Nat studied Geography at Northumbria University and first started working as a Geospatial Data Analyst in March 2018 as an intern before going back to university to finish his degree. Once graduating Nat rejoined us in August 2019, where he has learned more about data analysis and engineering in the Signal Processing and Enrichment team.

Fun fact – when Nat was younger he was training to be a figure skater in the Winter Olympics!

What does day-to-day life in your role look like?

There is an element of predictability, however working within a vastly expanding company often results in varied work. Some days I will be doing data analysis, other days will lean more towards data engineering, and occasionally talking with data partners. Despite this fluctuation everyday is very collaborative despite working from home, everyone within the team is happy to discuss ideas, and answer any questions I may have.

What would you say is the most interesting aspect of your role?

Some of the most interesting analysis I do will be when we are looking at potential new data sources to improve our data coverage. I enjoy comparing it against what we currently have, and if it will fit within the Vortexa data ecosystem.

What was your path to joining Vortexa?

I first started at Vortexa in 2018 as I had opted to take a placement year after my 2nd year of university. Kit Burgess, a friend of my brother’s, had referred me to Fabio when he heard I was looking for some work experience in Geospatial analysis. Upon completion of my placement I went back to university for my final year and when I finished my degree I rejoined in August of 2019.

What kind of qualities does a person need to have to succeed at Vortexa?

To be driven by working in a collaborative environment, with some of the top minds in tech. The people I see making the biggest impact are ones who love the challenge of new technologies, and who have the tech skills to back it up. Finally I’d say being excited about working in a rapidly growing start up really helps with success at Vortexa.

What do you like about the culture?

The inclusivity and diversity, ever since I joined I immediately felt included and hope every new joiner feels the same way. An example of culture which I have been really proud to be part of is Motexa (Vortexa’s Movember team), we more than doubled our target which was generously matched by Vortexa.

What are the first three things you do on a Monday morning?

First thing on Monday morning I’ll grab some breakfast while I read any morning slack messages. Then I’ll virtually check-in and report my progress from Friday. Finally we will have a team meeting; Monday’s team meeting is usually more relaxed where we will start by discussing how everyone’s weekend has been before we look forward and set goals for the week ahead.

Who do you collaborate most with in the company?

The majority of my collaboration comes from within the team I am in, however there is also collaboration with other teams. As a more junior developer there are great mentors who will take the time to pair program with me, and I really appreciate it.

What energises you most about working as a Geospatial Data Analyst at Vortexa?

For me it has always been the opportunity to learn, when I joined Vortexa I had limited technical experience. I have had the opportunity to learn about Python, SQL, Alteryx, and a bit of dev ops (circle ci, kubernetes and airflow).

Interested in joining our team?

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