Portfolio & Impact

Dublin | Stamp 4 | Immediately available

Data governance | Automation | Decision systems

Selected Portfolio Projects

These are some of the most relevant and representative projects I have worked on across my career. I selected them because they show how I think, how I solve problems, and the kind of measurable business impact I deliver.

Together, they demonstrate structured problem solving, delivery ownership, stakeholder alignment, process redesign, automation, and data driven decision support across different business contexts.

Project 1

Candidate Visibility Strategy in an AI Saturated Job Market

Personal Positioning Platform · Recruitment Differentiation · Career Re-entry · Strategy & Analysis · Solution Design · Delivery & Execution · Dublin · 2025-2026

Professional Positioning Platform

Business Analysis · Delivery Ownership · Market Positioning · Recruiter Decision Support

“I recognised that in a recruitment market shaped by AI assisted applications and high volume CV screening, evidence of capability had become more valuable than self description. I designed this platform to demonstrate business impact, structured thinking, and delivery ownership in a way a traditional CV could not.”

Live platform: rafabaltazar.com

Problem

In a high volume hiring environment, recruiters scan quickly, many applications look equally strong on paper, and genuine depth of experience can be buried beneath polished but generic positioning. A CV can claim capability, but it cannot reliably demonstrate it.

Solution

Designed and delivered a multi page professional positioning platform structured around recruiter decision flow, showing evidence of capability through case studies, outcomes, qualifications, FAQ handling, and clear contact pathways rather than relying on self description alone.

Result

Created a live, shareable decision ready asset that differentiates from standard CV only applications, addresses the employment gap directly, and demonstrates systems thinking, structured communication, and delivery ownership in a practical format.

The Challenge · The Solution

Candidate visibility strategy portfolio graphic

Business analysis logic

Context and analysis

AI reduced the cost of producing highly optimised applications
Recruiters increasingly rely on fast scanning and quick pattern recognition
Many candidates lead with generic claims rather than evidence
Career gaps are often filtered before they are explored in conversation
Business, operations, BA, and PM professionals underuse portfolio style evidence compared with technical and creative roles

Design response

Structured the platform around the recruiter’s decision journey rather than my career timeline
Separated About, Experience, Portfolio, and Contact into distinct decision layers
Translated experience into Problem → Solution → Result case studies
Addressed the employment gap directly through an FAQ evidence layer
Designed the site to be shareable internally by recruiters and hiring managers

Delivery

Discovery

Defined recruiter need, information gaps, and the limitations of standard CV positioning.

Architecture

Designed a four page structure based on decision value, not chronology.

Content

Converted 15+ years of experience into structured case studies with measurable impact.

Build

Developed and refined the platform through multiple rounds of review and usability adjustments.

Deployment

Acquired the domain, configured DNS, deployed through Netlify, and linked it across CV and applications.

Capabilities demonstrated

Problem definition
Market analysis
Stakeholder thinking
Requirements structuring
Solution design

Prioritisation
Delivery ownership
Iterative refinement
Communication strategy
Evidence based positioning

Project 2

Integration & Governance: Germany External Data Vendor

RDO Operations & Business Analyst Teams · Dublin · US · India

In this role, I owned the end to end technical investigation for the Germany daily routine and the assimilation of this new data vendor into the internal system. I operated with a high degree of independence, managing the critical data extraction and root cause analysis that formed the basis for all downstream business decisions. This experience gave me a unique engine room perspective on how data integrity directly impacts regulatory compliance.

Technical workflow · logical contribution flow

End to end validation, prioritisation, and reporting flow
supported by structured data governance and operational visibility.

Extract

Oracle SQL pull → ETL transformation → structured Excel export ready for analysis.

Validate

Delta report — current vs. previous file — identifying new errors, resolved errors, and pattern shifts.

Analyse

Pattern recognition by security type, cascade risk assessment, and Jira status reconciliation to build the prioritised backlog.

Sync

Daily coordination with BA and Ops teams to agree on priorities, share findings, and align on resolution approach.

Report

Tableau dashboard updates for senior stakeholder and PM visibility — translating operational findings into strategic progress indicators.

Problem

Large scale onboarding of 35,000+ securities daily with no validation framework, no source hierarchy, and inconsistencies across production and test, creating risk of bad data reaching the live system.

Solution

Designed a validation framework, source hierarchy rules, and production vs. test reconciliation logic. Built SQL and Access tracking database, Tableau dashboards, and automated data feed end to end.

Result

Structured validation process with clear error ownership and prioritisation by systemic impact, with full stakeholder visibility and governance adopted across global teams.

Reporting flow

Data Validation & Quality Assurance

Validated 35,000+ daily security records across multiple asset classes
Performed production vs. test reconciliation isolating source of mismatches
Validated vendor data against issuer level records and ISIN structures

Data Governance & Source Hierarchy

Designed source hierarchy framework to resolve overwrite conflicts
Built structured triage methodology based on cascading error impact

Reporting, Database & Automation

Built SQL and Access database for error tracking and reporting
Delivered dashboards providing real time operational visibility
Designed and maintained automated data feed end to end

Project Coordination

Coordinated delivery across RDO and BA teams using Jira
Translated operational findings into structured business recommendations

Project 3

ServiceNow REST API Ticketing System

REST API automation replacing overloaded email based ticket submission across APAC, LATAM, and EMEA.

