Senior DevOps Architect

FARIHA IFTEKHER

Phone: 206-***-****; Email: **************@*****.***

AWS Cloud & DevOps Architect

PROFILE SUMMARY

I have 14+ years of experience in Information Technology, including more than 11 years focused on cloud technologies, with a specialization in AWS and Azure architecture. Throughout my career, I have successfully guided organizations in transitioning from monolithic to microservices-based frameworks, designing and deploying scalable, secure, and efficient cloud environments.

My cloud expertise includes a deep knowledge of AWS and Azure services such as EC2, Virtual Machines, EKS, VPC, RDS, ELB, IAM, Route 53, Direct Connect, and ExpressRoute. I have extensive experience in deploying and managing containerized applications using Docker, Kubernetes, and EKS, ensuring large-scale, resilient cloud solutions. My proficiency in Bash, Python, and Groovy allows me to automate CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure using Terraform and CloudFormation, optimizing workflow efficiency.

I also have extensive experience in AWS database services, designing robust and scalable database architectures that meet enterprise needs. I specialize in cloud security, securing environments with IAM, CloudWatch, and Splunk, while ensuring proactive monitoring for enhanced system uptime.

In terms of advanced cloud services, I’ve successfully implemented EKS and CloudFront to deploy web applications using S3, CloudFront, and Route 53. My deep understanding of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is complemented by my expertise in DevOps methodologies and Agile frameworks, enabling seamless application development and deployment processes.

Additionally, I have a strong background in managing both Linux (Ubuntu, RedHat) and Windows operating systems, providing seamless integration across hybrid environments. My ability to analyze business processes, define requirements, and drive innovation has led to improved service offerings and operational efficiencies.

I have designed and implemented end-to-end cloud system solutions with a focus on security, performance, availability, and scalability. My hands-on experience with monitoring tools such as CloudWatch, Prometheus, Datadog, Grafana, and Nagios ensures optimal cloud infrastructure performance.

Throughout my career, I have consistently demonstrated exceptional communication and collaboration skills, effectively engaging with both technical teams and business stakeholders to deliver successful outcomes.

Technically, I am proficient in tools like Git, Jenkins, Ansible, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS CodePipeline, ECR/ACR, ECS/ACS, EKS/AKS, ELK, and NodeJS. I am also skilled in programming languages such as JavaScript, Groovy, Python, Bash, and Java, with a solid foundation in AWS, Azure, and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE).

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Cloud Platforms: AWS (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), Command Line Interface (CLI) and API usage for AWS

Infrastructure & Services: Auto Scaling Groups (ASG), Amazon EC2, Elastic Load Balancer (ELB), Amazon EFS, Amazon S3, AWS CloudFormation, AWS Redshift, Amazon Kinesis, Amazon EMR, AWS Lambda, Amazon ECS, Amazon EKS, AWS CodeCommit, AWS CodeBuild, AWS CodeDeploy, AWS Pipeline, AWS VPCs, AWS API Gateway, AWS Secret Manager, AWS System Manager, AWS Shield, AWS WAF

DevOps & Containerization: Jenkins, Terraform, Docker, Ansible, Kubernetes, Git (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket), Code Quality Testing (SonarQube)

Data Extraction & Manipulation: SQL, NoSQL, Nagios, Prometheus, Splunk, MongoDB, PostgreSQL

Development Tools & IDEs: Visual Studio, PyCharm, IntelliJ, Linux, Unix, Bash Scripting, PowerShell, JSON, XML

Operating Systems: Ubuntu, Windows, Linux, UNIX, Windows Server (2008-2016), VMware, VSphere, VirtualBox

Project Management: Agile, Scrum

Project Management Tools: JIRA, Trello

Observability & Monitoring: ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana), Grafana

SCM/Version Control Tools: Git, GitLab, Bitbucket

Artifactory: Nexus, Docker Hub, Amazon ECR

Programming Languages: Python, JavaScript, Bash, SQL, HTML

Datastores: RDS, Amazon S3, PostgreSQL, MySQL

Software Testing: SonarQube

Additional Tools & Services: ECS Fargate, CloudWatch, Linux Virtual Machines, API Gateway

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Nordstrom, Seattle, Washington June 2023 – Current

