Core Competencies
- Data Platforms: Azure Data Factory, SQL, Databricks, Power BI
- Architecture: SaaS Migration, API Design, System Integration
- Leadership: Governance Frameworks, PMO Management, Cross-functional Team Leadership
Professional Experience
IT Business Analyst
Barcel USA — 2024–Present
- Data Migration & Optimization: Engineered and executed ETL pipelines using Azure Data Factory and SQL, migrating complex legacy data processes into Databricks. Achieved significant improvements in query speed and storage efficiency.
- Business Intelligence & Analytics: Partnered directly with the Finance Department to analyze critical KPIs and financial trends, building interactive dashboards in Power BI that identified key cost-saving opportunities.
- Operational Automation: Established a proactive monitoring framework using Power Automate, enabling immediate detection and resolution of data anomalies before they impacted core reporting systems.
- Strategic Stakeholder Management: Served as the primary technical liaison between internal teams and external contractors, ensuring project delivery met stringent organizational standards and aggressive timeline requirements.
Applications Division Manager
City of El Paso — 2022–2024
- SaaS Migration & PMO Leadership: Directed end-to-end project management for the Accela migration (On-Premise → SaaS), including feasibility research, risk assessments (Peoplesoft 9.1 → 9.2), and served as primary contract negotiator and liaison.
- Governance & Compliance: Established formal policies and procedures critical for Forrester security audits, defining data retention limits compliant with Federal, State, and local regulations; ensured vendor-level Disaster Recovery (DR) plans were in place.
- Financial Oversight & Procurement: Reviewed over $1,000,000 USD in annual software purchase requests, evaluating suitability, security, and long-term viability. Developed financial regression analysis presented to the CFO to secure funding for essential application upgrades.
- Process Automation & Efficiency: Automated core workflows by analyzing and refactoring complex PowerShell scripts, significantly improving operational efficiency. Led cross-functional teams through structured planning and risk mitigation strategies.
- Team Management & Development: Managed a team of 10 Tier 3 Application Support Specialists and a Database Administrator; diagnosed retention issues and implemented targeted talent development initiatives to stabilize department capacity.
Technology Implementation Manager
The University of Texas at El Paso — 2013–2022
- Full-Stack Development & Custom Solutions: Designed, developed, and deployed custom applications (PHP/jQuery/MySQL/XML), including a Joomla plugin for the TIME program admissions process to track electronic applications and manage professional recommendations.
- Data Engineering & Analysis: Built data pipelines using Python (e.g., extracting structured data from PDF forms into JSON repositories), enabling critical support for department-level reports and analytics.
- Digital Transformation Impact: Led training initiatives for faculty and staff across diverse technologies (Office 365, web conferencing, backup tools); managed onboarding of four students in advanced topics including HTML5, JavaScript visualization, and source control.
- Web Presence & Security: Drove a 15% year-over-year increase in website traffic. Proactively monitored WordPress/Joomla systems for security vulnerabilities and automated Google Analytics reporting to provide departments with monthly performance dashboards.
Research Scholar
The University of Texas at El Paso — 2008–2012
- High-Performance Computing (HPC): Improved the speed of a parallel seismic tomography algorithm developed by John A. Hole by over 100% using NVIDIA CUDA C, demonstrating expertise in optimized hardware utilization.
- Systems & Visualization: Coordinated a team of 9 developers to build complex visualization software in C++ for the SAGE: Scalable Adaptive Graphics Environment cluster.
- Software Architecture: Designed and implemented robust RESTful API web services using Java and Tomcat for ontology deployment (Sesame/OWLIM Lite), enabling secure data exchange between disparate academic systems.
Publications
Romero, R., Olaya, J., Chacon, C., Licea, F., ‘STg: Cyberinfrastructure for Seismic Travel Time Tomography’, Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions, 2010. Olaya, J., Chacon, C., Quinonez, S., Velasco, A., ’Accelerating Smoothing of Velocity Perturbations in Seismic Tomography’, Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science National Conference, 2012.