Business Intelligence Data Analyst

Muhammad Farhan Ali Syed

Professional Summary

Results-driven Hands-on Database Architect, Senior Data Engineer, Data Analyst, Data Warehouse architect, Operations DBA, Data-Steward and Software Developer with over 20 years of experience designing scalable, cloud-based data solutions. Proven expertise in Snowflake, Azure Synapse, AWS Redshift, MySQL and PostgreSql driving efficiency and scalability across industries like telecom, healthcare, and Fintech

Adept at implementing Medallion Architecture for data lakes, managing large-scale ETL & ELT pipelines, and ensuring compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO standards. Extensive experience in relational and dimensional modeling, advanced ETL processes, and optimizing OLTP and OLAP systems for performance and reliability

Served 8+ years in Leading AI CX Company, Afiniti in Washington DC, USA as a Data Architect, Lead Database Administrator & Information Security Compliance POC, responsible for Data Integration, Cloud Data Lake Development, Cloud Data Migration & Data Delivery to AI Team, Production Operations, Deployments, Encryption-At-Rest, Compliance & Audit

Worked at Etisalat, Abu Dhabi, UAE for 7 years as Technical Analyst in Financial Reporting Function

Worked in US Health Insurance domain, Generating EDI-835, EDI-837, HL7 (CCDA & FHIR)

Extensive knowledge and expertise in Relational as well as Dimensional Modeling following Kimball Model Datawarehouse (Star Schema) & Data Marts, Business Intelligence and Data Governance domains

Skilled at Information Security Compliance, Native TDE Encryption, CipherTrust Manager & Vormetric Vault

Proficient in Designer Components/ Dashboards: Power BI, Apache Superset, Tableau, .NET SSRS & SSAS

Experience with MySQL, Redshift, Greenplum Cluster Deployments, Setting up HA/DR Nodes, Replication & Sharing, NoSQL & Cloud data warehouses like Snowflake, AWS Redshift

Skilled at practicing project management processes or following Agile-Scrum methodology to manage interests of stakeholders and successfully deliver assigned IT projects on time – Certified PMP

Process expertise in converting problem statement into well-documented designs

Team Building & Management, Technical Documentation, Problem Solving, Client Interfacing Ability

Core Competencies

Technical Expertise

Database Platforms: Snowflake, AWS Redshift, Azure Synapse, IBM DB2, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Greenplum, SQL Server, Oracle, MongoDB, Cosmos DB

ETL/ELT & Orchestration: QLIK Replicate, Azure Data Factory (ADF), Talend, Apache Airflow, DBT, SSIS, AWS Glue, AirByte, Informatica, Data validation using greatexpectations.io, Cron, Kafka

Programming: PySpark with AWS Glue/ Snowpark, SQL, T-SQL, PL/pgSQL, PL/SQL, C/C++, C#, VB.NET, .NET Core, Azure Databricks/PySpark, PHP, Linux & Shell Scripting

Analytics & Reporting: Power BI, Apache Superset, SSRS, SSAS, CCDA & FHIR JSON

Design Concepts: Data Lake Design (Medallion Architecture), Relational & Dimensional Modeling, Change Data Capture (CDC), Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG), Information/Data Security: Vormetric & CipherTrust

Tools: Git (version control) CI/CD pipeline, JIRA, Confluence, Microsoft Visio, Erwin, Mantis

Compliance Expertise: GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, ISO 27001

Domain Knowledge: Telecom, Call Centre, Credit Card Merchants & Finance, Data Clearing & Financial Settlement, Asset Financing and Leasing, Health Insurance, Ecommerce, ERP

Leadership & Strategy Expertise

Strategic Planning & Execution

Team Building & Mentoring

Stakeholder Collaboration & Client Management

Cross-functional Collaboration

Education

Master’s degree in Computer Science from SZABIST, Islamabad, Pakistan (2006)