Lead DevSecOps Architect

Summary: As a Lead DevSecOps Architect with Nordstrom, I architected and deployed a range of applications on AWS, focusing on high availability, fault tolerance, and scalability. I enhanced DevOps methodologies through the automation of continuous deployment with Ansible, integrating it with Jenkins for seamless application provisioning. My efforts included spearheading the migration of large-scale Linux environments to secure Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs), developing Lambda functions for enhanced cloud security, and establishing robust security measures using Terraform and Ansible modules. Through collaboration with development teams, I optimized database capacities and implemented infrastructure as code (IaC) practices, driving efficiency and resilience in our cloud operations.

Architected, configured, and deployed various applications on Amazon Web Services using a broad AWS stack (CloudWatch, SQS, IAM, EC2, Route53, VPC, S3, RDS) with a focus on high availability, fault tolerance, and scalability.

Enhanced DevOps methodologies by automating continuous deployment through Ansible, crafting YAML-based playbooks, scheduling executions with Ansible Tower, and managing configurations and deployments via Git.

Developed Ansible Playbooks and Puppet Manifests for streamlined server and application provisioning, integrating Ansible with Jenkins for automated deployment and configuration management.

Spearheaded the migration of large-scale Linux environments to AWS, developing comprehensive migration strategies and deploying EC2 instances in secure Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs).

Developed Lambda functions for S3 bucket object classification, strengthening cloud security with custom configurations and conducting code analysis to resolve vulnerabilities.

Established robust security measures using AWS CloudFormation templates and Ansible modules, setting up security groups, NACLs, IAM profiles, and roles to enforce least privilege access.

Worked closely with development and application teams to optimize database capacity, assess the correct instance classes for workloads, and ensure alignment with application requirements.

Automated software development processes using Ansible Tower and created Terraform templates for virtual network provisioning, managing infrastructure as code (IaC).

Applied Lean principles to boost efficiency, refine workflows, and maximize value delivery by centering on customer feedback, driving ongoing improvements.

Designed and managed Elastic Load Balancers (ELBs) and EC2 Auto Scaling groups, optimizing resource usage with CloudWatch alerts and metrics to fine-tune Auto Scaling configurations.

Administered Kubernetes clusters and Docker containers, automating Kubernetes deployments with Ansible playbooks.

Performed performance tests and failover assessments for Platform Cloud Foundry (PCF) applications tied to highly available RDS Multi-AZ instances, creating performance baselines and implementing failover solutions for resilience.

Analyzed performance and database logs for troubleshooting, employing CI tools like Jenkins for automated builds & change management.

Customized Jenkins and GitHub Actions using plugins and tools, integrating Maven for continuous integration streamlining.

Engaged in Change Approval Board (CAB) meetings, contributing to the decision-making process for production application changes.

Coordinated testing efforts and managed release schedules and reporting for JIRA applications.

Dominion Energy Jan 2021 – May 2023

Cloud Data/Security Architect

Summary: As a Cloud Data/Security Architect at Dominion Energy, I spearheaded the secure migration of Linux environments to AWS, leveraging CloudFormation and Ansible for meticulous configuration management. I implemented robust network security policies through AWS Network Access Control Lists (NACLs) and enhanced incident response capabilities using Splunk for centralized logging. My role included automating microservices deployment with ECS and Kubernetes, conducting regular penetration tests to proactively mitigate vulnerabilities, and optimizing CI/CD workflows to ensure secure and efficient code delivery across cloud-native applications.

Secured the migration of Linux environments to AWS, utilizing CloudFormation and Ansible for detailed configuration management.

Managed AWS Network Access Control Lists (NACLs), enforcing network security policies by controlling traffic and resource access.

Implemented Splunk for centralized logging, enabling real-time threat detection and incident response.

Created secure server and application provisioning workflows using Ansible Playbooks and Puppet Manifests, automating deployments with Jenkins.

Developed Python-based ETL processes, leveraging AWS services like S3, RDS, and Redshift for optimized data management.

Optimized GitLab CI/CD workflows, improving code integration, testing, and deployment processes for cloud-native applications.

Enhanced cloud infrastructure automation by integrating AWS services with custom scripts, focusing on performance optimization and compliance.

