Andrew Howard-Fernando

Andrew Howard-Fernando

Data Platform Lead • Backend Engineer • API Specialist

I design and build scalable data platforms, API ecosystems, and cloud-based services that power real business outcomes.

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About

As a Data Platform Lead with over a decade of experience in backend engineering and cloud architecture, I specialize in creating robust, scalable solutions that drive business efficiency. My expertise spans Python and FastAPI for high-performance APIs, cloud platforms like GCP and AWS for data-intensive applications, and leading teams to deliver microservices and ETL pipelines. I've successfully integrated systems with major MNOs, optimized costs through infrastructure migrations, and pioneered AI-assisted tools to enhance operational intelligence. Passionate about technical leadership, I focus on building systems that are not only performant but also future-proof.

What I Do

Backend Engineering

  • • Python / FastAPI APIs
  • • Microservices architecture
  • • API gateways & permissions

Cloud & Data Platforms

  • • GCP, AWS, Azure
  • • BigQuery & SQL
  • • ETL / ELT pipelines

Technical Leadership

  • • Leading dev teams
  • • Architecture decisions
  • • KPI development

AI & Automation

  • • AI-assisted agents
  • • Semantic models
  • • Workflow automation

Experience

IONX Networks | Data Platform Lead | 08/2022 – 12/2025

  • • Delivered Python APIs (FastAPI) and Cloud Functions for CellShare Portal, permission controlled by in–house permission service
  • • Integrated with external service providers in US and UK, delivering reports for the networks
  • • Developed comprehensive unit, integration and acceptance tests for data and function validation
  • • Designed and implemented a skeleton code base for rapid prototyping of microservices
  • • Managed the team’s API gateway release process
  • • Developed some KPIs for internal services to track, identify and update services on a regular basis
  • • Implemented monitoring of the platform’s performance and costs to continuously identify and implement improvements. Responsible for driving down costs and query latency by 2 orders of magnitude with BigQuery
  • • Reviewed and implemented updates to address CVE risks within containerized services
  • • Monitored, planned and delivered ~10% monthly recurring cost reductions through 2025 over all cloud services associated with the platform
  • • Designed and implemented a PoC of an AI‑assisted Agent for OSS data using a business domain knowledge graph and APIs to mitigate hallucinations, enabling grounded insights

Dense Air | Senior Backend Engineer | 08/2021 – 07/2022

  • • Migrated infrastructure from AWS to gcp within 6 months, cutting costs of analysis by leveraging BigQuery’s scaling capabilities
  • • Designed, implemented and managed APIs that served OSS data
  • • Defined the migration path to leveraging BigQuery for Hyper–scale geospatial analysis from legacy on–premises and VM–based geospatial analysis
  • • Developed ETLs to ingest, curate and present OSS data from our Network Management Systems

Agrimetrics Ltd | Software Developer | 11/2017 – 08/2021

  • • Delivered ETL pipelines and Elasticsearch clusters (~1.5TB), improving geospatial data processing efficiency.
  • • Built REST/GraphQL APIs and PowerBI dashboards, boosting client adoption and analytics delivery.
  • • Use of linked data and an internally developed ontology covering all the data assets to generate geospatially and temporally associated insights about UK fields.
  • • Developed ETLs to ingest daily weather forecasts and observations to provide actionable insights to the Agritech industry

Autologic Diagnostics Ltd | Development Lead | 01/2015 – 11/2017

  • • Led six engineers through a process of rapidly expanding the business data assets, implementing OCR/image processing tooling and achieving 65% accuracy improvement, reducing the TTL of data input from days to hours
  • • Ensured ISO9001 compliance and advanced toward ISO27001 while delivering product updates and training.
  • • Developed a bespoke logging and event tracker to aid vehicle mechanics during solo drive–cycle testing. This feature provided the user with a powerful logging debugging capability that reduced costs for garages.

Diagnos.co.uk | Software Engineer / Team Leader | 11/2003 – 01/2015

  • • Starting as a junior BMW diagnostic engineer, progressed rapidly to becoming the SME for the inhouse scripting language
  • • Progressed to VAG team lead, designing, developing and managing the entire life–cycle from its inception through to a world–leading service offering, rivalling the dealer’s tool
  • • Directed product enhancements focusing on delivering ever–evolving customer requirements

Selected Projects

10% Monthly Cost Reduction

Achieved through strategic cloud optimization and infrastructure migration.

AI-Assisted OSS Agent Prototype

Reduced data processing errors and improved accuracy in operational support systems.

Rapid Microservice Prototyping Kit

Standardized development processes, enabling faster deployment of new services.

Hyper-Scale Geospatial Analysis Migration

Leveraged BigQuery for efficient, large-scale data analysis and visualization.

Contact

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