Profile
Siraj Sayed
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About Me:
Fun and easy going, who loves to travel to experience different cultures across our beautiful planet.
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Since graduating from University of Wales, Swansea in Electronics and Computer Science many years ago ;-), I have been working in IT mostly in the UK but also many parts of the world, including South Africa, Indonesia, Germany, several locations in the USA and Brazil.
I use to play soccer and cricket for my school and societies in University and I won a local tennis tournament in Cheltenham. Try to keep fit. My hobby is tinkering with tech, consulting about tech to friends and family, spending quality time driving around the beautiful English countryside in my soft top Mini and managing my own lifestyle property business. A father to a crazy daughter also plays a big part in my life.
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My pronouns are:
he/him
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My Work:
IT Consultant is the official title which is a glorified name for an experience software engineer. Written software in many languages and for many industries.
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Since I was 12 years old, using my fist ever computer, Texas Instruments TI99, I have been writing software. I love the fact that in hours I can write something that can entertain or help people in some ways. My first ever program was ‘Escape From a Zombie Maze :-). Today, computer systems touches every aspect of our lives and so being a software engineer, I relate easily to the use of technology in the things I do and use every day. From the NHS website to TikTok, from online banking to Facebook, all are possible because of tech.
Lately I have been working with Artificial Intelligence although I developed an AI system ( Expert System in those days ) at University in the 1985.
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My Typical Day:
After breakfast start work. Often attend meetings in the morning with proper software development assigned to the afternoon.
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I keep meeting schedules to the morning period. Get them out of the way so that I can focus on development in the afternoon. Meetings can happen with my team, with my manager, with customers, or with my office colleagues.
When I focus on developing software, I often would connect with my team maybe to ask questions, maybe to help them or they help me, or simply to chill out a bit and have fun. We often use Google to help us find solutions that we get stuck on. Google indeed is one of the best friends of a developer.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I would setup a competition with a prize. What competition ? Not sure but one I have in mind is for the students to do a simple project of how we can establish a permanent presence on the Moon. Space exploration is in the news and being pursued and so its relevant for the next generation to have some knowledge of this if not and deeper understanding. The project should attempt to find solutions to the kind of challenges you will expect trying to live on the moon such as oxygen supply, movement across the planet, safety and security ( who know we could come across alien life ! ), communication on the moon and back to earth, and also every day life such as washing your clothes, eating in zero gravity, doing sports etc. Use of AI would be key and the project should explore how AI can help in this.
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Education:
Primary – Queen Road School, Halifax
Secondary – Hendon School, Hendon
University of Wales, Swansea
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Qualifications:
11 O levels
3 A level – Maths, Physics and Chemistry
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Work History:
Roke Manor Research – Since May 2022 – Across the UK ( Manchester, Romsey, Woking, Gloucester) as a Senior Software Engineer in Machine Learning, and AI driven Autonomous Systems
Illuminate Technologies – May 2018 to May 2022 – Edinburgh IT Consultant in Network Packet inspection ( deep packet analysis ).
Red Embedded – May 2017 to May 2018 – Bradford – IT Consultant in TV Set Top Box development
Jeeeni Ltd – Jan 2014 to May 2017 – London – Founder – Build an award winning mobile app for small businesses.
Northtrop Grumman – Jan 2008 – Jan 2014 – Portsmouth – IT Consultant for the development of NATO Command, Control, Communication and Computer (C4) systems.
South Afrikaan Telecoms – Sept 2006 to Jan 2008 – Cape Town – Team leader in the development of the next generation telecommunication system in
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Current Job:
Working for Roke Manor Research Ltd that is a solutions provider mostly for the Govt. Working on two projects:
AI Driven Autonomous systems – building things that can “think” for themselves in a particular context and landscape and provide information to humans to help them make decisions.
Helping the Govt to test the new communication system for all the emergency services.
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Employer:
Roke Manor Research Ltd.
Romsey
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Innovating software engineer
What did you want to be after you left school?
Fighter Pilot
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Sure - was a bit of a naughty boy, got a few detention, played a few pranks even on teacher
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Piloting a fighter aircraft.
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Police
What's your favourite food?
Chicken Biryani
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
Be Smarter, Live longer, Be a great leader
Tell us a joke.
I was going to sail around the globe in the world’s smallest ship, but I bottled it.
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