Drove the development of security incident response (SIR) procedures, ensuring swift action during security breaches.

Automated microservices deployment and scaling through AWS ECS and Kubernetes, ensuring high availability for distributed applications.

Performed regular penetration testing and threat hunting, proactively mitigating security vulnerabilities in cloud infrastructure.

Automated backup and restore processes for critical AWS data using Bash scripts, ensuring data integrity and availability.

Built and managed AWS CodePipeline to automate the delivery process from code commit to production, ensuring error-free releases.

Configured Puppet across systems, enforcing secure installation, upgrades, and configuration processes aligned with security protocols.

Managed Kubernetes clusters and Docker containers with robust security measures, leveraging Ansible playbooks tailored for Kubernetes.

Utilized AWS CloudTrail for auditing account activities, bolstering compliance and security posture.

Designed, deployed, and managed scalable and secure DevOps infrastructure on AWS, utilizing services like EC2, S3, VPC, Lambda, RDS, and CloudFormation to ensure high-availability and fault-tolerant applications.

Automated infrastructure provisioning and application deployment pipelines using DevOps tools such as AWS CloudFormation, Terraform, and Ansible to achieve consistent and repeatable configurations across environments.

Integrated DynamoDB for real-time data processing and storage, enabling efficient, scalable database management.

Monitored system performance and resource usage with Bash scripts, integrated with CloudWatch for comprehensive insights.

Engineered custom monitoring solutions using Python and CloudWatch, creating alerts based on specific metrics.

Configured Prometheus Alert Manager for automated incident response.

Collaborated with development teams to design secure database capacity plans and assess instance classes.

Created custom Grafana dashboards to monitor Kubernetes clusters, Docker containers, and application performance.

Automated continuous deployment with secure YAML-based Ansible playbooks, orchestrated via Ansible Tower.

Incorporated AWS IAM roles and policies into CI/CD pipelines to ensure secure software delivery.

Worked with development, testing, and operations teams to optimize CI/CD workflows and troubleshoot issues.

Enhanced CI/CD pipelines for scalability and efficiency, leveraging AWS services and best practices.

Led security awareness training initiatives to foster a security-conscious culture across the organization.

Optimized Elastic Load Balancers & EC2 Auto Scaling groups, fine-tuning configurations based on CloudWatch alerts for performance and security.

Designed and implemented Lambda services with secure development practices, performing vulnerability analysis throughout the lifecycle.

Monitored logs for performance and database troubleshooting, utilizing Jenkins and Bamboo for secure builds and change management.

Automated software development processes using Ansible Tower and Terraform templates for secure virtual network provisioning.

Used AWS CodeBuild to automate builds and AWS CodeDeploy for seamless application deployment, reducing manual intervention.

Secured Jenkins and Bamboo environments with specialized plugins, integrating Maven for continuous integration with a focus on security.

Citibank, New York City, NY Aug 2018 – Dec 2020

Sr. DevOps/Data Engineer

Summary: As a Senior DevOps/Data Engineer at Citibank, I led the automation of CI/CD pipelines, integrating AWS services to enhance scalability and reliability for mission-critical applications. I oversaw cloud infrastructure provisioning, containerized production systems with Docker, and transitioned deployments from ECS to Kubernetes. Additionally, I ensured system security and compliance by implementing proactive monitoring and automating incident response workflows.

Oversaw cloud-based database deployments, ensuring high performance, scalability, data integrity for mission-critical Citibank applications.

Integrated AWS services like AWS CodeCommit, AWS CodeDeploy, and AWS Elastic Beanstalk into CI/CD pipelines to automate reliable and scalable code deployments.

Promoted DevOps practices by automating infrastructure provisioning configuration across environments using Ansible, Python & Bash scripts.

Utilized Grafana Labs to query data sources and customize interfaces, helping create dynamic dashboards with various panel types.

Created custom CloudTrail event filters and set up alerts using AWS CloudWatch Events and AWS Lambda to automate incident response, threat detection, and compliance workflows.

Employed collaboration tools to improve team communication, fostering a productive and cohesive cloud environment.

Led AWS cloud infrastructure provisioning by leveraging technologies like EC2 and ECS clusters for scalable, reliable application deployments.

