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CV

Kai Walker Donovan

Senior BI Analyst / Analytics Engineer | Looker, LookML, BigQuery, Python

Professional Summary

Looker/LookML analytics engineer: #1 contributor by volume on a large LookML estate (~125k lines, ~750 commits). Shipped an internal discovery hub to ~100 MAU (~10x engagement) with semantic modelling, metadata pipelines, and enablement. BigQuery automation and Python framework ownership (~20k lines, ~5 production Cloud Functions), with a focus on governed self-serve analytics, semantic modelling, and scalable BI adoption.

Work Experience

Ocado Group

September 2021 – Present
Agentic Solutions LeadJune 2026 – Present

Hatfield, UK

  • Built and have owned an AI-assisted decision-support platform from scratch since its inception, unifying metrics, operational knowledge, and product context for Ocado Group and retail partners, shaping MVP scope, user journeys, and answer-quality standards from day one.
  • Repositioned the platform from an answer engine to a diagnostic engine, defining a three-pillar strategy (unified knowledge, causal diagnosis, partner-ready governance) and a structured root-cause reasoning model across metric, operational, and product-feature data.
  • Shipped a suite of AI-native analytics tools: Metric Tree (Looker-wide metric search and root-cause visualisation), Cost to Serve (SKU-level profitability with What-If/Opportunity Cost modelling), Tote Mix Optimiser (tote-space trade recommender), and an AI stakeholder Q&A rehearsal tool for presentations, each iterated from direct user feedback.
Senior Analyst, US Retail Partner Secondment2025 – June 2026

Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Data AnalystSeptember 2021 – 2025

    Hatfield, UK

    • Led Looker semantic-layer development across ~125,000 lines of LookML and ~750 commits (#1 contributor by volume), establishing reusable modelling and QA patterns partner teams adopted.
    • Built an internal analytics discovery hub (metadata pipelines, guided navigation, and training) that lifted engagement ~10x to ~100 monthly active users.
    • Led the conversational analytics programme for the internal analytics hub: scoped phased rollout, retrieval vs hand-off trade-offs, and evaluation criteria with analytics and portal owners, built on Google's AI platform and cloud data tools.
    • Owned shared Python analytics framework (~20,000 lines, ~10 contributors) and operated ~5 production GCP Cloud Functions with failure monitoring.

    E-commerce Sales & Development Manager

    September 2020 – September 2021

    American Dream / Love Afro - Luton, UK

    • Analysed paid social, Amazon, pricing, and promotional performance across weekly trading cycles, using ROAS-led readouts to guide spend, stock, and campaign decisions.
    • Ran disciplined test-and-learn on paid social and Amazon (creative, audience, bid/pricing) with weekly readouts using A/B-style comparisons at e-commerce pace.
    • Managed end-to-end e-commerce: site changes, Amazon Seller account, and multi-channel campaigns; owned trade-offs between stock, margin, and promotional spend.

    Key Projects

    AI Decision-Support Platform

    Next.js · React · TypeScript · Looker API

    Analytics discovery platform that grew from a searchable hub to an AI diagnostic engine

    Governed repository for analyst-built, agent-ready tools

    Python · React · TypeScript · BigQuery

    Governed home for analyst-built calculators and optimisers, agent-ready from day one

    Python Framework

    Python · GCP · BigQuery · Slack API

    Shared Python toolkit reducing duplication across analytics automation

    Partner-facing operational insights landing, "OSP Insights"

    LookML · Looker · SQL · BigQuery

    Redesigned partner reporting navigation to surface most-used reports

    Education

    BSc (Hons) Computer Science, First Class

    2024

    University of West London, London

    BTEC Extended Diploma in IT, D*D*D*

    2020

    West Herts College, Watford

    Skills

    LookML / Looker Enterprise · SQL (BigQuery) · Python · dbt · GCP (Cloud Functions, BigQuery, Secrets Manager) · GitLab CI/CD · Semantic layer & data modelling · Dashboard & explore governance · Looker API integration · JavaScript / TypeScript (Next.js, React) · Self-serve analytics enablement · Data catalog & metadata pipelines