Kevin is available for hire
Hire KevinKevin Saul
Verified Expert in Engineering
Data Engineer and Software Developer
Salida, CO, United States
Toptal member since December 12, 2022
Bio
Kevin is a senior data engineer and professional services consultant providing software solutions for large and complex data storage, integration, analysis, and reporting. He has 22 years of experience developing, delivering, and maintaining data-centric software solutions and eight years of experience in analytical chemistry for the environmental and biotech industries. He has a special interest in developing innovative solutions for sustainable agriculture and land reclamation.
Portfolio
Ecological Data Services
Agrotech, Ecology, Big Data, GIS, SQL, Database Architecture, Azure, DB...
Dimension Hospitality, LLC
Microsoft SQL Server, Data Engineering, Data Migration, Finance, SQL...
Black Knight (previously Optimal Blue)
Fintech, Agile, Azure Event Hubs, Azure Data Lake, Azure Databricks...
Experience
Availability
Part-time
Preferred Environment
Azure, Data Analytics, Business Intelligence (BI), Data Engineering, Azure Synapse, Azure Databricks, Azure Data Factory, ETL, Data Warehouse Design, Azure PaaS, Microsoft SQL Server, Exploratory Data Analysis
The most amazing...
...thing I've made is a high-volume financial index used by NYSE and the Federal Reserve to provide mortgage-rate analysts with leading indicators.
Work Experience
Owner and Principal Consultant
2022 - PRESENT
Ecological Data Services
- Delivered Dynamix 365 data integration solutions for a wholesale distribution company.
- Conducted a 2-week Microsoft Power BI implementation workshop for a school district.
- Conducted a 2-week Microsoft Power BI performance assessment for a real estate management company. Designed data source and gateway performance enhancements.
- Submitted a grant proposal for USDA's Data Science for Food and Agricultural Systems (DSFAS) program.
- Developed interoperability solutions to consume and produce soil health data in a new open-source format for environmental and agricultural assessments. Contributed to open-source projects for agricultural data-sharing and privacy protection.
- Provided data engineering consulting services to an animal health software product company. Worked directly with the owner and technical team to refactor SQL server data access procedures to improve the performance of complex reporting processes.
- Collaborated with owners of a commercial electric system developer to define requirements, design, and deliver a custom inventory and project management solution.
- Designed and delivered MS Azure Synapse Analytics data pipelines, SQL server data model, and interactive Power BI dashboards for analysis of math assessment scores for a state university.
- Developed a custom project management application for a commercial electric installation company.
- Consulted on re-architecture and performance optimization of back-end (MS SQL Server) processes for a zoo and aquarium software product.
Technologies: Agrotech, Ecology, Big Data, GIS, SQL, Database Architecture, Azure, DB, Data Engineering, Dashboards, Analytics, Data Visualization, Data Analytics, Business Intelligence (BI), Data Validation, Data Analysis, Operations, Databases, Database Design, Relational Databases, SQL Server BI, Windows PowerShell, Python 3, PySpark, Data Migration, Finance, Office 365, CSV File Processing, Excel 365, Jupyter Notebook, Python, Synapse, DAX, Power Query, MySQL, Database Administration (DBA), Data Architecture, SQL Performance, Data Queries, Architecture, T-SQL (Transact-SQL), SQL DML, Performance Tuning, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Azure, Data Transformation, Azure Synapse, Data Reporting, Windows, Research & Critical Thinking, Technical Writing, Communication, Databricks, Agile, Azure SQL, Azure Event Hubs, Azure Data Lake, Azure Data Factory, Data Warehouse Design, Indexing, Partitioning, Data Pipelines, Azure PaaS, Azure Stream Analytics, SQL Server 2017, Cost Estimation, Professional Services, Custom Reports, Data Integration, Microsoft Access, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, Azure Table Storage, Data Science, Data Structures, Database Schema Design, Database Security, Microsoft SQL Server, Query Optimization, C#, .NET, Data Modeling, Spark, Business Analysis, Business Requirements, Stakeholder Management, API Integration, Looker, Data Warehousing, Microsoft Fabric, Database Performance, Data Strategy, Exploratory Data Analysis, Snowflake, Data Governance, Data Management, Dashboard Design, UI Design
MSSQL Data Engineer | Data Migration
2023 - 2023
Dimension Hospitality, LLC
- Developed the migration plan collaboratively for the accounting system.