Bachelor’s in Computer Science (Honors) from University of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi, Pakistan (2004)

Certifications

Project Management Professional (PMP)

Professional Work Experience

Cognizant (Contractor), NJ, USA May-2024 – Date

Lead Data Engineer/Architect

Spearheaded the integration of merchant data across 3 regions into a unified Snowflake database, achieving a 25% reduction in data processing time by leveraging Snowpipe, Data Sharding, Time Travel, and Streams

Designed and deployed a scalable data solution utilizing MySQL RDS, Snowflake, AWS Glue, and Snowpark, improving OLTP and OLAP workload performance by 40%

Streamlined ETL and ELT pipelines by automating processes with QLIK Replicate, AWS Glue, and PySpark, reducing processing time by 30% while enhancing data governance standards through automated validation scripts in Python, C++ UDF function generating JSON for micro services, and Unix Shell

Implemented seamless data pipelines between AWS S3, IBM DB2, and Oracle, reducing data transfer errors by 15% and improving processing reliability for cross-platform integrations

Used Git for version control, enabling collaborative development and efficient code management, with CI/CD pipelines to automate testing and deployment, ensuring smooth and reliable database updates

Developed and deployed AI-powered scripts to optimize query generation and database performance tuning, leveraging GPT models for adaptive SQL optimization

Satmap d/b/a Afiniti (www.afiniti.com), Washington DC, USA Jan-2016 – Apr-2024

Lead Database Administrator / Lead Data Engineer

Afiniti delivers AI-driven CX solutions by pairing customers with CSR agents based on predicted behaviour.

Led 12 successful Afiniti product deployments across Europe, driving actionable insights through data discovery and pattern analysis. Streamlined team collaboration by implementing comprehensive documentation practices on Confluence and Gliffy, reducing onboarding time for new projects by 15%

Built and optimized robust data pipelines using SSIS, Talend, Airbyte, Informatica, and QLIK Replicate, enhancing database performance across MySQL, SQL Server, Greenplum, and PostgreSQL

Introduced automated validation processes with Great Expectations, reducing manual effort by 20% and ensuring 99.9% data integrity across pipelines

Enhanced database performance by implementing advanced query tuning techniques and optimizing database parameters, improving transaction speeds by 25% and reducing query execution time by 30%

Developed numerous UDFs, database triggers, and data manipulation procedures using languages like Python, SnowPark, PySpark, Pl/pgsql, Pl/sql, .NET C#, C++ generating JSON, Shell Scripts & CI/CD pipelines

Led the migration of on-premises databases to Azure cloud infrastructure, utilizing Azure Data Factory, Databricks, and Airflow to process files with ADLS and DLT. Achieved a 40% reduction in infrastructure costs and improved data processing speeds by 50% through optimized storage using Parquet Tables

Established Data Lake with Bronze -> Silver -> Gold/Semantic Data Layers to feed data in AWS Redshift

Overhauled a global data portal, reducing query time by 25% and enhancing user experience with Apache Superset, AirByte, DBT, AWS Redshift, and semantic modeling tools like DBT. Enabled faster, real-time analytics access for 10+ global teams, significantly improving decision-making efficiency

Architected and implemented change data capture (CDC) and slowly changing dimension design. Performed dimensional and 3NF modeling according to enterprise standards using ErWin/DBT

Transformed a Python-based CRM process using Greenplum SQL procedures to achieve over 200% efficiency

Established Medallion Architecture with Snowflake to optimize data workflows and enhance AI-driven insights

Deployed real-time streaming architecture with Apache Kafka and Spark, enabling dynamic workloads and reducing processing latency by 30%. Supported the delivery of time-sensitive insights for AI-driven applications, enhancing business outcomes

Achieved GDPR and HIPAA compliance across 30+ database deployments by implementing advanced encryption at rest and audit practices using Native TDE Encryption, CipherTrust Manager, and Vormetric Vault. Minimized security risks and ensured regulatory adherence, enabling seamless operations for AI-driven solutions in highly regulated environments

