James is available for hire
Hire JamesJames Little
Verified Expert in Engineering
Data Engineer and Developer
London, United Kingdom
Toptal member since November 15, 2022
Bio
James is a seasoned professional with around 17 years of professional experience. Being flexible and creative, he has delivered high-impact solutions across several industries, from high-performance trading algorithms in banking to robust data pipelines for a cutting-edge insurtech startup. Most recently, he has focused on data engineering and machine learning. His deep infrastructure and system design knowledge enable James to deliver efficient and cost-effective platforms.
Portfolio
Pet Proactive
Python, SQL, Kdb+, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Linux, JavaScript...
Deutsche Bank
Java, Python, JavaScript, Kdb+, Messaging, Bokeh, SQL, ETL, Git, DevOps, D3.js...
Deutsche Bank
Python, Networking, Messaging, Linux, Git, DevOps, Data Visualization
Experience
- MySQL - 15 years
- SQL - 15 years
- Python - 14 years
- DevOps - 10 years
- Data Engineering - 6 years
- Data Architecture - 5 years
- Google Cloud Platform (GCP) - 3 years
- Machine Learning - 3 years
Availability
Part-time
Preferred Environment
PyCharm, Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Jupyter Notebook, Cmder, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Docker, Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), Kdb+, IPython, IntelliJ IDEA
The most amazing...
...project I've delivered is a complete GDP-compliant data analytics platform, including a data pipeline, warehousing web API development, and financial modeling.
Work Experience
Head of Data Analytics
2019 - PRESENT
Pet Proactive
- Created a robust platform for extracting, cleaning, and transforming data from veterinary practice management systems (PMS), designed with the flexibility to handle different PMS flavors and the ability to scale tens of millions of health records.
- Designed and evolved a pricing model for insurance premiums for cats and dogs, with a statistics-based general linear model (GLM) and a machine-learning linear regression model. I used a Python-centric stack for training, analysis, and deployment.
- Built RESTful APIs to expose customer, pet, treatment, and analytics data in a secure and GDPR-compliant manner, providing the insurance business with the necessary data to facilitate quotes and onboard new businesses. I used Flask for the back end.
- Developed an analytics web interface, providing data insights, operational monitoring, and tooling for veterinary managers. I used Flask and MySQL in the back end and Bokeh and client-side JavaScript for visualization and interaction.
- Met compliance and security requirements in a tightly regulated industry, covering audit points such as automated testing, encryption, access controls, network, operating system security, and segregation of duties.
Technologies: Python, SQL, Kdb+, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Linux, JavaScript, Machine Learning, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Data Engineering, ETL, Git, DevOps, Docker, Google Cloud ML, MySQL, Data Analysis, Data Architecture, Twilio, Startups, Bokeh, Database Administration (DBA), Flask, Data Visualization, D3.js, SQLAlchemy
E-trading Developer
2016 - 2020
Deutsche Bank
- Delivered improvements to the quant-driven development (QDD) platform used across rates and credit trading, liaising with traders and quants to onboard new business lines, add new features, meet regulatory requirements, and improve performance.
- Served as the main tech point of contact for onboarding US Treasury trading on the QDD platform. Delivered performance analysis for threading and market data and messaging throughput.
- Facilitated backtesting (via replay of tick data from kdb+) and automated production deployments and integration testing.
- Became a key member of the agile delivery team, often taking on the scrum master role in sprints and driving improvements in the DevOps toolchain by developing custom automation, building scripts, and using vendor products.
- Developed an analytics, reporting, and visualization platform with a strong focus on the kdb+ time series database. Used JavaScript, D3, and AG Grid for the front end.
- Provided timely production support and drove automation and testing.
Technologies: Java, Python, JavaScript, Kdb+, Messaging, Bokeh, SQL, ETL, Git, DevOps, D3.js, Data Visualization, Data Architecture, SQLAlchemy
E-trading Production Management Consultant
2013 - 2015
Deutsche Bank
- Rolled out a new monitoring solution, a combination of scripted health scripts and agents and a popular vendor monitoring UI, using real-time latency and utilization metrics, vital for low-latency foreign exchange (FX) and rates trading.
- Drove continual improvements to the low-latency platform, identifying infrastructure pinch points, through network monitoring, for example, and highlighting application issues through improved reporting. Deployed automation across over 200 servers.
- Created disaster recovery plans, partaking in periodic testing alongside numerous other investment banking (IB) tech teams, which required a strong understanding of application interconnectivity and the various messaging technologies employed.
- Managed L2 and L3 production support, covering various topics, such as exchange connectivity, back-office reconciliation breaks, intraday deployments and rollbacks, static data anomalies, and reporting requests.
