Joe Woodard


Joe has been working in Data and AI Recruitment since 2022, joining straight out of university. He started out in the Netherlands, before making the jump over to Switzerland, where he now focuses around connecting contract Data Engineers, Analysts and Architects with exciting opportunities.

"I chose SODA because it matches my ambitions of international expansion. Working for a business that supports people to develop themselves in the direction they see fit was important for me, and I believe SODA gives me the best platform to progress."

JOBS FROM JOE

Remote work, Switzerland
Infrastructure Architect
We are currently seeking an experienced Infrastructure Architect to join a leading Swiss banking client on a remote basis. This exciting opportunity will involve building an Isolated Recovery Environment (IRE) for protection from major failures and cyber-attacks. They are looking for architects who can design Disaster Recovery concepts and set up resilient Datacenter configurations for onprem systems. The role requires English language skills, and candidates to be Europe based. Key Responsibilities:Design scalable, resilient infrastructure architectures across on-prem, hybrid, and cloud environments.Lead the planning and implementation of datacenter redundancies, including active-active and active-passive configurations.Develop and maintain comprehensive disaster recovery plans and runbooks tailored to business continuity needs.Assess existing infrastructure and identify risks or single points of failure; recommend mitigation strategies.Collaborate with security, application, and operations teams to align infrastructure with recovery objectives (RTO/RPO).Define infrastructure performance benchmarks and lead stress and failover testing initiatives.Evaluate and integrate technologies supporting replication, backup, storage resiliency, and failoverOversee DR drills and coordinate across departments to validate preparedness and effectiveness.Document architectures, policies, and procedures; contribute to governance and compliance frameworks. Desirable Requirements:  Strong background in Infrastructure ArchitectureExperience with designing Disaster Recovery conceptsOnprem experience is important for this roleMiddleware experience would be beneficial (VMware and NetApp)Experience with Cohesity or Commvault is beneficial but not required The role offers the flexibility of a remote work arrangement and is a 6-month contract with likelihood of extension.
Joe WoodardJoe Woodard
Remote work, Germany
GCP Data Engineer
We are currently seeking an experienced GCP Data Engineer to join a leading bank on a remote basis. This exciting opportunity will involve helping one of Germany’s leading banks build out a new Data Platform in a Google Cloud environment and also serving as an inhouse expert on GCP, so someone with good stakeholder management experience would be a good match for this role. The role requires English language skills, and candidates to be Europe based for timezone purposes. Key Responsibilities:Design and implement secure, scalable, and high-performance data pipelines using GCP tools such as BigQuery, Dataflow, Pub/Sub, Dataproc, and Cloud StorageCollaborate with data analysts, data scientists, and business stakeholders to deliver data solutions that meet banking-specific needsDevelop and manage batch and streaming ETL/ELT processes to ingest data from internal systems, APIs, and third-party providersEnsure compliance with banking regulations and internal data governance policies (e.g., GDPR)Implement robust monitoring, logging, and data quality frameworksSupport cloud data warehouse solutions and participate in cloud migration projects Desirable Requirements:  Strong background in Data EngineeringExperience with Terraform would be very beneficialGCP experiencePython and SQL experienceExperience with stakeholder management would be very beneficial for the role The role offers the flexibility of a remote work arrangement and is a 6 month contract with possibility of extension.
Joe WoodardJoe Woodard
Remote work, Germany
GCP Data Engineer
We are currently seeking an experienced GCP Data Engineer to join a leading bank on a remote basis. This exciting opportunity will involve helping one of Germany’s leading banks build out a new Data Platform in a Google Cloud environment and also serving as an inhouse expert on GCP, so someone with good stakeholder management experience would be a good match for this role. The role requires English language skills, and candidates to be Europe based for timezone purposes. Key Responsibilities:Design and implement secure, scalable, and high-performance data pipelines using GCP tools such as BigQuery, Dataflow, Pub/Sub, Dataproc, and Cloud StorageCollaborate with data analysts, data scientists, and business stakeholders to deliver data solutions that meet banking-specific needsDevelop and manage batch and streaming ETL/ELT processes to ingest data from internal systems, APIs, and third-party providersEnsure compliance with banking regulations and internal data governance policies (e.g., GDPR)Implement robust monitoring, logging, and data quality frameworksSupport cloud data warehouse solutions and participate in cloud migration projects Desirable Requirements:  Strong background in Data EngineeringExperience with Terraform would be very beneficialGCP experiencePython and SQL experienceExperience with stakeholder management would be very beneficial for the role The role offers the flexibility of a remote work arrangement and is a 6 month contract with possibility of extension.
Joe WoodardJoe Woodard
Basel, Switzerland
Indirect Procurement Specialist
