About Me
Hello, I’m Douglas Dexter, a software testing analyst at IDEXX Laboratories with a passion for building robust automated testing solutions. Over the years, I’ve collaborated across multiple teams to create streamlined CI/CD-focused data engineering processes. As a self-proclaimed data nerd, I’m constantly expanding my skill set to transition into a development role seamlessly.
My expertise lies in Python, where I leverage tools like PyTest, PyUnit, and Selenium to create efficient testing frameworks. Additionally, I have a strong background in AWS-based solutions, including S3, Glue, Lambda, Airflow, and Redshift. I’m also proficient in Snowflake and have experience thriving in Agile environments, ensuring rapid development cycles and continuous improvement.
I’m excited about the intersection of technology and innovation, and I’m always eager to tackle new challenges and explore emerging trends in the industry. Let’s connect and collaborate to drive impactful solutions together!
Projects
Example ETL project utilizing Wizards of the Coast's Magic: The Gathering cards as a living data source. Utilizes AWS Lambdas to extract, transform, and load Scryfall's bulk data dumps into a personal database, with a LookerStudio Report built as a viewable front-end.
The project extracts data from Scryfall’s daily bulk dumps and transforms it into a structured format before loading it into a MySQL database for easy access and analysis. For ease (and cost) the database only stores the most recognizable format of each individual card. The bulk of the work was done using AWS Lambda functions for extracting and transforming the data into an S3 bucket and then loading into the MySQL database from there. A step function is triggered daily at noon MST through an EventBridge. The project integrates with a boilerplate LookerStudio Report that looks at the total number of cards printed over time, and the greatest card price differences from day-to-day and over the week while allowing you to sort by set legality.
Experience
Sole quality engineer for a flagship data platform serving AI/ML teams through AWS/Snowflake
I was brought onto a high-value high-output team of developers to build out an end-to-end testing suite for their data pipeline. After a year the project now intakes data from numerous sources and data types, with more incoming, and the testing suite remains a core part of the development cycle. I work within a team of four developers and promote a focus on data quality visibility.
Lead quality engineer lead for a high priority, fast paced database retirement project.
I started at IDEXX working on a data warehouse retirement team looking to rebuild their infrastructure on AWS and Snowflake. I acted as the solo quality engineer for a team of six developers, and worked alongside an adjacent team building out a testing platform focusing on source-to-target testing. I quickly became a core quality resource, and eventually onboarded my replacement for the role as I transitioned to my new position.
Education
University of Colorado at Boulder
BA Biochemistry
2014-2018
My time at CU Boulder was primarily dedicated to attaining a degree in Biochemistry. While I no longer work in the pharmaceutical field my experiences throughout university and my-early career gave me deep understanding of complex data systems and meticulous analysis. As a testing analyst and data engineering learner, I leverage those experiences to develop efficient solutions. Through the lens of biochemistry I bring a unique perspective to the world of data, bridging the gap between science and the technology that supports it.