Introduced Docker containerization in production systems to optimize resource use and ensure high scalability with load balancers and distributed architectures.

Successfully transitioned from ECS to Kubernetes to enhance resource management and scalability in response to Citibank’s expanding needs.

Utilized Prometheus to monitor Kubernetes clusters and microservices in real-time, ensuring high availability and performance.

Engineered secure cloud solutions, prioritizing data integrity and confidentiality while adhering to Citibank’s compliance requirements.

Streamlined code management by overseeing Git repositories for effective version control and collaboration.

Implemented DevOps practices across development and operations workflows, fostering automation, continuous delivery, and faster time to market.

Collaborated on the design and implementation of secure, high-performance VPCs, optimizing network configurations with subnets, availability zones, and security best practices for Citibank's sensitive data.

Authored Infrastructure-as-Code templates with CloudFormation or Terraform, ensuring efficient, repeatable cloud resource management for Citibank's infrastructure.

Applied the Kanban method to visualize workflows, manage work in progress (WIP), and eliminate bottlenecks, ensuring smooth feature delivery.

Improved cost efficiency by implementing event-driven AWS Lambda functions for serverless computing tasks.

Delivered seamless data migration solutions aligned with Citibank’s data management strategies during cloud transitions.

Established and managed CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, Git, and Docker registry for efficient, automated code integration and deployment, speeding up development cycles.

American National Insurance, Galveston, TX Nov 2015 – Jul 2018

Sr. Cloud Engineer

Summary: As a Senior Cloud Engineer at American National Insurance, I spearheaded the optimization of cloud environments by swiftly resolving technical issues across AWS and Azure, ensuring uninterrupted operations. I implemented Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) with CloudFormation and Terraform, enhancing deployment efficiency while maintaining compliance with regulatory standards through meticulous logging with CloudTrail and Azure Log Analytics. My efforts in streamlining CI/CD workflows and leveraging real-time monitoring tools like DataDog and Splunk contributed significantly to operational excellence and proactive issue resolution.

Facilitated support for American Life Insurance's AWS and Azure environments, quickly resolving technical issues to maintain seamless operations.

Established CloudTrail logging configurations to capture API call audit trails, ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR.

Leveraged DataDog for real-time insights into application performance, servers, and services, identifying critical issues promptly.

Streamlined software development lifecycles for internal applications by integrating Maven/Gradle builds and Jenkins deployments with IaC tools on AWS and Azure, overseeing Dev, Staging, Prod, and DR environments for operational efficiency.

Established Azure Log Analytics Workspace for centralized logging and advanced analytics of Azure resources, facilitating operational insights and compliance reporting.

Championed the adoption of Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) using CloudFormation, Terraform, and Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates, ensuring efficient and automated deployment of key infrastructure components like VPCs, RDS, and S3.

Enhanced collaborative project management and API integration through Jira and Confluence, improving communication and development practices across AWS and Azure services.

Oversaw the management of containerized applications on Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS), utilizing Kubernetes orchestration to create a scalable and resilient microservices architecture.

Developed best practices for CI/CD workflows, which included version control, automated testing, code quality assessments, and deployment strategies, thereby accelerating software delivery and ensuring consistency.

Constructed robust, scalable, and highly available cloud environments on AWS and Azure to support critical applications and data for American Life Insurance, applying SRE principles to enhance reliability and fault tolerance.

Achieved successful migration of on-premises applications to AWS, enhancing scalability with Elastic Load Balancers (ELBs) and auto-scaling policies to meet American Life Insurance’s business needs.

Configured Azure Monitor for performance and health monitoring of Azure resources, utilizing metrics, alerts, and dashboards for proactive monitoring and troubleshooting.

Automated the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications using Kubernetes Helm charts and Operators on AWS infrastructure.

Developed and maintained DevOps Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines using Jenkins, AWS CodePipeline, and GitLab CI to automate build, test, and deployment processes for faster delivery cycles.

Implemented DevOps monitoring and alerting solutions using AWS CloudWatch, Prometheus, and integrated logging services like AWS CloudTrail and ELK Stack to track system performance and ensure proactive incident resolution.

Streamlined repository management, testing, and deployment workflows using Python and Bash scripts, enhancing efficiency and simplifying IT processes across AWS and Azure.

