Lerko Araya Hernández - Senior Data Scientist & Electrical Engineer

About Me

I am a professional who finds satisfaction in transforming complex ideas into concrete solutions. My strength lies in my ability to work effectively in both specialized and multidisciplinary teams, acting as a bridge between technical innovation and business needs.

My academic trajectory was characterized by consistent excellence — I was an outstanding student throughout my university career and obtained the prestigious CONICYT scholarship for my master's degree. This solid foundation has allowed me to develop expertise at the unique intersection of electrical engineering and data science, specializing in Bayesian models.

Beyond the professional sphere, I find balance in reading, playing electric bass, and exploring history. As an active volunteer in the IFES Chile movement, I have developed leadership and community work skills that enrich my professional perspective. I firmly believe that the best solutions emerge when we combine technical rigor with human understanding.

What sets me apart

"My unique approach combines the analytical precision of an electrical engineer with the strategic vision of a data scientist, allowing me to address complex challenges from multiple perspectives and generate innovative solutions that truly impact business outcomes."

Professional Experience

May 2024 - Present

Data Scientist Senior

LATAM Airlines | ADO (Analytics Data Office) - Shared Services | Santiago, Chile

Legal risk analysis: Developed predictive models for lawsuit risk assessment, significantly reducing the company's legal exposure
LLM-powered productivity tools: Implemented automation solutions that improved legal team efficiency by 40%
Financial optimization: Designed ML models for business negotiation strategies, generating quantifiable savings in commercial operations

Python Machine Learning LLMs GPT Legal Tech Risk Modeling Financial Optimization Business Intelligence Predictive Analytics GCP SQL

February 2022 - May 2024

Data Scientist

Liberty Latin America | Panamá, Panamá

Churn modeling: Developed predictive models for customer abandonment that enabled proactive retention strategies, improving telecommunications retention rates
Technical interaction prediction: Created models to predict technical support interactions in call centers, optimizing resource allocation and improving customer experience

Python Scikit-learn TensorFlow Churn Prediction Customer Analytics Telecommunications Call Center Optimization A/B Testing KPI Analysis AWS

April 2019 - December 2021

Modelling Engineer

Outlier Spa. (BHP) | Cerro el plomo 6000, Santiago, Chile

CNN image classification: Implemented convolutional neural networks for automatic drillcore classification, automating critical geological processes
Geological problem modeling: Developed comprehensive solutions combining machine learning, statistical models, and linear programming for mining optimization

Python Computer Vision CNN Image Classification Mining Engineering Geological Modeling Linear Programming Operations Research Statistical Modeling CUDA

February 2017 - January 2019

Thesis Research

IDS Lab y GAMES UCHILE | Department of Electrical Engineering and Center for Mathematical Modelling, Santiago, Chile

Interferometric image modeling: Developed models for radio-astronomical image processing and reconstruction
Bayesian model development: Proposed innovative Bayesian models for radio-astronomical image reconstruction
Error estimation modeling: Created Bayesian models for error estimation in the reconstruction process

Python Bash GPU

January - February 2017

Internship II

Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) | Software Department, Santiago - San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Complex behavior detection framework: Designed and implemented a comprehensive framework for detecting complex behaviors using software logs
Finite State Machine detectors: Implemented detection systems based on Finite State Machines for astronomical software monitoring

Jenkins Python Bash RabbitMQ Elasticsearch Logstash Kibana

Education

2016 - 2019

Master in Engineering Sciences

Mention in Electrical Engineering | Universidad de Chile

2016 - 2019

Electrical Engineering

Universidad de Chile

2014 - 2015

Bachelor in Science of Electrical Engineering

Universidad de Chile

2012 - 2013

Common Engineering and Science Plan

Universidad de Chile

Technical Skills

Machine Learning & AI

Python Scikit-learn TensorFlow PyTorch LLMs GPT Computer Vision Deep Learning CNN Predictive Analytics

Data Engineering & Analytics

SQL ETL Apache Spark Business Intelligence Statistical Modeling A/B Testing

Cloud & DevOps

AWS Google Cloud Platform Docker Git

Optimization & Modeling

Operations Research Linear Programming Risk Modeling Financial Optimization Bayesian Models MATLAB

Industry Expertise

Risk Analysis Legal Tech Telecommunications Mining Engineering Churn Prediction Customer Analytics Call Center Optimization

Leadership & Soft Skills

Team Leadership Cross-functional Collaboration Strategic Thinking Problem Solving Stakeholder Management Technical Communication

Languages

Spanish Native

English Advanced

Publications

Bayesian Reconstruction of Fourier Pairs

F. Tobar, L. Araya-Hernández, P. Huijse and P. M. Djurić

IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, vol. 69, pp. 73-87, 2021

A Bayesian Mixture-of-Gaussians Model for Astronomical Observations in Interferometry

L. Araya-Hernández, J. F. Silva, A. Osses and F. Tobar

2017 CHILEAN Conference on Electrical, Electronics Engineering, Information and Communication Technologies (CHILECON), 2017

Framework for Complex Problems Detection using Models Fed by Software Logs

L. Araya-Hernandez, J. P. Gil, and J. Reveco

Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems XXVII (ADASS XXVII), 2017

Congress Participation

Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems Conference

October 2017

IEEE Chilean Conference on Electrical, Electronics Engineering, and Informatics and Communication Technologies

October 2017

XII - XIV IEEE CIS Escuela de Verano Latino-Americana en Inteligencia Computacional (EVIC)

December 2016-2018

Honours

Second place posters competition, EVIC

December 2017

Scholarship de Magíster Nacional 2017, CONICYT

March 2017

Scholarship Nicolás Beltrán, DIE-FCFM, Universidad de Chile

2016

Outstanding Student, FCFM, Universidad de Chile

2012-2017

Professional Contact

Do you have a challenging project that requires expertise in Data Science and risk analysis? Let's discuss how I can add value to your organization.

📧 Primary Email

lerkoah@outlook.com

Response within 24 hours

🎓 Academic Email

lerko.araya@ug.uchile.cl

Universidad de Chile

💼 LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/lerkoah

Professional network

⚡ GitHub

github.com/lerkoah

Technical portfolio

📍 Location

Santiago, Chile

Available for remote work