Technologies: Python, Networking, Messaging, Linux, Git, DevOps, Data Visualization
Equities Trading Support Engineer
2012 - 2013
Barclays Capital
- Improved deployment and monitoring of equities algorithmic trading components, with real-time application monitoring via a TIBCO messaging bus. Created a web-based UI for visualization and alerts.
- Liaised with non-technical stakeholders, such as traders, to explain new features and performance characteristics and plan regular deployments.
- Built a new co-located low-latency trading environment, liaising with the network, solution architects, datacenter, and app development teams and ensuring suitable real-time monitoring and testing exchange connectivity.
- Planned and participated in disaster recovery tests. Introduced strategic design and deployment of high-availability architecture and application and network topology.
- Managed advanced latency monitoring, onboarding Corvil appliances, liaising with the vendor directly, and discussing and demonstrating the benefits internally.
Technologies: Python, Linux, DevOps, SQL, Kdb+
Support Manager and Developer
2011 - 2011
Loadbalancer.org
- Created the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) version of the load balancer, adapting the bare-metal stack to suit the AWS environment, making it available in the AWS Marketplace, and advising clients on topology and deployment scenarios.
- Developed firewall automation and configuration tools to simplify using iptables and the netfilter for common use cases. Created similar UI and configuration-driven tools for other open-source components, such as HAProxy.
- Built the complete control and visualization web UI, using Python, Perl, and PHP for the back end, including system health-check scripts, and HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the front end.
- Captured new requirements when onboarding business-to-business (B2B) clients and worked with developers, support, and testers to bring these to fruition, working within an Agile project structure.
Technologies: Python, Linux, Networking, JavaScript, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Architecture, DevOps, MySQL, Flask
Trading Systems Engineer
2010 - 2010
Eclipse Trading
- Developed performance analysis tools in various languages, such as Python, Bash, PHP, and SQL, with web-based visualizations and reports.
- Performed troubleshooting of connectivity and latency issues externally, e.g., to and from futures exchange, and internally between applications and across our wide area network (WAN). Developed and improved tools for monitoring.
- Deployed new versions of automated trading software, sometimes intraday, as market conditions and new features dictated. Drove deployment automation improvements, including release notes and test pack creation.
- Supported custom trading applications, liaising directly with traders to answer queries, often urgent, and to feed new requirements and improvements back into the development lifecycle.
Technologies: Python, Networking, SQL, DevOps, MySQL
Experience
Insurtech Analytics Platform
http://www.petproactive.petI joined this lean insurtech startup to lead the data analytics function, but first, I had to create it. Therefore, I had an extensive scope, touching on many technologies, data regulation, and governance areas.
Some deliverables include:
• Analysis of raw veterinary data from multiple vendor practice management systems
• Development of a robust extract, transform and load (ETL) pipeline, including significant data cleansing and standardization, consulting with practice managers where appropriate
• Creation of an object-oriented data model with pertinent domain objects, such as pets, owners, and treatments
• Research and implementation of an insurance premium pricing model for cats and dogs, with a stats-based model progressing to machine learning
• Architectural design of the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) environment, build and deployment automation, and integration testing
• Creation of Web APIs, securely exposing output from the data model, and the create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) functionality to support the onboarding of new insurance customers
• Creation of a GDPR-compliant data analytics agreement between the insurance entity and its veterinary partners and ongoing relationship management with partner contacts
Some deliverables include:
• Analysis of raw veterinary data from multiple vendor practice management systems
• Development of a robust extract, transform and load (ETL) pipeline, including significant data cleansing and standardization, consulting with practice managers where appropriate
• Creation of an object-oriented data model with pertinent domain objects, such as pets, owners, and treatments
• Research and implementation of an insurance premium pricing model for cats and dogs, with a stats-based model progressing to machine learning
• Architectural design of the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) environment, build and deployment automation, and integration testing
• Creation of Web APIs, securely exposing output from the data model, and the create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) functionality to support the onboarding of new insurance customers
• Creation of a GDPR-compliant data analytics agreement between the insurance entity and its veterinary partners and ongoing relationship management with partner contacts
Education
2002 - 2005
Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics
University of Bath - Bath, United Kingdom
Skills
Libraries/APIs
D3.js, SQLAlchemy
Tools
Git
Languages
Python, SQL, JavaScript, Java
Paradigms
ETL, DevOps
Platforms
Linux, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS), Docker, Twilio
Storage
Kdb+, MySQL, Database Administration (DBA)
Frameworks
Flask
Other
Data Engineering, Messaging, Networking, Data Architecture, Bokeh, Data Visualization, Machine Learning, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Architecture, Statistics, Google Cloud ML, Data Analysis, Startups
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