Data Engineer & Software Developer
John Chernoff, P.Eng.
Professional Engineer turned Data Engineer, specializing in building robust data pipelines, advanced analytics, and cloud solutions within the Azure Databricks ecosystem. From $14B industrial projects to cutting-edge AI implementations.
01. About Me
Engineering at Every Scale
I'm a Professional Engineer who made the strategic leap from traditional engineering to software development. My career began in the oil and gas industry, where I worked on some of North America's largest engineering projects, including the $14B LNG Canada facility.
That experience taught me how to manage complex systems, coordinate global teams, and deliver under pressure. Now I apply those same principles to building scalable data infrastructure and intelligent analytics solutions.
Today, I specialize in the Azure Databricks ecosystem, designing ETL pipelines that process terabytes of data, implementing RAG systems for AI applications, and establishing data governance frameworks that ensure quality and compliance.
02. Technical Skills
Tools & Technologies
Languages
Data Engineering
Cloud & DevOps
Databases
AI & Machine Learning
Industrial & Control Systems
03. Experience
Professional Journey
Software Developer
Arcurve
Building enterprise data solutions and AI-powered applications for diverse clients.
- Design and develop robust data pipelines integrating multiple sources using Azure Databricks and Spark
- Develop RAG pipelines and vector database solutions linking frontier LLMs with internal knowledge bases
- Perform exploratory data analysis on 1TB+ datasets for causal analysis on equipment failure
- Reduced client operational costs by $3k/month by replacing Fivetran with Databricks connectors
- Upgrade legacy workspaces to Unity Catalog, implementing data governance frameworks
- Build CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions and Databricks Asset Bundles
Data Engineer
MetaFactor
Managed enterprise-scale time series data infrastructure for industrial clients.
- Managed complex database with 150,000+ high-value time series data points processing 3,000 events/second
- Created AVEVA PI asset framework databases and analyses for reporting and analytics
- Designed Azure cloud infrastructure for databases and PI system components
Automation Engineer
Suncor
Led automation improvements across all Suncor facilities.
- Coordinated cross-functional stakeholders to implement automation improvements and consistent standards
- Caught 50+ unfit pressure transmitters during reviews, resulting in significant project savings
- Investigated and integrated 'stranded data' from packaged control systems into enterprise historian
Control Systems Engineer
Fluor Canada
Key contributor to major energy infrastructure projects including LNG Canada ($14B).
- Led HMI graphics development for LNG Canada, creating 5,000+ customized digital graphics
- Managed team of 4 engineers for water treatment, nitrogen, marine loading and other process units
- Coordinated with global teams in Japan and Philippines to execute as one unified team
- Developed 40+ P&IDs and specified 100+ instrumentation data sheets
- Created MTOs for instrumentation and control systems valuing over $10M
Automation Engineering Student
Husky Energy
Engineering internship at SAGD oil sands facility.
- Maintained PI database in alignment with local DeltaV historian
- Implemented new control schemes to solve automation debottlenecks
- Fixed and calibrated level instrumentation including nuclear profilers and guided wave radars
Manufacturing Engineering Student
Windsor Machine Group
Engineering internship focused on automotive manufacturing optimization.
- Optimized polyurethane foam production to reduce automotive part weights while maintaining part specifications for hardness
Process Engineering Student
City of Calgary
Engineering internship at municipal wastewater treatment facility.
- Operated small wastewater pilot plant including high density sludge, membrane bioreactor, and reverse osmosis treatment
04. Projects
Featured Work
RAG Proof of Concept
Retrieval-Augmented Generation pipeline connecting LLMs to internal knowledge bases, enabling accurate responses without hallucinations using vector embeddings.
Flight Reservation System
Full-stack flight booking application with user authentication, search functionality, and reservation management.
Badminton Tournament Manager
Tournament management application with knockout brackets, player registration, and match tracking. Built as a passion project combining sports and code.
Math Facts
Interactive math practice application for learning and reinforcing arithmetic fundamentals. Fun educational tool for building math fluency.
05. Education
Academic Background
MEng in Software Engineering
University of Calgary
Specialized in Machine Learning and Big Data. Coursework included distributed systems, advanced algorithms, and data engineering principles.
BASc in Chemical Engineering
Queen's University
Dean's Honours List. Professional Internship Program. Varsity Badminton Athlete. Foundation in process control and systems thinking.
Certifications
Databricks Professional Data Engineer
Advanced certification
Databricks Associate Data Engineer
Azure Databricks certified
Professional Engineer (P.Eng.)
APEGA Licensed - Alberta
06. Contact
Let's Connect
I'm always open to discussing new opportunities, interesting projects, or just connecting with fellow engineers and data enthusiasts.