Designed data architecture, capacity planning, and database setups with optimal configurations

Ensured production uptime of 99.9% database availability of MySQL, SQL Server, Postgres, Greenplum & Snowflake with top-notch performance and security. Database recovery plans with RTO & RPO

Integrated C#.NET APIs with data-centric applications to streamline data exchange, enhance system interoperability, and ensure seamless integration across platforms

Managing, Hiring, training & mentoring of Database Operational Support & Engineering team members

NetSol Technologies (NTWK - NASDAQ)- Lahore, Pakistan Jun-2015 – Jan-2016

Data & Database Architect, Lead Data Engineer

Delivered end-to-end ETL solutions for Toyota Leasing Bangkok, successfully migrating 500,000+ records across SQL Server, MySQL, and Oracle databases. Ensured data integrity through automated validation scripts and achieved a 99.9% accuracy rate during migration

Designed secure ELT pipelines leveraging Talend and SSIS, streamlining multi-layer data ingestion. Achieved a 20% reduction in processing time by optimizing transformations and ensuring secure data handling across all pipeline layers

Architected medallion data ingestion framework, processing data across pre-land, land, and consumption layers. Enhanced data accessibility by creating semantic models and dashboards in Power BI and Tableau, enabling business teams to reduce decision-making turnaround times by 30%

Implemented ITIL-based incident and problem management strategies, achieving a 95% SLA compliance rate and reducing downtime by 20% through proactive issue resolution and structured escalation processes

Enhanced database performance by optimizing stored procedures, indexes, and execution plans, achieving a 20% improvement in query execution time. Reduced resource consumption on SQL Server and Oracle databases, enabling smoother operations for mission-critical applications

Soliton Health Pvt. Ltd. (Alere Analytics Inc. USA)- Lahore, Pakistan Apr-2014 – May-2015

Lead Data Analyst

Designed and deployed Business Intelligence tools using PowerBI and SSRS, enabling 20+ healthcare vendors across the USA to generate real-time insights. Improved reporting efficiency by 30%, ensuring compliance with healthcare data standards and facilitating decision-making for key stakeholders

Collaborated with onshore teams to gather and document requirements for healthcare reporting systems. Orchestrated Agile Scrum sprints to deliver 100% on-time releases, ensuring adherence to project timelines and improving team productivity by 25%

Designed a robust data warehouse and ETL process for 15+ US healthcare vendors using SSIS, SSRS, SSAS, and SQL Server. Improved reporting accuracy by 40% through optimized data pipelines and validation checks, enhancing end-user trust and decision-making reliability

Engineered OLAP cubes to provide advanced analytics for 10+ key stakeholders, reducing data query response times by 50% and enabling faster decision-making processes for healthcare operations

Developed complex MDX and SQL queries for interactive dashboards and visualizations, improving chart load times by 40%. Utilized ERWin for advanced data modeling, ensuring scalability and accuracy across healthcare analytics systems

Worked on graphical representation & integration of data using .NET C# & integration of web APIs

Implemented metadata and lineage tracking to ensure robust data governance

Streamlined ETL flows for loading CCLF files using SSIS having medical insurance claims and mapped to Datawarehouse for SSRS reports

Eworx Int. (AAJ Technologies USA)- Lahore, Pakistan Sep-2013 – April-2014

Principal Software Engineer

Delivered a scalable data pipeline using SSIS for a medical claims and billing system, efficiently processing 1M+ records into EDI files (835/837) for a US-based client. Authored comprehensive functional specifications to streamline the development process and coordinated task delegation, achieving a 25% improvement in project delivery timelines

Served as a Data Architect to design a robust Data Validation Framework, ensuring data consistency and accuracy across 30+ applications and ERP systems. Enhanced validation efficiency by 40%, reducing manual checks and increasing system reliability for the client’s critical applications

