Specialist Business Solutions/Solution Delivery and Cloud Architect

• Jan 2022 - Present

As part of a team that launched a new Solutions Reliability Engineering function dedicated to Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research and Novartis International, I've been responsible for handling a wide variety of both technological and process needs. Some of my duties have included:◦ Guiding the NIBR/NI business units through a sweeping and complex transition from internal IT to corporate IT, including many rounds of additional restructuring and cutbacks.◦ Working with both the business units and central IT to ensure alignment on strategy, including elements such as infrastructure, security, compliance, service level, and migration of on-premises applications to the cloud.◦ Advocating on behalf of the business units to make sure that service gaps, new demands, incidents, ongoing issues, and other requests all get the necessary attention, resources, and funding from central IT.◦ Translating unstructured requests into well-defined non-functional requirements, problem statements, and proposals.◦ Creating and advising on architectural designs for cloud services; primarily in AWS, but also leveraging specific services in Azure.◦ Acting as a single point of contact in cases where the support structure is unclear, then both guiding the original request to completion and working to define the ongoing process for similar requests and negotiate the associated SLAs. Show less

Senior Principal Cloud Engineer

• Jan 2022 - Sep 2022

Senior Principal Cloud Engineer

• Sep 2020 - Dec 2021

Senior Principal Infrastructure Engineer

• Sep 2018 - Sep 2020

◦ Supported 2000+ on-premise Linux servers running RHEL 5/6/7 and CentOS 6/7, on a mix of physical hardware and VMs on VMware ESX, primarily using Chef and Puppet for configuration management.◦ Created and maintained the build process for CentOS 6 and 7 AMIs used on 150+ AWS EC2 accounts for various applications, using Packer, VirtualBox, and bash/Python scripts.◦ Maintained the infrastructure for NIBR's JIRA Software and Service Desk environments in AWS, including CloudFormation, Chef cookbook, and scripts supporting software deployment.◦ Provided escalation support to level 3 operations personnel.◦ Managed and revised the InSpec profiles used in Chef Automate for auditing systems against a CIS-based security baseline, and coordinated changes required to maintain compliance.◦ Acted as lead engineer on the Linux server patching process, including internal yum mirrors and custom repos, defined patch sets to ensure consistency, and flexible update scheduling for application owners. Show less

Principal Infrastructure Engineer

• Jul 2017 - Aug 2018

Senior Linux Systems Engineer

• Aug 2014 - Jul 2017

Linux Administrator

• Dec 2013 - Aug 2014

Contractor at Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) Contractor at Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR)

Systems Administrator

• Jun 2010 - Dec 2013

◦ Supported a complex environment including: o 100+ Linux servers; about 90% virtual on Vmware vSphere 5, the rest Dell PowerEdge series (R610, R720, 1850, 2950). Primarily RHEL 6, with a few legacy SUSE and CentOS servers. o Using Dnsmasq and Cobbler to Kickstart builds, with Puppet doing most of the subsequent app installation/configuration. o Separate development, test, and production environments for most major applications, heavily leveraging Puppet for management.◦ Technical lead on the migration of 6000 student email accounts to Google Apps for Education.◦ Set a higher standard for documentation, expanding our Linux wiki from fewer than a dozen pages to over a hundred, with at least basic documentation on every system.◦ Migrated production, test, and development web environments onto RHEL6 servers controlled by Puppet, resulting in much easier and more uniform support.◦ Support lead for the QuickTime/Darwin Streaming Servers that power the school’s streaming media.◦ Technical lead and assistant project manager on a project to migrate from an internal Exchange 2003 environment to co-located Exchange 2010 with outsourced infrastructure support.◦ Cleaned up Active Directory domains, resulting in a more manageable OU structure, much more intuitive and maintainable GPOs, and easier delegation of tasks to junior-level employees. Show less

Desktop Support & Project Analyst

• Feb 2008 - Aug 2010

◦ Planned and deployed the school’s first QuickTime Streaming Servers on OS X Server, including writing custom load-balancing and failover scripts to enable QuickTime Broadcaster to reach the servers behind a NAT.◦ Streamlined the PC deployment process, saving approximately 1-2 hours of technician time per build, and reducing the number of images from 7 down to 1.◦ Developed a “homing beacon” script to track loaner and public-access computers.◦ Created a test plan to evaluate desktop encryption software, and led the project to deploy Mobile Armor whole-disk encryption on all PCs.◦ Automated Mac image creation and deployment using Bash, which allowed rapid creation of new images to keep up with hardware changes, and enabled the use of a single image across a variety of usage scenarios.◦ Other responsibilities included: Exchange and Active Directory administration, maintaining and upgrading various Windows Server applications, setting hardware and software standards, application packaging, purchasing and PO creation, and managing the department’s co-op employee. Show less

Interim Faculty Technology Liaison

• Jul 2007 - Feb 2008

◦ Working with the CIO and IT managers, developed a new faculty support service aimed at better addressing the technology needs of the 200+ faculty. This included building relationships between the IT department and faculty, creating the policies and procedures needed for the new role of technology liaison, and coordinating priority support with other parts of IT.

