Robert Hickey
Robert Hickey

ROBERT HICKEY

Senior Data Analyst · Analytics Engineering · AI-Assisted Development

Sandy, Utah · 16+ years turning raw data into decisions

By the numbers

66% query costs cut by redesigning an AI sentiment pipeline in Snowflake
33,000+ conversations analyzed with AI sentiment, search, and classification models
45% negotiated off a vendor contract for a marketing analytics platform
16+ years working with data across e-commerce, fintech, higher ed, and research
8+ years of SQL PostgreSQL, Vertica, BigQuery, Snowflake
4+ years of Python churn models, LLM fine-tuning, classification

Experience

Senior Data Analyst · Big Cartel

Sep 2024 to present · Salt Lake City, UT

  • Built GA4 to BigQuery and Snowflake ELT pipelines with a dbt transformation layer for marketing attribution, including automated bot and spam detection and cold-storage backups.
  • Engineered AI sentiment analysis, semantic search, and classification workflows across 33,000+ customer conversations, cutting query costs by 66%.
  • Fine-tuned Mistral-7B for domain-specific applications and applied classification models to tag and organize unstructured customer data.
  • Developed subscriber churn models and ran A/B testing and UX research to support product and retention decisions.
  • Configured Meta Marketing API access and connectivity, enabling automated advertising-data extraction into Snowflake.
  • Designed and maintained reusable data models and pipelines, standardized KPIs and data definitions, and established foundational governance and monitoring practices.
  • Managed Tableau Cloud licensing and usage, and developed self-service visualizations for stakeholders across the organization.
  • Used Claude Code to accelerate SQL, Python, dbt, and cloud workflow prototyping, debugging, documentation, and iterative refinement.
  • Led analytics software evaluation and procurement, negotiating a 45% reduction in the cost of a marketing analytics platform.

Product Analyst · MX Technologies

Jun 2024 to Sep 2024 · Lehi, UT

  • Built a Product Metrics Catalog and self-service Domo dataflows and dashboards, improving the consistency, transparency, accuracy, and usability of product metrics.
  • Analyzed user and developer engagement across mobile, personal financial management, and financial insights products, partnering with Product, Marketing, and Investments teams on decision support.
  • Monitored the quality of product data pipelines and prepared executive-ready presentations highlighting wins, risks, and emerging challenges.

Data Analyst · MX Technologies

May 2022 to Jun 2024 · Lehi, UT

  • Designed a methodology to identify and remediate bank-account data-quality issues from web scrapes and third-party providers, converting audit findings into repeatable system improvements.
  • Piloted a scalable process that increased merchant-tagging efficiency and coverage across billions of transactions using BigQuery, SQL, Tableau, Git, GitLab, and regular expressions.
  • Owned a workflow that translated escalated client issues and data-auditing insights into improvements to the data-enhancement stack.
  • Resolved technical and process blockers for the audit team and supported Sales analysis focused on client retention and growth.

Data Analyst · Western Governors University

Aug 2020 to May 2022 · Salt Lake City, UT

  • Promoted from Associate Data Analyst within 6 months; built, deployed, and maintained 9 Power BI dashboards using SQL, Databricks, DAX, Power Query, row-level security, and scheduled refreshes.
  • Automated student milestone tracking and interventions, and delivered analytics solutions across Dynamics 365, Salesforce, and Smartsheet.
  • Defined data requirements, mapped business processes, and led ad hoc analytics projects for leadership while supporting peers through SQL optimization and dashboard troubleshooting.

Associate Data Analyst · Western Governors University

Mar 2020 to Aug 2020 · Salt Lake City, UT

  • Developed Power BI dashboards with internal stakeholders, using SQL and Databricks to transform data warehouse data into metric-ready form.
  • Developed alpha and beta testing protocols, communication plans, and change-management support for new analytics products.
  • Implemented row-level security and scheduled refresh cadences to deliver credential-based dashboard views.

Assessment Editor · Western Governors University

Aug 2015 to Feb 2020 · Salt Lake City, UT

  • Copyedited student objective and performance assessments in accordance with psychometric standards, an in-house style guide, and The Chicago Manual of Style.
  • Analyzed team project data to inform management decisions about resource allocation, and provided feedback as part of the editor QA subgroup.
  • Coauthored a style guide for writing ADA-compliant alternate text descriptions of test items for students with visual impairments.

Academic Editor · Crimson Interactive

Apr 2015 to Feb 2019 · remote

  • Edited research papers and book manuscripts for scholars publishing in peer-reviewed, English-language journals.
  • Specialized in environmental, climate, energy, public, and agricultural economics, econometrics, and game theory.

Consultant · Self-employed

Dec 2010 to Aug 2018 · global

  • Wrote and edited popular science articles (including for the New Scientist), research papers, scientific project reports, and marketing copy.
  • Clients included graduate students, political parties, government ministries, and companies.

Blogger · SIMPOL, The Simultaneous Policy

Jan 2011 to Apr 2014 · remote

  • Wrote blog posts on the failure of the nation-state system to address global challenges.

Project Officer · Applied Research and Communications Fund

Feb 2009 to Jun 2015 · Bulgaria

  • Performed quantitative and qualitative research and analyzed public policy challenges and opportunities.
  • Developed research reports, policy briefs, web content, and research proposals, and executed and monitored research projects.
  • Engaged with policy makers, academics, and international partners.

English Teacher · Eurostar and Educational Technologies high schools

Dec 2007 to May 2009 · Bulgaria

  • Taught English to 7th and 8th grade students, including lesson planning and preparation for standardized exams (KET, PET, FCE, TOEFL, IELTS).

Consumer Assistance Program Associate · Vermont Attorney General's Office

Jan 2004 to May 2004 · Burlington, VT

  • Fielded phone calls from consumers, helping them file complaints against Vermont businesses and seek resolution.

Skills

Tap a glowing skill to light up everywhere it shows in my experience. Esc clears.

Languages

Warehouses & platforms

  • PostgreSQL
  • Vertica

Transformation & BI

  • Excel

Tooling

  • VS Code
  • DBeaver

Education & certifications

  • PhD, Energy Economics International Business School, Bulgaria · read the dissertation (PDF)
  • MA, Public Policy and Governance New Bulgarian University
  • BA, European History and Political Science University of Vermont
  • Data Analyst Learning Path Google Cloud Skills Boost
  • Data Analyst Nanodegree Udacity

The road here

Before analytics: European history and political science at the University of Vermont, then most of a decade in Bulgaria for policy research, an MA in public policy, and a PhD in energy economics. Years of editing followed, from academic manuscripts and popular science writing to assessments at Western Governors University. The common thread never changed: take something raw and complicated, find the structure in it, and make it legible. In 2020 I made that the entire job, moving into analytics at WGU, then MX, then Big Cartel.