Hi! I'm Craig Dickson
Thanks for coming to craigdoesdata.com!
I'm a Senior Data Analyst with over 10 years of experience working with data at scale, and an independent AI Safety researcher. My work sits at the intersection of rigorous statistical methodology, data engineering, and machine learning. I'm skilled in SQL, Python, AWS, dbt, Airflow, and Tableau (4x certified), and I've recently been diving deep into AI/ML — fine-tuning open-weights LLMs, building evaluation pipelines, and conducting original research on model alignment.
In 2025, I published my first paper on arXiv: The Devil in the Details: Emergent Misalignment, Format and Coherence in Open-Weights LLMs. The study examined alignment failures across 9 modern LLMs (Gemma 3, Qwen 3) with over 50,000 model responses, identifying a novel vulnerability where JSON output constraints significantly increase misalignment rates. Beyond research, I enjoy building AI-powered tools — recent projects include The Guardrail, a daily-updated research aggregator tracking 1,000+ AI safety papers from arXiv with AI-powered filtering across categories like alignment, interpretability, and robustness; and Lumina, an AI-powered document reader built using Google Gemini APIs. This site is where I share my completed projects, works in progress, and articles — I'm also a contributor at freeCodeCamp and Towards Data Science.
Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, I have been living in Berlin, Germany since 2014. For 7 years I ran my own English teaching company Dickson English and I started my own Data Consultancy - craigdoesdata - back in 2020. After nearly five years as a Senior Data Analyst at Klarna, I joined Contentful as a Senior Data Analyst in 2026.
My Skills
Data Analysis
Data Visualization
Data Engineering
Web Development
AI & Machine Learning
Business Skills
Experience & Education
Work Experience
Senior Data Analyst
Contentful • 2026 - Present
Applying enterprise-scale data analytics expertise to drive insights and support data-driven decision making at Contentful.
Senior Data Analyst
Klarna • 2021 - 2026
Worked with the world's largest Redshift cluster, finding and communicating insights from datasets with billions of rows. Applied skills for managing large datasets and ETL jobs, extracting key insights and communicating those across the business.
Data Consultant
craigdoesdata • 2020 - 2021
Founded my own Data Consultancy, working with clients to deliver data-driven solutions and insights.
English Teacher & Business Owner
Dickson English • 2014 - 2021
Founded and ran my own English teaching company in Berlin, providing language training to individuals and corporations.
Education
MA(Hons) Sociology - First Class
University of Edinburgh • 2002 - 2006
Graduated with a First Class MA(Hons) degree in Sociology. It was during this course that I first developed an interest in pulling insights from data and making quantitative analyses.
Professional Scrum Master I
Scrum.org • 2020
Certified as a Professional Scrum Master, gaining expertise in agile project management methodologies.
Data Science Certifications
DataCamp • 2020
Completed various data science courses and certifications including Python, SQL, Data Manipulation, and Data Visualization.
Current Focus
In 2026 I joined Contentful as a Senior Data Analyst, after nearly five years at Klarna where I worked on a daily basis with the world's largest Redshift cluster, finding and communicating insights from datasets with billions of rows. My time at Klarna gave me the chance to touch everything from P&Ls and Balance Sheets to designing, running and understanding A/B and multivariate tests, deriving insights directly from customer interactions, and much more besides.
Alongside my professional work, I've been pursuing independent AI Safety research. In 2025, I published my first paper on arXiv: The Devil in the Details: Emergent Misalignment, Format and Coherence in Open-Weights LLMs, which examined alignment failures across 9 modern LLMs with over 50,000 model responses. I've also developed and deployed The Guardrail, a daily-updated research aggregator tracking 1,000+ AI safety papers from arXiv with AI-powered filtering across categories like alignment, interpretability, and robustness.
When I'm not spending time with my family, working or playing with code, I also love making music with friends.
Connect With Me
Interested in working together? I'm always open to discussing new opportunities and collaborations.
Get in Touch