- Completed data migration tasks, tracked migration status, and reported and researched errors.
- Applied modified rules to correct migration errors.
Technologies: Microsoft SQL Server, Data Engineering, Data Migration, Finance, SQL, Data Architecture, SQL Performance, Data Queries, Architecture, T-SQL (Transact-SQL), SQL DML, Performance Tuning, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Azure, Data Transformation, Data Reporting, Windows, Research & Critical Thinking, Technical Writing, Communication, Azure SQL, Partitioning, SQL Server 2017, Custom Reports, Data Integration, Data Structures, Database Schema Design, Database Security, Query Optimization, Data Modeling, Business Analysis, Business Requirements, Stakeholder Management, Database Performance, Data Strategy, Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Governance, Data Management, UI Design
Senior Data Engineer
2018 - 2022
Black Knight (previously Optimal Blue)
- Acted as a data engineer with Optimal Blue's business intelligence team, working with product managers and team members to design and deliver business intelligence dashboard products for mortgage loan originators and secondary market investors.
- Developed event-stream processing for real-time collection and analysis of mortgage insurance quotes.
- Provided data-driven insights on loan origination workflows, investor hedging performance, competitive market analysis, and mortgage insurance quote comparisons.
- Automated delivery of aggregated rate-lock data for Optimal Blue's publicly available Mortgage Market Index (OBMMI).
- Used Agile and Scrum methodologies to prioritize product features and defect resolutions based on customer impact and value.
- Delivered cloud-based software products, product enhancements, and bug fixes using continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) methods.
Technologies: Fintech, Agile, Azure Event Hubs, Azure Data Lake, Azure Databricks, Azure Data Factory, Azure Functions, Scala, Data Warehouse Design, ETL, C#.NET, SQL Stored Procedures, SQL Performance, Indexing, Partitioning, Big Data, Data Lakes, Unstructured Data Analysis, Microsoft Power BI, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), Data Pipelines, Azure PaaS, Azure Stream Analytics, Azure Analysis Services, Database Architecture, Azure, DB, Data Engineering, Dashboards, Analytics, Data Visualization, Data Analytics, Business Intelligence (BI), Data Validation, Data Analysis, Operations, Databases, Database Design, Relational Databases, SQL Server BI, Windows PowerShell, Python 3, PySpark, APIs, Data Migration, Finance, Office 365, CSV File Processing, Excel 365, Jupyter Notebook, Python, Synapse, DAX, Power Query, Database Administration (DBA), PostgreSQL, MongoDB, SQL, Data Architecture, Data Queries, Azure Cosmos DB, Architecture, T-SQL (Transact-SQL), SQL DML, Performance Tuning, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Azure, Data Transformation, Azure Synapse, Data Reporting, Data Science, Windows, Research & Critical Thinking, Technical Writing, Communication, Databricks, Azure SQL, SQL Server 2017, Cost Estimation, Custom Reports, Data Integration, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, Azure Table Storage, Data Structures, Database Schema Design, Database Security, Microsoft SQL Server, Query Optimization, .NET, C#, Data Modeling, Spark, Business Analysis, Business Requirements, Stakeholder Management, API Integration, Data Warehousing, Database Performance, NoSQL, Data Strategy, Data Monetization, Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Governance, Data Management, Dashboard Design, UI Design
Solutions Architecture Consultant
2012 - 2018
Dell
- Led the implementation of a data warehousing and reporting framework for a K-12 school district.
- Provisioned resources in Azure for a cloud-based data warehouse solution that used a combination of software as a service using SQL Azure and Power BI and infrastructure as a service for SSIS and SSAS.
- Developed ETL (SSIS) packages for integrating multiple student data sources and cleaning and transforming data to ensure accurate and consistent reporting.
- Created an SSAS tabular model to optimize and standardize data analysis and reporting.
- Developed and deployed Power BI reports and dashboards to support administrative and educational decisions for student success.
- Led reporting and visualization initiatives for a top-500 software company. Documented requirements and developed technical specifications for operational and executive dashboard reporting.