We are currently seeking an experienced Indirect Procurement Specialist to join a leading Pharmaceutical customer of ours at their Basel site. This role is critical in managing and optimizing the procurement processes specifically related to Indirect Procurement Categories Technology, Logistics, Professional Services & MRO during and post Carve-out activities. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the procurement landscape in a CDMO organization, exceptional negotiation skills, and the ability to drive cost efficiencies while ensuring alignment with the company’s strategic goals. The role requires English language skills, and candidates to be Switzerland based, ideally Basel and surrounding areas as travel is required due to onsite working. Key Responsibilities:Carve-out: Support the procurement activities related to Carve-out, including due diligence, Carve-out planning, and execution. Ensure seamless transition and integration of systems and services.Vendor Management: Develop and maintain strong relationships with key vendors and service providers. Negotiate contracts, manage vendor performance, and ensure compliance with agreed terms.Strategic Sourcing: Identify, evaluate, and select suppliers based on quality, cost, and reliability. Conduct market research to stay updated on industry trends and best practices.Contract Management: Oversee the creation, negotiation, and management of contracts. Ensure all agreements are compliant with company policies and legal requirements.Cost Optimization: Analyze and identify opportunities for cost savings and process improvements in indirect procurement categories. Implement strategies to optimize spend and enhance value.Risk Management: Assess and mitigate risks associated with indirect procurement, including supplier risks, contractual risks, and compliance risks.Collaboration: Work closely with IT, Automation, Quality, MRO, Finance, Legal, and other departments to ensure procurement activities align with organizational objectives and Carve-out goalsDesirable Requirements:  Strong background in Indirect Procurement, ideally with a focus on Carve-Out and Divestment ActivitiesExtensive knowledge of procurement processes, contract management, and vendor management.Proven experience in managing procurement aspects of business divestment, including divestment planning and execution.Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities.Technical Proficiency: Familiarity with procurement software and tools. Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and ERP systems.The role offers an hybrid work arrangement and is a 1 year fixed-term contract with one of the worlds leading pharmaceutical customers.
Joe WoodardJoe Woodard
Zürich, Switzerland
Azure / Databricks Devops Engineer
We are currently seeking an experienced Azure / Databricks Devops Engineer to join a leading Digital Asset Banking client of ours at their Zurich site. This project will be helping the client implement their data strategy and you will be focusing largely on the implementation of Databricks, but mostly from an infrastructure perspective. The role requires English language skills, and candidates to be Switzerland based, ideally Zurich and surrounding areas as travel is required due to onsite working. Key Responsibilities:Build, optimize, and manage CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps to support Databricks-based data workflows.Develop and maintain Terraform templates for consistent and secure Azure infrastructure provisioning.Manage and automate Databricks workspaces, cluster configurations and librariesImplement and monitor DevOps practices that comply with digital banking regulations, including encryption, access controls, and audit logging.Configure Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and other observability tools for proactive performance monitoring and incident response.Monitor and optimize usage of Azure resources and Databricks workloads to manage cloud spend. Desirable Requirements:  Strong background in Devops Engineering and SREExperience with DatabricksStrong background in Azure InfrastructureTerraform and Landing zone expertise would be very beneficial The role offers an onsite work arrangement in one of the most exciting scale-ups in Switzerland and is an initial 3 month contract with possibility of extension.
Joe WoodardJoe Woodard
Zürich, Switzerland
OpenEDX Consultant
We are currently seeking an experienced openEDX advisor to join a leading Health Insurance client of ours on a remote basis. They are currently implementing a variety of 3rd party components for their new health platform, one of which is a new learning management system using opened for webinars, training and booking courses. The role requires English and German language skills, and candidates to be Europe based, although the role is fully remote. Key Responsibilities:Lead the end-to-end implementation and configuration of Open edX platforms (native or Tutor-based).Customize Open edX components, including theming, XBlocks, and plugin development.Develop and maintain integrations with third-party systems such as CRMs, analytics platforms, or identity providers (e.g., SSO via OAuth, SAML).Advise on platform architecture, scalability, and performance optimization.Provide training, documentation, and support for internal teams and educators.Stay current with Open edX releases and community developments to recommend new features or upgrades.Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues across front-end and back-end systems.Work collaboratively with instructional designers, developers, and business stakeholders to align technology with learning objectives.  Desirable Requirements:  Strong background in openEDXExperience with implementing openEDX platforms in a variety of environments would be beneficialStakeholder management experience The role offers the flexibility of a remote work arrangement and is a short-term contract with possibility of extension.
Joe WoodardJoe Woodard