Open to opportunities

Tom Olson

@tomolson

I build scalable batch and streaming data platforms for reliable analytics and operational systems.

I've built scalable data platforms at Apple and Shazam, delivering batch and streaming pipelines for high-volume application, event, and behavioral data.

At Apple, I used Apache Spark, Kafka, Airflow, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, and Prometheus to orchestrate distributed workflows, automate infrastructure, and improve production visibility. I designed reliable processing and data-access patterns across Redshift, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Redis for analytical and operational consumers.

Earlier, I contributed to production software systems at Electronic Arts and developed a foundation in software engineering through roles at HERE Technologies and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Senior Data Engineer

Apple

Oct 2021 - Jun 2026 (4 years 8 months)

Designed and developed scalable data engineering pipelines for high-volume workloads using Apache Spark, Kafka, and Airflow. Built batch and streaming workflows, implemented containerized services with Docker and Kubernetes, and applied infrastructure-as-code with Terraform.

Apache Spark Kafka Airflow Docker Kubernetes Terraform Prometheus Redshift PostgreSQL MySQL Redis ETL Data Pipelines Batch Processing Streaming Distributed Systems Infrastructure as Code

Data Engineer

Apple

Nov 2018 - Oct 2021 (2 years 11 months)

Developed scalable data pipelines for ingesting and transforming application, event, and behavioral data using Kafka, Apache Spark, Hive, and Presto. Built batch-processing workflows and collaborated with teams to integrate pipelines with application systems.

Kafka Apache Spark Hive Presto Data Pipelines Batch Processing ETL Distributed Systems

Data Engineer

Shazam

Aug 2017 - Nov 2018 (1 year 3 months)

Designed and developed scalable data engineering pipelines for high-volume workloads using Apache Spark, Kafka, and Airflow. Engineered batch and streaming workflows, implemented containerized services, and applied infrastructure-as-code with Terraform.

Apache Spark Kafka Airflow Docker Kubernetes Terraform Prometheus Redshift PostgreSQL MySQL Redis ETL Data Pipelines Batch Processing Streaming Distributed Systems

Software Engineer

Electronic Arts

Feb 2015 - Mar 2016 (1 year 1 month)

Developed and supported production software systems, contributing to application functionality, system integration, troubleshooting, and operational reliability. Collaborated within an engineering environment to implement software changes and investigate technical issues.

Software Engineering System Integration Troubleshooting Production Support