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# Contract Senior Software and AI Talent

Discover pre-vetted professionals ready for your next project. All candidates have been thoroughly screened for technical expertise and cultural fit.

4.9 / 5.0· Clients rate Hop Software & AI Talent on average based on 1,546 reviews.

### Edmundo Obando

Senior Devops Engineer Specializing In Infrastructure Security  
North Carolina  
$71/hr  
10y exp

- **Job**: Data Center Technician - Machine Learning Support / TPM at Google (Jul 2018 - Present 7 yrs 11 mos)  
- **Previous**: IT Support Technician at Lowe's Companies, Inc. (Sep 2017 - Jul 2018, 9 mos)  
- **Education**: Associate of Arts and Sciences - AAS, Wake Technical Community College; Political Science 
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2012)

### Arun kumar Balde

Senior Manager Of Artificial Intelligence And Analytics Projects  
North Carolina  
$87/hr  
15y exp

- **Job**: Sr. Consultant - Aspire Data Science at Elevance Health (Mar 2023 - Present, 3 yrs 3 mos)  
- **Previous**: Manager at Cognizant (Dec 2022 - Mar 2023, 2 mos); Technical Lead at Cognizant (Dec 2019 - Nov 2022, 2 yrs 11 mos)  
- **Education**: Engineer's Degree - Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (2009)

### Mike Erkulev

Senior Analytics Consultant Specializing In Data Insights  
North Carolina  
$71/hr  
6y exp

- **Job**: Analytics Consultant at Wells Fargo (Dec 2023 - Present, 2 yrs 6 mos)  
- **Previous**: Associate Management Consulting and Business Analytics at Adastra Business Consulting (Sep 2021 - Dec 2022, 1 yr 2 mos); Marketing Analyst Intern at L'Oral (Jun 2020 - Jul 2020, <1 mo)  
- **Education**: Multiple degrees including Master in Management - Business Administration and Management, Graduate School of Management St. Petersburg State University (2021)

### Daniel Ruiz

Senior Data Scientist Specializing In Algorithms And Optimization  
North Carolina  
$71/hr  
10y exp

- **Job**: Senior Data Analyst (Data Science) at Veeva Systems (Jun 2022 - Present, 4 yrs)  
- **Previous**: Senior Data Analyst at Veeva Systems (Sep 2021 - May 2022, 7 mos); Marketing Data Analyst at Crossix Analytics/Veeva Systems (Jun 2020 - Sep 2021, 1 yr 3 mos)  
- **Education**: Bachelor's degree - Major: Physics Minor: Computer Science & Math, Boston University (2020)

### Mahua Dutta

Senior Analytics Consultant Specializing In Data Science  
North Carolina  
$71/hr  
10y exp

- **Job**: Analytics Consultant at Wells Fargo (Sep 2018 - Present, 7 yrs 9 mos)  
- **Previous**: Data Science Intern at Continental (Jan 2018 - Jun 2018, 4 mos)  
- **Education**: Master's degree - Data Science and Analytics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2018)

### Siamone Bennett

Senior Data Scientist Specializing In Decision Science  
North Carolina  
$71/hr  
12y exp

- **Job**: Decision Science Analyst I at USAA (Jan 2023 - Present, 3 yrs 5 mos)  
- **Previous**: Decision Science Analyst II at USAA (Apr 2021 - Jan 2023, 1 yr 9 mos); Senior Property Adjuster at USAA (Jun 2017 - Apr 2021, 3 yrs 9 mos)  
- **Education**: Bachelor’s degree - Actuarial Science, Bryant University

## Why Choose Hop

### Precision-Driven Technical Hiring

From Software Engineers to AI specialists and everything in between. Our focus is context, reliability, and structured evaluation — delivering only talent that truly fits.

500+
Engineers Placed

16
Day Avg. Time-to-Hire

Submission-to-Hire Ratio

98%
Client Satisfaction

### Context-Aware Matching

Technical judgment and architectural alignment vetted up front

### Senior-Led Evaluation

Candidates evaluated by senior engineers who understand your stack

### Evidence-Based Vetting

We verify real production experience, not just credentials

### LATAM Talent, Global Standard

World-class engineering with strong communication skills and timezone alignment

### Zero Noise, High Precision

Only candidates who genuinely fit your technical context and culture

### Client Success Stories

#### CVS Health
With over 300,000 employees, CVS Health is the nation's premier health solutions company, improving the health of America. CVS is trailblazing the charge on AI and applications of data-driven technologies in health care.

#### Key Challenges

- **Shortage of Data Science talent**: Out of 400K US-based Data Science jobs, there were only about 100K Data Scientists in 2022.
- **High-volume hiring & bottlenecks** in the internal HR processes.

### Our Approach

We implemented a targeted recruitment strategy and streamlined operations, improving the candidate experience significantly. We take ownership of the end-to-end hiring process, addressing talent shortages and competitive markets.

### Key Results

- **Submission to hire ratio** improved from 1:25 to 1:10.
- Increased progression rates from submission to technical interviews.

### Performance Metrics

| Month | Subm. | Tech | Onsite | Offers | Hires |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Aug-21 | 53 | 23 | 10 | 4 | 3 |
| Sep-21 | 217 | 80 | 52 | 14 | 10 |
| Oct-21 | 180 | 42 | 41 | 11 | 6 |
| Nov-21 | 224 | 103 | 61 | 19 | 13 |
| Dec-21 | 319 | 136 | 72 | 20 | 12 |
| Jan-22 | 261 | 135 | 53 | 13 | 7 |
| Feb-22 | 213 | 111 | 45 | 16 | 7 |
| Mar-22 | 215 | 121 | 53 | 17 | 9 |

Olga Matlin

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How do I hire a senior engineer?

### What are typical hourly rates for senior engineers?

### How are candidates vetted on Hop?

### Can I request an introduction to a candidate?

### Are these candidates available for remote work?

### Does Hop handle employment and HR administration?

### What is included in Shield Plus?

### Are there any long-term contracts or commitments required?

### How quickly can I scale my team with Hop?