Q: Good morning, Jigar. Thank you for joining us today. Let’s dive right in. Could you provide an overview of your background and experience as a Principal Data Engineer?
A: Good morning, thank you for having me. Certainly. I’ve been working in the field of Enterprise Application Development and Big Data for over 15 years now, with a focus on building robust data pipelines and designing scalable architectures. Throughout my career, I’ve held roles at various companies, including VideoAmp, John Hancock, TiVo, Staples, and Infosys, where I’ve gained extensive experience in data engineering, software development, and leadership.
Q: Your experience is quite impressive. Could you walk us through some of your key responsibilities and achievements in your most recent role as Principal Data Engineer at VideoAmp?
A: Of course. At VideoAmp, my primary responsibilities revolve around building Pyspark data pipelines for processing linear viewership data. I collaborate closely with our Data Science and product teams to implement business use cases and features, ensuring that our analytics are both accurate and actionable. Additionally, I take on a leadership role within the team, leading projects and providing mentorship to junior engineers.
Q: Your leadership skills seem to be a significant asset. How do you approach mentoring and leading projects within your team?
A: Mentorship is crucial for fostering growth and development within the team. I believe in providing guidance and support tailored to each individual’s needs, whether that involves technical skill-building, problem-solving, or professional development. When leading projects, I prioritize clear communication, efficient resource allocation, and collaboration across teams to ensure successful outcomes.
Q: That approach certainly seems effective. Could you share some insights into your experience at John Hancock as a Lead Big Data Engineer?
A: At John Hancock, I was responsible for translating business needs into data architecture solutions. I led the design and implementation of a fault-tolerant and scalable big data platform, primarily based on the Hadoop ecosystem. This involved architecting and building data pipelines to process and analyze large volumes of data, enabling the organization to derive valuable insights and drive informed decision-making.
Q: Your technical expertise is evident. Could you highlight some of the key skills and technologies you’ve mastered throughout your career?
A: Certainly. I have hands-on experience designing reliable, fault-tolerant, and high-performance distributed systems. I’m proficient in various architectures, frameworks, and systems, with significant experience in full-stack application development and CI/CD pipelines. My technical toolkit includes expertise in Big Data technologies such as Spark, Databricks, and Snowpark, as well as AWS services like EMR and S3, among others.
Q: Impressive array of skills indeed. Lastly, could you tell us about your educational background and any relevant certifications you hold?
A: I completed my Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from Nirma University in Gujarat, India, where I graduated with a GPA of 8.39/10. Additionally, I hold the Cloudera Developer certification for Apache Spark, which validates my proficiency in building Spark applications.
Q: Thank you, Jigar, for sharing your insights and experiences with us today. It’s been a pleasure speaking with you.
A: Thank you for the opportunity. It’s been a pleasure.