- Identified trends and recommended data visualizations to best support executive oversight and operational improvements.
- Performed data modernization assessments for multiple customers. Presented new features and conducted demonstrations of SQL 2016, APS, and Power BI.
- Delivered Microsoft Power BI proof of concept dashboards for customers in various industries.
- Performed SQL Server to Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse conversion for a health insurance company.
Technologies: SQL, Microsoft SQL Server, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), Microsoft Power BI, SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), SQL Server 2017, SQL Server 2014, SQL Server 2015, SQL Server 2008, Database Architecture, Azure, DB, Data Engineering, Dashboards, Analytics, Data Visualization, Data Analytics, Business Intelligence (BI), Data Validation, Data Analysis, Operations, Databases, Database Design, Relational Databases, SQL Server BI, Windows PowerShell, APIs, Data Migration, Finance, CSV File Processing, Excel 365, ETL, DAX, Database Administration (DBA), Data Architecture, SQL Performance, Data Queries, Architecture, T-SQL (Transact-SQL), SQL DML, Performance Tuning, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Azure, Data Transformation, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Excel VBA, Data Reporting, Windows, Research & Critical Thinking, Technical Writing, Communication, Agile, Azure SQL, Data Warehouse Design, Indexing, Partitioning, Data Pipelines, Azure PaaS, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Cost Estimation, Professional Services, Custom Reports, Data Integration, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, Azure Table Storage, Data Structures, Database Schema Design, Database Security, Query Optimization, C#, .NET, Data Modeling, Business Analysis, Business Requirements, Stakeholder Management, API Integration, Data Warehousing, SAP ERP, Database Performance, Data Strategy, Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Governance, Data Management, Dashboard Design, UI Design
Business Intelligence Architect
2011 - 2012
Intersys Consulting
- Designed and implemented business analytics and data visualization solutions for AMD enterprise data warehouse for marketing, sales, and finance departments.
- Consulted on project requirements, determined the best solution, provided accurate time estimates, executed projects on time, and delivered solutions that exceeded business partner expectations.
- Designed, developed, deployed, and supported production enterprise solutions using SQL Server Analysis Services, SQL Server Integration Services, and SQL Server Reporting Services.
- Evaluated and developed prototype solutions using new software platforms for advanced data visualization and mobile business intelligence.
Technologies: SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), Database Architecture, DB, Data Engineering, Dashboards, Analytics, Data Visualization, Data Analytics, Business Intelligence (BI), Data Validation, Data Analysis, Operations, Databases, Database Design, Relational Databases, SQL Server BI, APIs, Data Migration, CSV File Processing, ETL, Database Administration (DBA), SQL, Data Architecture, SQL Performance, Data Queries, Architecture, T-SQL (Transact-SQL), SQL DML, Performance Tuning, Microsoft Excel, Data Transformation, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Excel VBA, Data Reporting, Windows, Research & Critical Thinking, Technical Writing, Communication, Data Warehouse Design, Indexing, Partitioning, SQL Server 2017, SQL Server 2008, Cost Estimation, Professional Services, Custom Reports, Data Integration, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, Tableau, Data Structures, Database Schema Design, Database Security, Microsoft SQL Server, Query Optimization, .NET, Data Modeling, Business Requirements, Stakeholder Management, API Integration, Data Warehousing, SAP ERP, Database Performance, Data Strategy, Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Governance, Data Management, Dashboard Design, UI Design
Senior Solutions Engineer
2008 - 2011
Inquisite
- Delivered custom analytical reporting and data integration solutions for an enterprise feedback management suite of products.
- Created cost estimation for statements of work. Designed, developed, deployed, and supported custom solutions. Delivered SASS and on-premise solutions.
- Conducted presales discovery and business analysis consultation with prospective clients.
