About Jesse
I build cloud data architecture that is reliable, scalable, and cost-efficient. For over a decade, I've specialised in the Microsoft data ecosystem, evolving from traditional Business Intelligence to architecting enterprise-scale modern data platforms. I have delivered data engineering and platform consulting for Fortune 500 clients across financial services and energy sectors, working across large-scale Azure, Snowflake, and Databricks environments.
I believe a data platform shouldn't just work — it should make business sense. By building robust backend logic and applying ontological design principles for modern reporting, I ensure that data is both accessible and structurally sound. Through incremental loading and infrastructure-as-code (Terraform), I have a track record of saving enterprise organisations thousands of dollars a month in cloud compute costs.
I am a strong advocate for asynchronous work, documentation-first engineering (enforcing repository standards via instructions.md and .skills.md), and building robust systems that don't require 2 AM fire drills. I treat AI as a powerful force multiplier. By using custom markdown instructions to ground AI context and orchestrating custom agents via the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Copilot CLI, I eliminate boilerplate work and accelerate deployment cycles. This frees me to focus my full attention on high-level architecture, cost-optimisation, and prototyping next-generation solutions using Microsoft Fabric and Azure AI Foundry.
Core Stack & Expertise:
• Cloud & Compute: Azure, Snowflake, Databricks (PySpark, Unity Catalog), Microsoft Fabric
• Architecture & Logic: Ontological Data Design, Backend Logic, Kimball DW Methodology
• Transformation & Orchestration: dbt, Azure Data Factory, Logic/Function Apps
• AI & Infrastructure: Model Context Protocol (MCP), Copilot CLI, Terraform, Azure DevOps, Azure AI Foundry
English
Native or bilingual
Afrikaans
Fluent
Remote only
Primarily works remotely
Experience
- Smitster Data Jesse SmitSenior Data Engineering ConsultantJanuary 2022 - Today (4 years and 6 months)• Designing and delivering enterprise data warehouse and lakehouse architectures for complex, high-volume financial, energy, and operational data environments.• Implementing end-to-end data solutions across the modern stack — Snowflake, Databricks, dbt, Azure, and Terraform — tailored to client platform requirements.• Building and operating data pipeline infrastructure with Azure Data Factory, engineered to meet enterprise SLA and reliability requirements.• Designing large-scale dbt transformation layers within Snowflake, covering data modelling, pipeline logic, and quality frameworks for enterprise platforms.• Developing Snowflake procedures, automation scripts, and private sharing configurations for governed data marketplace and distribution solutions.• Implementing CI/CD pipeline architecture via Azure DevOps for data platform deployments and infrastructure management across multi-environment setups.• Engineering PySpark-based transformation workloads in Databricks and Unity Catalog, including historised delta table architectures for regulated data environments.• Provisioning and managing cloud infrastructure as code using Terraform for consistent, version-controlled, and repeatable environment deployments.• Architecting Azure service integrations — Data Lake, Logic Apps, Function Apps, Key Vault — into cohesive and governed data platform ecosystems.• Designing AI automation architecture for enterprise data platforms, including ontology frameworks, Model Context Protocol (MCP) server implementation, and AI-powered data access tooling.• Advising on data platform architecture, engineering standards, and best practices to ensure scalable, cost-efficient, and maintainable solutions.
- LingaroLead Business Intelligence ConsultantAugust 2022 - May 2023 (9 months)Poland•Consulting clients on a diverse range of Microsoft data platform technologies, with a focus on constructing innovative Azure data solutions•Implementing CI/CD pipeline automation through Azure DevOps and GIT Actions to streamline development processes•Performing data transformation and modeling using Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics workspaces, and Azure Databricks for optimized data processing•Designing, building, and architecting lakehouse solutions utilizing Azure Synapse Analytics, encompassing SQL Serverless pools, Apache Spark pools, Dedicated pools, and Dataflows•Working with Azure Blob Storage, Azure Data Lake Storage, and Azure Cosmos DB for versatile data storage and management•Developing SQL scripts and managing data movement on Azure SQL Database, with a specialization in hyperscale servers handling terabytes of data•Designing complex Power BI Reports, Dashboards, Dataflows, and Power BI Premium datasets for insightful data visualization and analysis•Building, maintaining, and improving large-scale Azure Analysis Services models, such as S9v2, for enterprise-level clients
- BanqsoftAdvisory Business Intelligence DeveloperFebruary 2019 - July 2022 (3 years and 5 months)Poland•Architecting and developing BI banking platforms utilizing SQL Server 2017/2019, Azure SQL Database, SSAS Tabular, Azure Analysis Services, Azure Data Factory, Azure PowerShell, and Power BI front-end for robust financial analytics•Designing and implementing customer-driven reporting requirements and new specification integrations to enhance platform functionality•Transforming complex financial data into easily digestible information using SQL procedures, DAX, and Power Query for effective data analysis•Consulting with customers, gathering requirements for the development of new features and improvements, and providing advice on the use of integration databases and BI products•Developing advanced Power BI reports for insightful data visualization and decision-making•Responsible for daily maintenance of Power BI reports, databases, models, and data warehouses to ensure smooth operations•Leadership in driving continuous development and enhancements across all products for optimal performance•Implementing Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) through Azure DevOps using YAML pipelines to streamline development processes•Establishing an Automatic Regression System with CI/CD to detect changes and regression in data, ensuring data quality and consistency•Programmatic deployment of Azure infrastructure as code, leveraging Azure Resource Manager templates, Azure PowerShell, and Azure CLI for efficient resource management
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Education
- Honors Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Information Systems, Information TechnologyNorth-West University / Noordwes-Universiteit2013
- Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Information Technology, Information TechnologyNorth-West University / Noordwes-Universiteit2012
Certifications
- Microsoft Certified: Data Analyst AssociateMicrosoft2021
- Microsoft Certified: Azure FundamentalsMicrosoft2021