Technical Support Analyst

• Jul 2006 - Jul 2007

◦ IT liaison to 11 departments, which involved developing positive relationships with department IT contacts, maintaining inventories of hardware and software, making purchase recommendations, and coordinating hardware/software installs as necessary.◦ Day-to-day tasks included break/fix, reimaging and new setups, purchasing, assisting helpdesk staff and junior analysts, carrying out IT new user orientations, and documenting common issues for the benefit of co-workers and end-users.◦ Improved the efficiency of my team through improvements such as slipstreaming updates for commonly-installed software and writing a PC customization script to automate routine setup tasks. Show less

Technical Support Analyst

• May 2006 - Jul 2006

◦ Temporary contract position at Harvard Law School, prior to being hired full-time. ◦ Temporary contract position at Harvard Law School, prior to being hired full-time.

Client Services Engineer II

• Jul 2005 - May 2006

◦ Provided 24-hour support for mission-critical shipping technology, including desktops, thin clients connecting via AS/400, Citrix, and RDP, Imagistics multifunction devices, and serial to wireless client bridges used in the automatic overweight freight billing system. ◦ Assisted with the migration of multiple operating companies to a single domain, including on-site support for larger locations and main offices. ◦ Provided 24-hour support for mission-critical shipping technology, including desktops, thin clients connecting via AS/400, Citrix, and RDP, Imagistics multifunction devices, and serial to wireless client bridges used in the automatic overweight freight billing system. ◦ Assisted with the migration of multiple operating companies to a single domain, including on-site support for larger locations and main offices.

IT Contractor

• Oct 2004 - Apr 2005

◦ At Speedway locations throughout Michigan, set up their Speedy Rewards program, including hardware setup, software installation, and basic user training. After completion of initially assigned locations, traveled to Chicago to train other technicians in the setup process. ◦ Performed PC hardware and OS upgrades for several companies in West Michigan, including post-installation support and user training. ◦ At Speedway locations throughout Michigan, set up their Speedy Rewards program, including hardware setup, software installation, and basic user training. After completion of initially assigned locations, traveled to Chicago to train other technicians in the setup process. ◦ Performed PC hardware and OS upgrades for several companies in West Michigan, including post-installation support and user training.

IT Consultant

• Oct 2003 - Oct 2004

◦ As a member of the Johnson Controls ‘out-of-scope’ team, supported a variety of hardware and software configurations that did not fall under their regular service contracts. Primary responsibilities were troubleshooting network connectivity issues and supporting business-critical factory floor computers. Also worked on a project developing and testing an XP image for the factory PCs, and subsequently upgrading those PCs to the new image. ◦ Upgraded Zales branches throughout Michigan with new hardware and software, and assisted users in adjusting to the changes. Show less

Tier 3 Support

• Aug 2000 - Aug 2002

◦ At Old Kent Mortgage Company (prior to merger), assisted users nationwide with hardware, software and network connectivity issues, on Microsoft operating systems from 95 through XP, on a primarily NT-based network. Also participated in various projects, including leading both a departmental hardware and OS upgrade and the packaging and distribution of a company-wide PC-based presentation, both of which I led from needs assessment through completion. ◦ Worked on a team developing a standardized XP build and automated deployment method, and packaged applications with Wise in preparation for the roll-out of Active Directory. Additionally, worked with Terminal Services and Citrix Metaframe while training as the company’s backup Citrix support person, and implemented an intranet site with knowledge base for the desktop support group. Show less

IT Consultant

• Feb 1999 - Aug 2000

◦ Worked on several large projects for Wolverine World Wide, Inc.: OS standardization on Windows NT, mail migration from MS Mail to Exchange, and ensuring Y2K compliance. Part of a trusted team that traveled to the company's foreign and domestic locations after the main office was completed. Provided support for standard productivity applications, various in-house apps and databases, and connectivity to Microsoft, Novell, UNIX, and AS/400 servers. ◦ Performed a variety of services for other Remex clients, including desktop and server troubleshooting, needs assessment and purchase recommendations, and applications support. Show less

PC Technician/Analyst

• Oct 1998 - Jan 1999

◦ Ensured Y2K compliance and performed 2nd level help desk support for Sparrow Health System. Mainly supported Windows for Workgroups and Windows 95 PCs that ran both standard productivity apps and specialized medical applications on a mixed Novell and Windows network. ◦ Ensured Y2K compliance and performed 2nd level help desk support for Sparrow Health System. Mainly supported Windows for Workgroups and Windows 95 PCs that ran both standard productivity apps and specialized medical applications on a mixed Novell and Windows network.