Technologies: Cost Estimation, Professional Services, Custom Reports, Database Architecture, DB, Data Engineering, Dashboards, Analytics, Data Visualization, Data Analytics, Business Intelligence (BI), Data Validation, Data Analysis, Operations, Databases, Database Design, Relational Databases, SQL Server BI, APIs, Data Migration, CSV File Processing, ETL, Database Administration (DBA), SQL, Data Architecture, SQL Performance, Data Queries, Architecture, T-SQL (Transact-SQL), SQL DML, Performance Tuning, Microsoft Excel, Data Transformation, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Excel VBA, Data Reporting, Windows, Research & Critical Thinking, Technical Writing, Communication, Indexing, Partitioning, SQL Server 2017, SQL Server 2008, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Data Integration, Data Structures, Database Schema Design, Database Security, Microsoft SQL Server, Query Optimization, C#, .NET, Data Modeling, Business Analysis, Business Requirements, Stakeholder Management, API Integration, Data Warehousing, Database Performance, Data Strategy, Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Management
Lead Software Developer
2002 - 2008
State Bar of Texas
- Managed the production of annual state bar dues and occupation tax statements with third-party mailing service and processing of payment data.
- Upgraded the judicial poll ballot processing application from an Access database to a SQL Server 2000 database and created stored procedures to improve the performance and reliability of ballot processing.
- Performed general DBA functions, such as setting up database backups and maintenance plans, tuning indexes, setting permissions, restoring data, and troubleshooting performance issues.
Technologies: Microsoft SQL Server, Adobe ColdFusion, Custom Reports, Data Integration, Database Architecture, DB, Data Engineering, Data Analytics, Business Intelligence (BI), Data Validation, Data Analysis, Databases, Database Design, Relational Databases, APIs, Data Migration, CSV File Processing, ETL, Database Administration (DBA), SQL, Data Architecture, SQL Performance, Data Queries, Architecture, T-SQL (Transact-SQL), SQL DML, Performance Tuning, Microsoft Excel, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Excel VBA, Data Reporting, Windows, Research & Critical Thinking, Technical Writing, Communication, Indexing, SQL Server 2008, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Data Structures, Database Schema Design, Database Security, Query Optimization, C#, .NET, Data Modeling, Business Analysis, Business Requirements, Stakeholder Management, Database Performance, Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Management, UI Design
Consultant
2000 - 2002
Catapult Systems
- Worked with a team of consultants to analyze requirements and design, develop, and deploy data-driven websites.
- Developed new functionality and improved existing systems using T-SQL and Microsoft Access for the processing and tracking attorney occupational tax payments, membership dues payments, and journal subscriptions.
- Revised in-house time reporting application to add new custom features.
Technologies: SQL, Visual Basic 6 (VB6), Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET), Microsoft Access, Database Architecture, DB, Data Engineering, Data Analytics, Data Analysis, Operations, Databases, Database Design, Relational Databases, APIs, Data Migration, CSV File Processing, ETL, Database Administration (DBA), Oracle Database, Data Architecture, Data Queries, Architecture, T-SQL (Transact-SQL), SQL DML, Performance Tuning, Microsoft Excel, Data Reporting, Windows, Research & Critical Thinking, Technical Writing, Communication, Indexing, Custom Reports, Data Integration, Data Structures, Database Schema Design, Database Security, Microsoft SQL Server, Query Optimization, Data Modeling, Business Analysis, Business Requirements, Stakeholder Management, Database Performance, Oracle, Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Management, UI Design
Scientist
1995 - 2000
CEDRA
- Led the design and implementation of a laboratory information management system (LIMS) to automate the collection and reporting of pharmaceutical analysis data related to clinical trials.
- Developed a custom Microsoft Access application to automate the entry of laboratory instrument data and generate reports for pharmaceutical analysis.
- Performed data management and quality assurance reviews of mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography analyses for pharmaceutical companies.
Technologies: Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), GC Mass Spectrometry, Organic Chemistry, Linear Regression, Clinical Trials, High-performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), DB, Data Analysis, Databases, CSV File Processing, Oracle Database, Microsoft Excel, Windows, Science, Research & Critical Thinking, Technical Writing, Communication, Microsoft Access, Oracle, Exploratory Data Analysis
Environmental Coordinator
1994 - 1995
Lower Colorado River Authority
- Performed environmental analysis of drinking water for volatile organic compounds and pesticides using mass spectrometry, gas chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography methods.
- Ensured chain of custody in sample receipt and preparation.
- Performed quality reviews of laboratory report data and interpretations.
