Infrastructure as Code, Networking, Platform Engineering

Sunnyvale, CA ***********.**@*****.*** 323-***-**** LinkedIn GitHub

A results-driven engineer with extensive hands-on experience in public cloud technologies GCP/AWS, specializing in Infrastructure as Code IaC, automation, and security. Recognized for performing at a senior level to enable application teams to migrate and operate services securely, reliably, and efficiently in the cloud. Proven ability to architect foundational cloud solutions, remediate security findings, and streamline operations through custom tooling. A relentless self-starter with a track record of going above and beyond to master complex distributed systems and mentor peers. Currently driving Kubernetes and AI adoption as a personal initiative to stay ahead of the technology curve.

https://jameswurbel.com/

Work Experience

Clover Inc - SRE/Platform Engineer - Apr 2024 to Present - Sunnyvale, CA

Platform Engineering and Architecture:

- Pivoted from the Networking & Infrastructure team to collaborate with Cloud Platform Engineering, spearheading the Kubernetes Platform Abstraction for Vault by designing and implementing a mutating admission webhook in Golang to automate secret injection. Eliminated manual configurations for microservices and established a secure, standardized secrets management pattern across the platform. Backported hard-won design patterns into subsequent Crossplane compositions, elevating platform quality and accelerating new engineer onboarding by several weeks.

- Engineered and configured an Istio Egress Gateway PoC to secure and control outbound traffic for microservices; deployed and configured Kiali to provide deep observability into service mesh traffic patterns, latency, and success rates. Worked with Capgemini consultants to complete this work and was an effective bridge to other operational teams to get this initiative across the finish line. Recognized by his team lead for saving the project after leadership changes removed all other resources.

- Developed and published multiple reusable Terraform modules, including a Kubernetes SQL instance provisioner and a Cloud Function deployment notifier, significantly improving developer experience and standardizing infrastructure patterns.

- Implemented and maintained GitOps workflows using GitHub, Argo CD, and Helm to continuously deploy Crossplane compositions and infrastructure to GKE clusters, ensuring declarative, auditable, and repeatable deployments across environments.

- Designed and implemented Crossplane-related alerting in Grafana, managed entirely via Terraform, with alert routing to Slack channels and PagerDuty for real-time incident response and platform health visibility.

Automation and Process Improvement:

- Pioneered a new infrastructure testing methodology by implementing a Living Proof award-winning Terraform Mocks framework, leading to more reliable and efficient test cycles; delivered a team-wide presentation on the solution to drive adoption and elevate quality. This work was translated into applied learnings for effective AI System Prompts that were used to guide the organization with Gemini and Copilot.

- Contributed to the On-Demand Environments project by automating DNS record creation using Terraform and authoring comprehensive user documentation, enabling teams to self-service provision new environments. Mentored several engineers on effective Terraform module use to meet the change requirements of the on-demand environment initiative. Showcased expert level debugging skills using multiple technologies in both production and staging issues, including a persistent Cloud Function deployment bug, and incorrect IaC configurations for ProxySQL.

AI Adoption and Strategic Influence:

- Scaled AI adoption across the enterprise, personally mentoring 50+ engineers on the effective, high- ROI use of Gemini and GitHub Copilot.

- Authored foundational documents and created multiple video tutorials for the Clover AI Library, establishing a central repository for best practices that accelerated developer onboarding and proficiency.

- Forged a key strategic relationship with the Fiserv AI Board, creating a direct channel to champion and enable broader AI integration at the highest levels of the company. Recognized for exceptional performance by being named Employee of the Month and Most Tickets Closed in the same month.

NEXT7IT - Service Desk Technician - Jul 2023 to Oct 2024 - Cranberry Township, PA

- Recognized for exceptional performance by being named Employee of the Month and Most Tickets Closed in the same month.

- Earned this distinction by proactively dedicating personal weekend time to master company-specific systems and learn software tools, establishing a pattern of high performance that directly led to recruitment by Clover.

- Served as the first point of contact for IT-related queries, demonstrating strong problem-solving skills and customer service to resolve issues efficiently and improve user satisfaction.

- Provided comprehensive technical support and troubleshooting for a diverse set of technologies including FortiClient VPN, Fortigate firewalls, Microsoft services and applications, Active Directory, Azure, Unifi switches and access points, Crashplan, and StorageCraft.

- Handled Linux related tasks and troubleshooting, ensuring system stability and performance for clients that utilized Linux-based systems.

VCI Events - FOH Audio Engineer(A1/A2) - Nov 2018 to Jul 2023 - Lake Forest, CA

- Gained extensive experience with the implementation and operation of complex distributed systems, designing and managing low-latency, high-availability audio and video networks over IP for high-profile clients like Disney and Boeing.

- Operated and configured core networking components, including Cisco switches and load balancers, ensuring reliable system performance in high-stakes environments.

Certifications & Awards

Employee of the Month (Two-Time Recipient) — NEXT7IT

Living Proof Award — Clover/Fiserv Internal Recognition for Technical Excellence & Impact

HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate

CompTIA A+

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