Benjamin Dodd

Professional Profile

I am a dedicated and passionate Computer Science graduate with a First Class Honours from Swansea University.

My experience as a Marketplace Coordinator at Ziax and CubeCraft Games has allowed me to develop a strong ability to work in a team, mentor new members, and manage projects effectively. I have demonstrated technical proficiency, particularly in Python, where I created effectual internal tools and automated processes to enhance team efficiency.

I have a proven track record of working on a wide range of projects. My website showcases my diverse portfolio of projects which demonstrates my commitment to continuous learning and problem-solving. For detailed examples of my work, please refer to the Projects section below or visit my website at ben-dodd.com.

My volunteer work with Technocamps as a Senior Ambassador has enabled me to inspire and mentor young students, sharing my journey from a school robotics club to a career in Computer Science.

Core Skills

Programming Languages: Python, Java, JavaScript, PHP, C#, Kotlin, SQL, C++, Spark Ada
Frameworks and Tools: Laravel, Docker, Git, GitHub, Notion, Jira
Hardware: Raspberry Pi, LEGO Mindstorms, Mbed OS
Soft Skills: Teamwork, Communication, Release Management, Time Management, Problem Solving

Experience

Marketplace Coordinator - Ziax & CubeCraft Games (2019 - 2024)

Content Creation and Management: Created and managed content for one of the largest Minecraft servers, which sees millions of players monthly. Developed over 30 commercial releases for this storefront.
Team Efficiency and Tooling: Enhanced team efficiency by developing internal tools, including a submission packaging software that significantly reduced administrative time.
Client Support: Provided exceptional support to clients, notably training and prompting the Feed the Beast team to publish content on the Minecraft Marketplace.
Technical Proficiency: Showcasing strong problem-solving skills and technical knowledge by utilizing Python to identify and automate processes.
Project Management: Managed projects using Notion and Git, ensuring timely delivery and version control. Demonstrated excellent teamwork and communication, often joining the gap between technical and non-technical staff.
Accomplishments: Supported educational content “Plants” that has achieved over 5 million downloads. Provided technical support for the publishing department, contributing to a total revenue exceeding $650,000.

Volunteer Student Ambassador - Technocamps (2019 - 2023)

Mentorship and Training: Created and delivered Computer Science teaching materials. Mentored and inspired younger pupils, fostering interest in computer science and robotics. Trained a group of younger members in programming and robotics competition participation.
Inspiring Future Generations: Engaged with students to demonstrate exciting opportunities by having an interest in computer science, drawing from personal experiences and achievements.
Case Study Highlight: My journey from starting in my school’s robotics club to representing my school in national and international competitions along with my continued involvement with Technocamps has allowed me to inspire the next generation of programmers and robotic enthusiasts.

Education

Swansea University - BSc Computer Science with Year in Industry (2019 - 2023)

First Class Honours. Dissertation on Interactive Socially Assistive Robot.
Final year modules on Web Application Development, User Experience, Video Games Programming, Writing Mobile Applications, High Integrity Systems, Embedded System Design.
Year In Industry at Ziax/CubeCraft Games (2021 - 2022)

Projects

University Projects

Interactive Socially Assistive Robot Dissertation Project designing and programming a viable product using Python, OpenCV, Raspberry Pi, Emotion Recognition, Gesture Recognition, Unit Testing
Forums Web Application Fundamentals in Web Application development using HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, Laravel, MySQL, Git
Frogger-style Video Game - Using core OOP principles to develop a game in Unity with C#.
News Aggregator Mobile Application for reading news designed with Android Studio, Kotlin, Firebase Database, Firebase Authentication, and API Integration.
Wind Turbine Safety High Integrity System developed using Spark Ada.

Technical Projects

C++ Microcontroller Projects - Using a FRDM-K64F microcontroller and various sensors written in C++ with Mbed OS.
Traffic Light System - Winning project of PA Consulting’s Competition. Improving traffic signal timings to reduce waiting. Developed with Python, Raspberry Pi, Flask, and Simulation libraries.
Pi-Weather - Weather forecast on E-Ink display. Using an API to retrieve data using Python and a Raspberry Pi Zero.
Flash Builder - Custom software for Technocamps robot. Developing UI and backend with Python, PyQt5, to run on LEGO Mindstorms EV3.

Achievements

Winner of PA Consulting’s Raspberry Pi Competition 2020.
Winner of First Lego League Nationals 2017.
Winner of Technocamps Robotics Competition 2015, 2018.
CREST Gold Award for Engineering Education Scheme Wales 2018