Technologies: GC Mass Spectrometry, High-performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Organic Chemistry, Environment, Data Analysis, Databases, Microsoft Excel, Science, Research & Critical Thinking, Communication, Microsoft Access, Exploratory Data Analysis
Research Scientist
1990 - 1994
Southwest Research Institute
- Performed environmental analysis using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry for environmental monitoring of an obsolete chemical weapons disposal program on Johnston Atoll.
- Conducted work under strict military clearance and safety protocols.
- Communicated laboratory results to JACADS plant operators and US Army oversight teams.
Technologies: Organic Chemistry, GC Mass Spectrometry, Environment, Data Analysis, Science, Research & Critical Thinking, Communication, Exploratory Data Analysis
Experience
Optimal Blue Mortgage Market Index
https://www2.optimalblue.com/obmmi/Optimal Blue Mortgage Market Index (OBMMI) provides the most comprehensive, accurate, timely, and interactive analysis of pricing ever conducted in the mortgage industry. Calculated from actual locked rates with consumers across 35% of all mortgage transactions nationwide, OBMMI includes multiple mortgage pricing indices developed around the most popular mortgage products and specific borrower attributes to provide configurable trending rates over time.
Texas Blackland Prairie Crop Yields
https://www.ecodataservices.com/2023/01/Texas-Blackland-Prairie-Crop-Yields/This project demonstrates using Python notebooks with Microsoft's Planetary Computer to access large earth-science data sets, such as the Gridded National Soil Survey Geographic Database, and visualize the data in Power BI.
Education
1985 - 1989
Bachelor's Degree in Biology and Economics
Trinity University - San Antonio, USA
Certifications
JANUARY 2024 - PRESENT
Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate
Microsoft
DECEMBER 2016 - PRESENT
Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert: Data Management and Analytics Charter Member
Microsoft
DECEMBER 2014 - PRESENT
Microsoft Certified Solution Developer
Microsoft
Skills
Libraries/APIs
PySpark, Azure Blob Storage API
Tools
Microsoft Power BI, SQL Server BI, Microsoft Excel, Synapse, Power Query, GIS, Microsoft Access, Tableau, Looker
Languages
SQL, T-SQL (Transact-SQL), SQL DML, Scala, C#.NET, Python, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Excel VBA, C#, Visual Basic 6 (VB6), Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET), Python 3, Snowflake
Paradigms
ETL, Business Intelligence (BI), Database Design, UI Design, Agile
Platforms
Azure, Windows, Databricks, Azure Event Hubs, Azure Functions, Azure PaaS, Jupyter Notebook, Azure Synapse, Microsoft Fabric, Adobe ColdFusion, Oracle Database, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, Dedicated SQL Pool (formerly SQL DW), Oracle
Storage
Azure SQL, SQL Stored Procedures, SQL Performance, Microsoft SQL Server, SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), SQL Server 2017, SQL Server 2014, SQL Server 2008, Data Integration, DB, Database Architecture, Databases, Relational Databases, Database Administration (DBA), Database Security, Database Performance, Data Lakes, Data Pipelines, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), Data Validation, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure Table Storage, NoSQL
Frameworks
.NET, Spark, Windows PowerShell
Other
Azure Analysis Services, Azure Databricks, Azure Data Factory, Data Warehouse Design, SQL Server 2015, Data Analysis, Data Analytics, Data Visualization, Analytics, Dashboards, Data Engineering, Data Migration, CSV File Processing, Data Architecture, Architecture, Data Queries, Performance Tuning, Microsoft Azure, Data Transformation, Data Reporting, Data Structures, Database Schema Design, Query Optimization, Data Modeling, Business Analysis, Business Requirements, Stakeholder Management, API Integration, Data Warehousing, Data Strategy, Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Governance, Data Management, Dashboard Design, Science, Research & Critical Thinking, Agrotech, Ecology, Azure Data Lake, Indexing, Partitioning, Unstructured Data Analysis, Azure Stream Analytics, Cost Estimation, Professional Services, Custom Reports, Organic Chemistry, Environment, Operations, APIs, Finance, Office 365, Excel 365, DAX, Data Monetization, Economic Analysis, Technical Writing, Communication, Big Data, Fintech, Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), GC Mass Spectrometry, Linear Regression, Clinical Trials, High-performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Big Data Architecture, Data Science, SAP ERP
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