Mohammed Riyad

Highly skilled trainer with a passion for teaching and mentoring for over 8 years. I am dedicated to sharing my knowledge to upskill learners and help companies update their policies in line with current best practices. My work history shows a proven track record of designing and delivering IT courses in software engineering, web dev, cyber security and data sciences. I am experienced in management having worked as an IT Asset Manager and as an educational Head of Department.

My skill set includes teaching programming (Python, PHP, C#, Java, JavaScript etc), cyber security (OWASP Top 10, cryptography, information security management,

ISO-27001 and others). My proficiency extends to an array of database technologies:

MySQL, T-SQL, NoSQL, PostgreSQL, MS SQL SERVER, MongoDB, MS Access. I like to ensure that I am updating myself with new and upcoming technologies.

Contract IT Technical Trainer

Harwood Tech Ltd, Blackburn (2020 - Present)

• Harwood Tech is my own private limited company I use for contract trainer roles and cyber security contracts.
• Executed both online and on-site delivery of training courses.
• Lectured Soft Dev and DBMS for the Growth Company and Hopwood Hall College.
• Delivered Cyber Security bootcamps for IN4Group (Manchester) and The Growth Company.
• Co-lead trainer for Data Analyst Bootcamps at We-Are-Digital / We-Are Group, running Train-the-trainer sessions, content creation and delivery.
• Delivered Level 3 and Level 4 apprenticeship standards (BCS and NCFE)
• Handled contract developer projects in Python, PHP, C#, Java, JavaScript, JQuery, Node
• Upgraded IT suites and networking setups based on client requirements; ensuring security-first mindset, increasing performance and decreasing waiting times by 20%.

Training Lead for Data Analyst Bootcamp

We-Are-Digital / We-Are Group, Manchester (2023 - 2024)

• Managed delivery of Level 3 Data Analyst bootcamp.
• Trained learners in PowerBI, Excel, Tableau, SQL, Python, data validation, statistical methods.

Training Lead for Cyber Bootcamp

IN4.0 Group, Salford Manchester (2023)

• Managed delivery of Level 3 Cyber Security bootcamp.
• Trained learners in Python programming, web exploitation, penetration testing, OWASP Top 10, Nmap and Ncat, Brute Force Attack, Cryptography, Frameworks (NCSE Top 10, CISC v7, CISC V8, NIST CSF), Incident Management, International Standards (ISO 27001-5, 27032, 27701, 22301, 31000, 31004, 31010, 31022, IEC, ISMS), Malware Analysis, Open-Source Intelligence, Threat models (CVSS, HTMM, PASTA, PNG, STRIDE, LINDDUN

Programming Lecturer

Hopwood Hall College, Middleton (2022)

• BTEC IT lecturer teaching software dev and DBMS.
• Programming Languages: Python, C# and SQL.

Training Lead for Soft Dev & Cyber Sec The Growth Company (2022)

• Pioneered the delivery of Level 4 Software Developer Apprenticeship (BCS) to the first cohort run by the company.
• Successfully trained Level 4 apprentices in 
  • Python, C#, SQL
  • the usage of: Algorithms, Queues, Stacks, Graphs, Trees, Hash Tables, Linked Lists, Programming Paradigms (Procedural, Object Orientated), Relational Databases, SDLC, Testing Frameworks, User Interfaces
• Revamped the delivery of Level 3 Cyber Security bootcamp, making it more intuitive and practical with an extra focus on offensive security and penetration testing.
• Trained learners in penetration testing, information security management, cryptography and other technologies loosely based on NCFE Level 3 Cyber Security course.

Data & IT Asset Manager 

Kalriyad Ltd, Blackburn (2021 - 22)

• Data handling and IT asset manager for medical firm providing colonoscopies and medicolegal reports.
• Successfully managed data delivery for confidential medical data in accordance with GDPR
• Evaluate infrastructure security exposure, and oversaw IT asset management (hardware, software and network infrastructure)
• Managed, validated, processed, and audited confidential data for medicolegal reports
• Ensured QA on encryption of reports on virtual drives
• Performed inventories and usage monitoring of all IT assets, coordinated equipment procurement and selection of replacement devices and software.

Contract IT Teacher & Technician

Ranstad Teaching Agency, Preston (2019 - 21)

• Call-out computer science teacher to secondary schools in the Lancashire area.
• Taught 11 – 16yr olds at GCSE and KS3 standard.
• Delivered courses by a variety of exam board: Pearson Edexcel, OCR, AQA, Eduqas, CIE.
• Conducted GCSE exams as invigilator, senior invigilator and external invigilation.
• Carried out IT suite installations and software deployment. Ensured data safety, worked closely with colleagues form other departments. Resolved 5 -10 helpdesk tickets per day. Managed company’s internal network through the Fog server.
• Mentoring IT interns.

Head of Department for IT and Computer Science

JIWH Secondary School & Sixth Form, Blackburn (2016 - 22)

• Taught: Java, Python 3, SQL, HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript
• Delivered: A-level, GCSE & KS3 Computer Science
• Subjects: Computer Science, History, English, Arabic, Urdu, Religious Theology
• Created user logins through Active Directory. Managed school’s Google Classroom and Google Educational Suite via Google Admin Console. Maintained the ICT suite using Windows Server, Veyon Master, diagnosed and troubleshooted hardware fixes, software, network and printer issues.
• Initiated career advice program for 14 – 18yr olds bringing in experts of various professions to talk about their life career choices and how to get a foothold in their respective professions.
• Initiated Sunday computing club for 14 – 16yr olds carrying out projects Raspberry Pi projects, computer assembly, loading Android OS on legacy machines, building shop interface using Java, Python calculator etc. Initiated Saturday library club providing boarding students with an opportunity to visit the local library. 
• Initiated A-level Computer Science course in 2018, initiated GCSE Computer Science in 2019.
• Streamlined 5-year courses into 4 years. Reduced Level 3 courses from 6 hr/w to 3 hr/w whilst boosting exam scores.
• Established early Computer Science GCSEs (in Yr10) for all students as standard). Fast-tracked A-level Computer Science (1-year course) for high-achievers.

• Cyber Executive MBA (Lancaster University)
• Clerical Masters: Pastoral Care, Theology & Arabic (Lancaster University)
• DipHE (HND) Computer Science & Cyber Security (Lancaster University)