Tell us a little bit about what you do?
My name is Adam, and I’m part of the Databricks Data Engineering practice at Dufrain. I’m currently working on a project for a leading insurer building out a data lakehouse solution, with my primary focus being on platform development and data ingestion. My day-to-day responsibilities include collaborating closely with SMEs to gather connection requirements, designing and building a metadata-driven ingestion framework using Databricks and Azure Data Factory, and ensuring smooth deployment of metadata assets. I’m also responsible for validating ingestion pipelines and analysing source systems to ensure we’re leveraging Change Data Capture effectively for optimal performance and efficiency.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Every day brings new challenges and learning opportunities, and I find nearly every task mentally stimulating. I’ve always had a strong interest in computers, but stepping into the world of cloud computing really opened my eyes to the power of scale and the incredible potential it offers. It shouldn’t, but it still baffles me what you can do a laptop alone.
What drives me is the opportunity to stay ahead of the curve—constantly learning, experimenting, and working with cutting-edge technologies. That’s exactly what I get to do in my current role, and it’s a big part of what makes the work so fulfilling.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I always aspire to go to the gym in the morning, but that’s 100% dependent on the quality of my sleep and whether my toddler has decided to make her way into our bedroom in the middle of the night – sometimes that completely puts a spanner in the works!
Next is an obligatory coffee while my daughter has breakfast. We’re very lucky because we live literally around the corner from the nursery, so the morning nursery run is lovely. We are that close we can even hear her playing in the back garden when she’s there.
Afterwards, its emails and getting myself established for the day (more coffee), followed by the usual stand-up. Lunchtime means a good walk, because I’m obliged to take the dog out – it’s one way to make sure I get my steps in!
After work, dinner time is big for us. The TV’s off, and we all sit around the table together for dinner. By the time we’re done with the bedtime routine, there’s not much time left in the evening, but we like to wind down with an episode or two of a series. We’ve just finished watching Severance. There was a lot of hype around it, and I’m glad we finished it, but I was a bit disappointed with the ending if I’m honest!
Which of our company values resonate with you the most?
I’d say Be Ourselves. I’ve worked in a couple of companies, and Dufrain certainly does this best.
They promote bringing your true self to work and celebrate each individual.
For me, that’s really refreshing. I can’t say I’ve ever completely hidden who I am, but in the past, I might have changed how I acted around people to try and match what I thought was expected of me. I think you always bring your best self when you bring all of yourself.
What would you say has been your most significant achievement or the one you are most proud of whilst working at Dufrain?
I started at Dufrain as an Analyst, or what’s now called Associate Consultant, and going from that level up to Consultant was one of my biggest milestones.
It took quite a lot of work to upskill because I came into the company with transferable and relevant skills but not 100% data-oriented skills. So, for me, it was about obtaining loads of certifications, making sure I had the right skill sets, and then putting that into practice and demonstrating it with clients. Making Consultant grade was really about everything coming together and proving I’d learned and done the right things to reach that level.
Who inspires you the most within Dufrain and outside of Dufrain?
Within Dufrain, it has to be the team I’m working with on the insurer project they’re all awesome. Everyone has their own unique skill sets, and we all bounce off each other really well. People come to each other for knowledge and advice, regardless of grade, whether you’re a Consultant, Senior Manager, etc. We all push each other to learn new things, and that helps and inspires me.
Outside of work, it’s got to be my son. He’s a big inspiration because he just does what he wants to do. He doesn’t really follow the norm; he’s very into his trains, creating maps, and things like that. He doesn’t follow the trends of other kids his age and is 100% unapologetic about his passions, and I think that’s truly inspirational.
Which work benefit or perk is your favourite and why?
I think this might sound like a boring answer, but working from home is the greatest life hack that’s ever been created, especially for someone who’s got a family.
The amount of efficiency you gain in terms of time (and money, though that’s not always the most important part) is massive. The best thing is the time with family, being able to go and pick up the kids from school or nursery is invaluable.
It also makes visits to the office more of an event to look forward to.
What’s the best advice you can give to someone who wants to work for us?
Become comfortable with personal development and learning. I think learning how to learn is such a valuable skill. For me, it’s been about building a structure or framework that helps me work through things like certifications or picking up new skills.
It’s really about figuring out exactly what you need to learn, breaking it down into smaller, manageable chunks, and taking it step by step so it doesn’t feel overwhelming.
Looking at it as a whole can be pretty daunting, but once you break it down, it’s much easier to stay on track. And when you shape that process to fit how you personally learn best, everything becomes a bit more manageable.
In a job where we’re constantly having to upskill and adapt, I’ve found that kind of approach really pays off.
What skill do you think everyone should learn?
I think I covered that in my last answer, learning how to learn and grow!
What are some of your favourite things to do outside of work?
A good old walk with the family and the dog. Anything outdoorsy is great, allows for reflection and almost forces you to leave the busy rush of the day to day behind and concentrate on what really matters. We love visiting National Trust places and Chester Zoo is always a big hit. There’s always ice cream and snacks involved. Picnics, etc. anything like that, we’re in!
Top movie/book/Band (pick one to note)?
I’m very much into my music, but I also love films with great soundtracks. One of my favourites is Drive with Ryan Gosling. Its a great film, with and even better soundtrack!