Global ServiceNow Automation (Fixed Income)

APAC · LATAM · EMEA · Excel VBA · REST API · ServiceNow

Transformed a bottlenecked, email based ticketing system across APAC, LATAM, and EMEA into a REST API driven solution, eliminating Outlook and server overload and enabling real time validation with instant ticket confirmation.

Problem

Thousands of simultaneous submissions via Excel and Outlook macros were overloading the email system, causing delays and failures. Each ticket took about 1 minute. No validation before submission, no confirmation after.

Solution

Built a master Excel template with REST API integration, centralised drop down database, pre submission field validation, and automatic ticket number return, eliminating the email bottleneck entirely.

Result

Ticket time reduced from about 1 minute to a fraction of a second. Zero manual verification. Adopted across APAC, LATAM, and EMEA. Delivered under urgent timelines with live production issues resolved in real time.

Info graphic · Before vs After

Engineering & Architecture

Replaced per team Excel and Outlook workflows with a single REST API integrated master template connecting directly to ServiceNow
Built a centralised drop down database so all market templates updated automatically and one change propagated everywhere instantly
Developed a pre submission field validation layer returning the exact line and field mismatching ServiceNow requirements
Returned live ticket numbers directly in the spreadsheet on submission, eliminating manual verification entirely

Market Specific Solutions

Built market specific data extraction tools so users paste announcements and all ticket fields auto populate for submission
Engineered a copy paste extraction approach working within provider restrictions that prevented direct web scraping

Delivery Under Pressure

Self taught REST API integration, navigated IT cybersecurity approval, and delivered under urgent project timelines
Resolved live production issues in real time while maintaining full visibility on the running process simultaneously

Technical workflow · Before vs After

Project 4

Digital Transformation · Early Adoption · 2009

Digital invoice distribution redesign that reduced costs, accelerated billing, and removed dependency on postal delivery.

Digital Invoice Distribution · Before it was standard

Finance Operations · Cost Reduction · Process Redesign

Ahead of industry adoption, back in 2009, I replaced a fully manual, postal based invoice process with a digital solution, eliminating paper based invoicing and saving about $10,000 per month, while ensuring compliance with Brazil's health insurance regulator and accelerating the billing cycle.

Problem

In 2009, invoice distribution relied entirely on postal delivery, creating high costs, slow billing cycles, and heavy manual dependency at a time when digital alternatives were not yet widely adopted.

Solution

Redesigned the process by introducing a fully digital invoice distribution model, eliminating physical mail and automating delivery using existing system capabilities while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Result

About $10,000 per month cost reduction
Faster billing cycles
Removed manual processing dependency
Established a digital first model years ahead of industry adoption

Digital invoice distribution infographic

Why this matters

This project reflects an early ability to identify inefficiencies in established processes and redesign them using available technology, even before digital transformation became standard practice. The solution was not driven by tools, but by a clear understanding of cost structure, operational friction, and delivery timelines.

It demonstrates a consistent pattern in my work: identifying where manual processes create unnecessary dependency and cost, and replacing them with structured, scalable solutions that improve both efficiency and control.

What these projects demonstrate

Across different industries, business contexts, and levels of complexity, the common thread in my work is the same: I identify where systems break, structure the problem clearly, and deliver practical solutions that improve visibility, control, speed, and decision quality.

These case studies reflect how I approach business analysis, project delivery, process redesign, automation, and stakeholder communication, always with a focus on measurable business impact.

Let’s Talk

FAQ

Questions recruiters may have, answered clearly.

"There's a gap since July 2023 - what have you been doing?"

I've used the time deliberately: completing certifications in Power BI, project management, Agile, and Google AI, while also building personal projects in SQL, automation, and workflow design. I am returning with stronger technical depth, broader perspective, and more formal credentials than when I stepped away.

"What was the most valuable thing you gained during this sabbatical?"

I gained perspective, clarity, and a stronger foundation. The time away helped me step back, strengthen key skills, and become more intentional about the kind of value I bring. I returned more grounded, more focused, and with a clearer understanding of where I perform best.

"What is not on this website or in my CV that still matters?"

My CV shows experience, tools, and results. What it cannot fully show is character. During this time, I stayed present as a father, invested in the people who matter to me, and made deliberate choices about how I wanted to grow. That period strengthened qualities that affect how I work every day: patience, perspective, accountability, and resilience.

"Can you handle the pace and ambiguity of a BA or data role?"

At ICE I resolved live production data issues across 36 global sources, recovered failing vendor integrations, and delivered REST API automation under urgent deadlines, often fixing production issues while the system was still running. Ambiguity is where I perform best.

"Are you technical enough for a senior data or BA role?"

I've written production SQL, built REST API integrations, designed relational databases, created Tableau and Power BI dashboards, and delivered end-to-end automated feeds at institutional scale. I also translate all of this clearly to non-technical stakeholders and directors. Both sides.