Collaborated with business stakeholders to gather and document business rules, translating them into a functional Data Validation Framework. Improved framework accuracy by 30%, ensuring compliance with business requirements and reducing error rates during validation processes

Designed and implemented data architecture for Azure Data Factory (ADF) pipelines, integrating source systems with Databricks for seamless data processing. Created ETL packages in SSIS to streamline data ingestion from multiple medical providers, reducing processing time by 35% and improving reporting accuracy for end users

Spearheaded data validation, cleansing, and transformation processes to align with business requirements, leveraging automated scripts to improve accuracy by 30%. Enabled error-free integration across data pipelines and enhanced data usability for reporting on SSRS and analytics

Ebryx Pvt. Ltd.- Lahore, Pakistan Jun-2013 – Sep-2013

Principal Software Engineer

Directed the technical design and deployment of a National ICT R&D project focused on GSM network fault detection and real-time alert systems, reducing fault response times by 40% and minimizing downtime for telecom operators

Led the architecture and development of an AI-powered telecommunications fault analytics platform, enabling predictive fault detection and decreasing resolution times by 30%

Authored comprehensive technical requirement and functional design documents, improving cross-team collaboration and ensuring 100% alignment with project deliverables, resulting in a 20% increase in development efficiency

Etisalat (Emirates Data Clearing House ISO9001:2008)- Abu Dhabi, UAE Apr-2007 – Jan-2013

Technical Analyst

Awarded Outstanding Performance in 2011 for leading a data integration and visualization project for Etisalat’s Fin-tech subsidiary (EDCH), improving reporting capabilities by 40% and enhancing data-driven decision-making processes for high-level stakeholders

Designed and implemented a comprehensive financial reporting system using SQL Server, SSIS, SSAS, SSRS, and .NET/C#, enabling real-time data clearing services for 50+ GSM operators. Reduced report generation time by 30% and ensured data accuracy, boosting operational efficiency for telecom clients

Orchestrated high-volume data processing workflows, optimizing SQL and MDX queries to improve performance by 25%. Established robust ETL pipelines and implemented automated data validation techniques, ensuring 99.9% data integrity and seamless delivery for telecom operations handling millions of daily transactions

Managed high-volume data processing workflows, SQL & MDX query performance tuning, ensuring robust ETL pipelines and data integrity as a Data Steward

Developed and fine-tuned SQL Server procedures pertaining to roaming calls & financial settlement, reducing query execution time by 40% and improving data retrieval efficiency for interactive reporting dashboards used by telecom operators, enhancing user experience and operational decision-making

Develop, test, and deploy backup and database recovery plans with RTO & RPO

Supported international roaming data clearing services, collaborating with stakeholders and resolving complex technical challenges

Led software development projects end-to-end, gathering requirements from stakeholders and creating detailed functional requirement documentation. Implemented a requirement traceability matrix, ensuring 100% alignment with stakeholder needs and reducing rework by 20% during the project lifecycle

Curated and maintained Organizational Process Assets, documenting lessons learned and optimizing development processes. Enhanced future project outcomes by standardizing best practices, reducing project delivery timelines by 15%, and fostering knowledge sharing across teams

Mobile Sync Pakistan- Islamabad, Pakistan Dec 2005 – Feb 2007

Software Engineer

Developed web portals, CMS, and CRM applications using ASP.NET, VB.NET, C#, and PHP, improving system usability

Designed secure databases for mobile application data backup, ensuring 100% data integrity

Conducted mobile app testing and API integration, enhancing compatibility across devices

Artologics Software- Islamabad, Pakistan Jan 2004 – Aug 2005

Software Engineer

Built dynamic web applications, including Express Gift Service, using ASP.NET and PHP, boosting platform functionality

Integrated secure payment gateways, reducing payment errors by 20%

Designed scalable databases to support high-traffic applications

References

Will be furnished upon request

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