James Owens
01 // Personal_background
PhD Researcher, Ecologist, Dad
I am a PhD researcher in ecology, with a passion for nature and technology, and how the two can intersect to improve conservation efforts.
UK based, originally from Sheffield, I now live in Belfast with my fiancé and our baby daughter. When I'm not working, you can find me exploring nature, enjoying a coffee, or spending time with my family.
02 // PROFESSIONAL_BACKGROUND
I am a Spatial Ecologist and Data Scientist utilising my software engineering background to bridge the gap between raw data and actionable conservation strategy.
I am currently a PhD researcher in Spatial Ecology at Queen's University Belfast, with a focus on geographic profiling and bayesian modelling. I was previously employed as a software engineer where I worked on Java based web applications, and overhauling legacy systems written in C.
Data Science & Geospatial Analysis
- Python: pandas, numpy, geopandas, scikit-learn, xarray, rasterio, matplotlib, seaborn, steamlit
- R: tidyverse, terra, sf, brms, shiny, R6, vegan, lme4, mgcv
- Geospatial Software: QGIS, ArcGIS
Software Engineering
- Languages: Python, R, Java, C, C++, TypeScript, Rust
- Web & Front End: React, HTML5, CSS3 (SASS, Tailwind)
- Databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, OracleDB
03 // Career_Telemetry
PhD Researcher in Spatial Ecology
Queen's University Belfast
- Developed agent-based models to simulate realistic movement of central place foragers.
- Built a complete data analysis pipeline to compare accuracy of Bayesian geographic profiling models in a range of sampling scenarios.
- Presented my research at Northern Ireland Science Festival
- Technologies used: Python, R
Software Engineer
BT Group
- Software Engineer within billing for BT Digital, focussing on wholesale billing activity.
- Responsible for design, development, and testing of releases ranging from new application development, legacy product EOSL and migration, and enhancing functionality of existing systems.
- Development was mainly done in Java and SQL utilising Oracle DB. Releases are deployed using GitLab for source control and Jenkins for build & deployment.
- Involved in a large-scale migration of a product library, during which I have been responsible for development of additional features, refactoring and optimising old functionality, and contributing ideas to improvements in how future development on the platform should be conducted.
- Technologies used: Java, C, SQL, Oracle DB, GitLab, Jenkins
Technology Recruitment Consultant
Anson McCade
- Technical recruitment consultant responsible for all aspects of the hiring process
- Client management responsibilities, regular meetings with Senior stakeholders within the UK’s biggest name in Defence and National Security.
- Vetting candidates on both technical skillset and discussing the procedure required for UK Security Clearance (SC and DV)
- Researching market behaviour, identifying client competitors and headhunting suitable candidates
- Mentoring junior consultants on engineering concepts and terminology (containerisation, microservices etc) to better equip them to identify suitable candidates