In today’s data-driven world, leaders who can harness the power of analytics, optimize costs, and ensure seamless service delivery are invaluable. Gagan Kumar Patra, a seasoned Technical Architect based in Charlotte, NC, exemplifies these qualities. With over 12 years of expertise in Data Analytics, File Transfer Systems, and Service Delivery, Gagan has consistently delivered impactful results across the Media, Entertainment, and Investment Management sectors. His ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams and transition legacy systems to modern architectures makes him a force to reckon with in the data engineering landscape.
Expertise and Skills
Gagan’s diverse skill set spans programming, cloud technologies, data governance, and project management. His technical acumen includes:
- Programming Languages: Python, SQL, Shell Scripting
- Databases and Data Governance: PostgreSQL, Oracle, MS SQL Server, Collibra
- AWS Cloud Services: EC2, S3, IAM, EMR, Lambda, Glue, Redshift, Kinesis, DynamoDB, Athena, CloudFormation, CloudWatch
- Big Data Frameworks: Hadoop, Spark, Hive, Presto
- Integration and Scheduling Tools: bTrade TDXchange, IBM DataStage, Databricks, Qlik Replicate
- Project Management: Agile, Waterfall, JIRA, Confluence
This robust toolkit enables Gagan to tackle complex challenges and deliver innovative solutions tailored to business needs.
Career Highlights
Technical Architect | Charlotte, NC
Gagan’s current role as a Technical Architect showcases his leadership in driving efficiency and innovation:
- Migrated EMR applications to serverless AWS Lambda, Glue, and Athena, reducing management overhead by 30%.
- Designed a dynamic data quality pipeline using EMR, Glue, and Splunk, ensuring downstream data accuracy.
- Oversaw the ingestion of over 1,000 DB2 tables into the Data Lake, maintaining SLA compliance and resolving user queries.
- Implemented cost optimization strategies, cutting monthly expenses by 45% while enhancing system stability.
- Collaborated with stakeholders to negotiate SLAs, ensuring timely project delivery.
Data Engineering Lead | Pune, India
As a Data Engineering Lead, Gagan demonstrated his ability to manage offshore teams and deliver scalable solutions:
- Transitioned ETL pipelines to AWS Glue and EMR, improving scalability and efficiency.
- Implemented event-driven data pipelines for secure PostgreSQL RDS snapshot exports to S3 Data Lake.
- Developed PySpark jobs to process Mainframe data, ensuring reliable data updates for downstream applications.
Data Engineer/Project Manager | Charlotte, NC
In this role, Gagan balanced technical and managerial responsibilities:
- Led data migration initiatives using AWS Lambda and Attunity Replicate, contributing to Tax Reporting Modernization.
- Resolved production issues to ensure data availability and SLA compliance.
- Enhanced ETL jobs and supported ad-hoc data requests, ensuring seamless operations for the Retail Data Warehouse.
ETL Developer & Managed File Transfer Engineer | Culver City, CA
Gagan’s expertise in ETL and file transfer systems came to the forefront:
- Maintained file transfer accounts across Linux, Windows, and Mainframes, resolving encryption issues.
- Improved ETL operations for Home Entertainment EDW, boosting performance and reliability.
ETL Developer | Mumbai, India | January 2012 – April 2015
Early in his career, Gagan honed his skills in ETL development and data analysis:
- Developed and maintained ETL jobs, ensuring optimal performance and data accuracy.
- Conducted impact analysis and resolved data anomalies, contributing to stable and efficient data marts.
Achievements and Impact
Gagan’s contributions have consistently driven measurable results:
- Cost Optimization: Reduced monthly AWS expenses by 45% through strategic cost-saving initiatives.
- Efficiency Gains: Enhanced operational efficiency by transitioning legacy systems to serverless architectures.
- Data Accuracy: Improved data quality and reliability, boosting user confidence and decision-making capabilities.
- Team Leadership: Successfully managed global teams, ensuring timely delivery of complex data projects.
Conclusion
Gagan Kumar Patra is more than just a data leader; he is a visionary who combines technical expertise with strategic foresight. His ability to optimize costs, modernize architectures, and lead diverse teams makes him a valuable asset in any organization. As the demand for data-driven insights continues to grow, professionals like Gagan will remain at the forefront, shaping the future of data engineering and analytics.