Phil Donovan
Data Analyst · Data Scientist · Data Engineer · Architect
With more than ten years of experience in spatial, health, and economic analysis, I have developed deep expertise in SQL, R, Python, GIS, data science, and software development. My work is guided by a commitment to interpretability, reproducibility, and tangible real-world impact.
I prioritise clear communication, lifelong learning, and the use of tools that enable reproducible and interactive analysis, visualisations, and analytical applications. My passion lies in transforming raw data into meaningful, accessible insights that drive decision-making and business value.
Through Virtus Solutions, I offer services encompassing modern data platforms, data engineering and automation, spatial analysis and GIS, integration engineering, R package development, analytics and business intelligence, and data strategy advisory—helping organisations unlock the full potential of their data with scalable, efficient solutions.
Selected Professional Experience
FIRN — Data Architect & Engineer
July 2023 – Present
- Led implementation of Auckland Council’s Modern Data Platform using dbt Cloud and Snowflake
- Directed spatial data integration for Strategic Spatial Modelling
- Automated real-time ingestion of LINZ land parcel data via WFS changesets
AA Insurance — R/SQL Developer & Engineer
April 2024 – June 2025
- Developed pricing emulator for legacy-to-Duck Creek migration
- Provided architectural guidance for AWS-based data analysis platform
- Designed custom Docker images for SageMaker environments
Te Whatu Ora — Senior Analyst / R Developer
June 2023 – April 2024
- Developed 'nphsintel' project integrating modern data science workflows
- Led analytical response to public health incidents with automated reporting
- Implemented cutting-edge techniques and Quarto for analytical documentation
Ministry of Health — Principal GIS Analyst
September 2022 – June 2023
- Automated tasks with R packages mohanalytics and mohgeospatial
- Created R Markdown documents for interactive maps and R Shiny apps
Technical Competencies
| Category | Skills |
|---|---|
| Programming Languages | R, Python (incl. Jinja), SQL |
| Database & Storage | Snowflake, Redshift, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, DuckDB, Apache Arrow, Apache Iceberg |
| Data Engineering | dbt, Fivetran |
| Statistical & Spatial Modelling | Supervised & unsupervised learning, regression, spatial analysis |
| Software Development | R Shiny, R package & web development, ArcGIS development, Linux terminal |
| Reporting & Visualisation | Shiny, leaflet, Jupyter, R Markdown, Quarto |
| GIS & Geospatial | ArcGIS, QGIS, PostGIS, GRASS, GeoPandas |
| Version Control | Git, GitHub, GitLab |
| Containerisation | Docker |