NET, ASP.NET MVC, Windows PowerShell
Other
ETL Development, Query Optimization, Requirements & Specifications, Data Warehouse Design, Data Manipulation, Data Warehousing, Data Engineering, Data Architecture, Data Strategy, Performance Tuning, Database Schema Design, Database Normalization, Data Modeling, CSV File Processing, Automation Tools, Data Analysis, Indexing, CI/CD Pipelines, Data Governance, Big Data, Continuous Discovery
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