Unpacking the Puzzle: Edgar’s Journey as a Lead Data Engineer at Devoteam G Cloud

In this series, we’ll put the spotlight on Devoteam G Cloud’s experts who are always at the forefront of driving progress in the exciting and rapidly evolving Google Cloud world. In this article, we will delve into Edgar’s role at Devoteam G Cloud and his thoughts on the Power of the ‘just do it mentality’. Get ready to be inspired by Edgar and the impact he is making at our customers.

Inside Look: Edgar’s Journey as a Lead Data Engineer with a drive to help businesses make the most of their data

I’m working as a Lead Data Engineer at Devoteam G Cloud Belgium since 2020 where I help our customers to leverage their data to the fullest by modeling and transforming their data.

I work very closely with the Data team at the customer to understand their data landscape, identify opportunities for improvement, and implement solutions.

Unpacking the Puzzle

My job is all about putting together the pieces of a puzzle to solve the customer’s challenges. It requires a combination of technical skills, creativity, and collaboration. When I look at the big picture, I see all these pieces of the puzzle coming together and it’s just so satisfying.

His story explained in a short video

In this video, you’ll get a glimpse into Edgar’s professional journey, his role at Devoteam G Cloud, and the exciting projects he’s been a part of.

How does your day-to-day look like?

The day always starts with a stand-up meeting with the customer and my team. Then, it depends on the priorities. If there is a technical issue that needs to be addressed, I’ll be troubleshooting and fixing it. If it’s a slower pace day, I have the opportunity to code and work through any tickets. During the day I help out others, for example by examining the functionality of pipelines and providing technical support where needed. No day is the same and that’s what keeps this role exciting.

What projects do you work on?

I work on a variety of projects. Currently, I’m working on the Unifiedpost project, the creation of a large-scale data warehouse. We’re still improving it as of today. The initial goal was to collect data from 15 different databases and create a centralised data warehouse. We were able to develop all data pipelines into Google Cloud within the desired timeframe of 5 months. 

Can you share the biggest challenge of this Data project?

The most challenging aspect of this project was clearly extracting the data from 15 databases in parallel. We were able to overcome this by developing a Docker Container and using Composer for orchestration. All of these containers run in a Kubernetes cluster.

Loving the GCP technology and the bunch of people working in the Data tribe:  My 3 Favorite Aspects of the Job

There are 3 things that I love about my job here. 

1. Firstly, the GCP technology I get to work with is really cutting-edge. I know it’s a buzzword but let’s be honest it’s damn cool to work with such a fast-paced technology. The GCP ecosystem is constantly expanding and there are always new tools and services to explore. 
2. Secondly, I am surrounded by incredibly smart, open-minded, and funny people. It is rare to find such a combination in a job, but at Devoteam G Cloud, everyone is supportive and encourages you to take initiative. For example, when I had an idea to host a LAN party, my colleagues Niels, Sven, and Tristan were all for it and provided me with the budget for pizza and other essentials. 
3. The Power of the ‘just do it mentality’: This “just go for it” mentality is all about taking initiative and not waiting for permission or the paperwork to come through. Let me give you an example of a project. I was discussing the need to start doing quality checks on the data of a customer with my colleague Tristan. Tristan simply said, “let’s pitch it to the customers”. So I went ahead and approached the customer to present the idea, without having to go through any lengthy approval processes. This is a perfect illustration of the “just go for it” mentality.

Elevating the Data Tribe

Each month, we come together with the Data Tribe to share our expertise through a quick quiz on various GCP topics. It’s a great way to stay engaged and informed about the latest developments.

The Data Tribe in Belgium is a tight-knit team of individuals who challenge each other every day. Rik for example, one of our Lead Data Architects is a true source of inspiration for the Tribe. And the great thing is that there is no barrier to asking him any question.