Orchestrated infrastructure automation utilizing Ansible Playbooks, Python scripts, and configuration management techniques across AWS and Azure environments, ensuring centralized control and operational efficiency.

Monitored and optimized cloud infrastructure costs using Nagios and Datadog, ensuring efficient resource allocation across AWS and Azure platforms.

Provided expert guidance on AWS infrastructure provisioning, networking, security, and integration with Kubernetes components for the American Life Insurance team.

Gilead Sciences, Foster City, CA Jan 2013 – Oct 2015

Cloud Data Administrator

Summary: As a Cloud Data Administrator at Gilead Sciences, I architected and deployed robust log management and monitoring solutions using Elasticsearch and Grafana, enhancing system observability. I refined CI/CD pipelines through automation and collaboration, overseeing microservices communications with API gateways and Istio for improved security and performance. My efforts in data management included utilizing AWS Glue for ETL processes and implementing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with CloudFormation, ensuring data consistency and compliance while optimizing AWS resources for scalability and efficiency.

Set up Elasticsearch and Grafana for efficient log management, search performance, and monitoring capabilities.

Refined CI/CD pipelines by automating Bash scripts and collaborated with cross-functional teams to enhance DevOps practices.

Oversaw microservices communications through API gateways and service meshes like Istio to improve both security and performance.

Enhanced network performance by adjusting settings and configurations, including Route53, ELB, and IP addressing.

Applied AWS Glue to uphold data consistency, quality, and compliance via effective cataloguing, ETL processing, and preparation.

Developed Bash scripts for system administration tasks on EC2 instances, encompassing user management, updates, and log rotation.

Guaranteed seamless operation and data integrity by using RDS and EC2-based databases in the cloud, implementing strong security measures to protect sensitive data.

Engineered serverless applications with AWS Lambda in Python for tasks such as data processing and third-party API integration.

Conducted frequent reviews and updates of IaC templates to align with best practices and security standards.

Transitioned containerized environments from ECS to Kubernetes to enhance resource utilization and scalability.

Improved application performance through Web Services, API Gateways, and principles of integration development.

Automated routine tasks using event-driven and scheduled AWS Lambda functions to boost operational efficiency.

Crafted resilient applications utilizing AWS services such as multi-AZ deployments and ECS to ensure scalability and high availability.

Executed Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with AWS CloudFormation, creating reusable and version-controlled templates for complex environments.

Implemented configuration management using AWS Systems Manager, Puppet, or Chef to automate resource management.

Employed CloudWatch and CloudTrail for comprehensive monitoring of performance and security alerts.

Coordinated CI/CD processes to accelerate software updates and maintain optimal application performance.

Enhanced RDS and EC2 database performance through data partitioning and indexing techniques.

Integrated GitHub and Jenkins to streamline development and deployment processes, boosting software delivery efficiency.

Automated the provisioning and management of AWS resources through CloudFormation templates.

Administered GitHub repository configurations for efficient version control and collaboration.

Provided diverse storage options, including S3, EBS, EFS, and S3 Glacier, to accommodate various data storage requirements.

Simplified deployment processes with Elastic Beanstalk for consistent and seamless application deployments.

Resolved issues within Kubernetes clusters to maintain a healthy and efficient containerized infrastructure.

Automated AWS infrastructure management using Python-based tools and scripts.

Architected, deployed, and managed AWS cloud infrastructure leveraging services like EC2, S3, RDS, VPC, Lambda, and IAM.

Twilio, San Francisco, CA Jan 2010 – Dec 2012

Software Engineer

Develop enterprise-grade identity services that support secure Identity and Access Management (IAM) across Twilio's products.

Create tools and APIs to facilitate onboarding for internal product groups onto a unified IAM platform.

Collaborate with designers, product managers, and engineers to define and prioritize work.

Automate and improve existing tools to enhance operational efficiency.

Write high-quality code and ensure extensive testing coverage through unit and integration tests.

Plan and lead team projects, providing mentorship to junior engineers.

Build resilient services and distributed systems, leveraging technologies like MySQL, Kafka, and Redis.

EDUCATION

Bachelor's in Computer Science & Computer Engineering

Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

Contact this candidate