Lawal Khalid

A dedicated GIS professional with extensive experience in geospatial analysis, remote sensing, and data processing. Skilled in ETL, machine learning, and data analytics, with a strong passion for delivering innovative solutions.

Data/Software Engineer - UKAEA

(2024-08)

• Modernized Infrastructure: Led the Docker-based modernization of UKAEA HIVEUI, implementing Svelte/TypeScript and runtime APIs to support facility-wide digital twin capabilities.
• Security & Access Control: Architected secure, RBAC-protected data frameworks using Keycloak to enable cross-organizational sharing of sensitive, FAIR-compliant scientific datasets.
• Engineered Data Pipelines: Developed high-performance backend services and REST APIs, including automated Airflow integrations and optimized SQLAlchemy/Pandas data ingestion.
• Optimized System Reliability: Hardened platform stability by refactoring database schemas (ORM), improving API validation, and implementing comprehensive automated testing via pytest.

Geospatial Data Processor - Carbon Keepers

(2023-10 - 2024-10)

• Automated Lidar & ML Engineering: Engineered an automated, scalable Lidar data processor and forest metrics extractor using Python, reducing processing time by 50%; developed end-to-end PySpark machine learning pipelines for large-scale data analysis.
• Environmental Modeling & Leadership: Spearheaded the estimation and prediction of Above Ground Biomass (AGB) using empirical and machine learning models; coordinated an Agile team in optimizing spatial analysis workflows for Lidar and satellite products in QGIS.

GIS Data Engineer (Intern) - Open-Cosmos

(2023-03 - 2023-09)

• ETL & Cloud Engineering: Architected and optimized automated ETL pipelines using Go, Kubernetes (DAGs), and Docker; streamlined data extraction from AWS S3 across diverse formats (GeoTIFF, JSON, XML) for deployment on GCP, increasing efficiency by 2%.
• Geospatial Imagery & Satellite Projects: Spearheaded the CONIDA project data pipeline for Peruvian satellite imagery; developed scalable workflows for image transformation and spatial analysis, resulting in a 5% boost in data relevance and reliability.
• Quality Assurance & Agile Collaboration: Partnered with an Agile team to resolve critical bugs and conduct API testing (Postman), improving customer usability by 3% and enhancing product clarity by 10% through comprehensive technical documentation.
• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Established and enforced pipeline development standards by mentoring employees and architecting scalable geospatial processing workflows, fostering a culture of innovation and high-standard delivery.

GIS Data Administrator - Cadent Gas

(2022-07 - 2023-03)

• Asset Management & SAP Integration: Managed and updated a 5,000km+ high-pressure gas network using ArcMap; synchronized spatial features with SAP to streamline maintenance work orders and ensure a "digital twin" of the physical pipeline.
• Data Integrity & Regulatory Compliance: Maintained 99.8% attribute accuracy for safety audits and Ofgem-compliant reporting; utilized SQL for data wrangling and validation, resolving 100% of identified data inaccuracies to meet strict industry standards.
• Network Intelligence & Risk Analysis: Executed advanced spatial queries and isolation traces to identify at-risk pipeline segments and metadata discrepancies, providing critical spatial intelligence for network reliability and emergency response planning.

GIS Analyst (Intern) - GISKonsult

(2015-01 - 2015-06)

• Executed complex geoprocessing workflows, including hypothesis testing, image processing, and data querying, to support large-scale urban resilience and infrastructure development using ArcMap and Qgis.
• Awarded for excellence in technical communication regarding Geodatabase management showcasing an ability to translate complex data structures into clear stakeholder presentations.
• Orchestrated spatial analysis for the Ibadan Electrification Project and the Urban Flood Management Project, utilizing nearest neighbor, buffer, and descriptive analyses to optimize resource allocation and risk assessment.

MSc - Satellite Data Science - University of Leicester (2021 - 2024)

MSc - Data Analyst for Spatial and Environmental Economics - Universite de Bourgogne (2020 - 2021)

B-Tech - Urban and Regional Planning - Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (2010 - 2015)