Linux Automation Engineer - 6+ Years in Hybrid Infra & CI/CD

SALMAN SALEEM

Linux Automation Engineer

347-***-**** ****************@*****.***

Professional Summary:

Linux Automation Engineer with 6+ years managing mission critical systems and infrastructure in mixed on prem and Cloud environments. Expert in building repeatable, policy driven server configurations using Ansible, Ansible Tower, and Bash scripting, with a strong focus on reliability, patch compliance, and security. Experienced with VMware based virtualization, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and CI/CD workflows using Git/GitLab and Jenkins to support smooth application delivery. Known for proactive monitoring and troubleshooting using tools like Prometheus, Grafana, Nagios, and Splunk, collaborating closely with cross functional teams to reduce incidents and improve service performance.

Technical Skills:

Linux & Server Platforms

RHEL, CentOS, Oracle Enterprise Linux (OEL), Ubuntu, Debian, physical & virtual server administration, system performance tuning, kernel parameter optimization

Automation & Scripting

Ansible, Ansible Tower / AWX, Bash / shell scripting, cron-based automation, Red Hat Satellite (patching & configuration management)

Cloud & Infrastructure

AWS (EC2, IAM, ELB, S3, CloudWatch, CloudTrail, CloudFront, VPC, security groups), AWS CloudFormation, hybrid on prem / cloud environments

Containers & Orchestration

Docker, Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, containerized application deployment and lifecycle management

Virtualization & Storage

VMware (ESXi, vCenter, vMotion, clustering, snapshots, cloning), KVM, SAN/NAS storage, LVM, RAID, disk partitioning (fdisk, gdisk), ZFS, NFS, Samba

Networking & Security

DNS, DHCP, VPN, SSH tunneling, LDAP, Active Directory integration, iptables, firewalld, SELinux, ACLs, MFA

DevOps & Collaboration Tools

Git, GitLab, Jenkins, Jira, ServiceNow, documentation and runbook creation

Work Experience:

Linux Automation Engineer

Wells Fargo, NYC, NY Nov 2024 - Present

Designed and supported a large fleet of RHEL, CentOS, Ubuntu, and Debian servers, standardizing build and configuration patterns across onprem and AWS environments.

Partnered closely with development, security, and networking teams to plan changes, implement new services, and ensure that automation and infrastructure aligned with application needs and compliance requirements.

Provided mentoring and technical guidance to junior engineers on topics like Ansible best practices, Git workflows, and troubleshooting Linux in production.

Automated daytoday operations (provisioning, patching, configuration drift remediation) using Ansible playbooks and Ansible Tower, cutting manual effort.

Built reusable Ansible roles for common services (web, application, database, monitoring agents), improving consistency and speeding up new environment deployments.

Integrated Git/GitLab with Ansible and Jenkins pipelines to create a lightweight CI/CD workflow for infrastructure changes, enabling peer review and controlled rollouts.

Deployed and maintained AWS infrastructure (EC2, VPC, subnets, security groups, ELB, S3, IAM), using CloudFormation templates to keep environments reproducible and versioncontrolled.

Migrated selected workloads from VMware to AWS and container platforms (Docker, Kubernetes), helping reduce infrastructure costs and improve scalability for critical applications.

Managed VMware ESXi/vCenter clusters, including host configuration, resource allocation, snapshots, and cloning strategies to support rapid test and recovery scenarios.

Implemented and continuously improved Linux hardening baselines using firewalld/iptables, SELinux, secure SSH configurations, and timely patching, aligning systems with security best practices.

Set up comprehensive monitoring and alerting with Prometheus, Alertmanager, Grafana dashboards, and legacy tools like Nagios/Zabbix, significantly improving visibility into system health.

Integrated alerts with collaboration tools (e.g., email/Slack or ticketing systems like Jira/ServiceNow) to streamline incident response and reduce mean time to resolution (MTTR).

Containerized legacy services using Docker, wrote Dockerfiles, and deployed applications onto Kubernetes clusters, improving release frequency and environment consistency.

Managed Linux storage using LVM, RAID, SAN/NAS, and filesharing with NFS and Samba, plus automated backups using tools like rsync and tar to protect critical data.

Implemented and maintained LDAP/Active Directory integration on Linux hosts, centralizing authentication and managing sudo/access policies for different teams.

Developed and maintained Bash/shell scripts for log rotation, service health checks, cleanup jobs, and deployment helpers, replacing manual runbooks with repeatable automation.

Performed indepth troubleshooting of performance and availability issues using system tools (top, htop, iostat, logs) and Splunk/other logging platforms to identify root causes and longterm fixes.

Documented standard operating procedures, runbooks, and architecture diagrams for key services and automation workflows, making it easier for teammates to support and extend the environment.

System Administrator Linux

Boeing, Arlington, VA May 2021 – Oct 2024

Oversaw daytoday operations of Linux servers across multiple environments, ensuring systems stayed within agreed SLAs for uptime and performance.

Standardized server build procedures and baseline configurations so new RHEL/CentOS/Ubuntu hosts could be brought online quickly with predictable settings.

Performed regular health checks on CPU, memory, disk, and network utilization, proactively addressing capacity issues before they affected applications.

Implemented structured change management for OSlevel modifications patches, config updates, service restart, reducing unplanned outages and rollback events.

Managed local and centralized logging, tuning log rotation and retention policies so that troubleshooting data was available without consuming excessive disk.

Collaborated with application and database teams to schedule maintenance windows, coordinate reboots, and validate services after changes.

Hardened Linux systems by tightening SSH access, disabling unused services, and applying security baselines aligned with internal or industry standards.

Created and refined shell scripts to handle repetitive tasks like account cleanup, file archival, and basic health checks, reducing manual effort.

Assisted with incident investigations, collecting logs, reproducing issues, and working with senior engineers to identify root causes and longterm fixes.

Maintained and tested backup jobs for critical filesystems and configuration data, contributing to regular restore drills and disaster recovery exercises.

Participated in oncall rotations, responding to monitoring alerts, stabilizing impacted services, and clearly documenting actions taken.

Kept detailed documentation and runbooks for common operational tasks, reducing rampup time for new team members and improving consistency.

Supported virtualized Linux guests on VMware by coordinating resource changes (CPU/RAM/disk) and validating OSlevel configuration after migrations.

Worked with security and audit teams to prepare evidence for compliance checks, including patch reports, configuration samples, and access logs.

Linux Technician

Honeywell, Phoenix, AZ Nov 2019 – Mar 2021

Assisted with the initial setup of Linux workstations and servers, including OS installation, basic partitioning, and network configuration according to build guides.

Handled firstline support tickets for Linux users (password resets, permission issues, SSH access, disk space alerts), resolving most incidents within agreed response times.

Helped maintain user and group accounts, home directories, and sudo access under supervision of senior admins, ensuring correct permissions for each team.

Performed routine maintenance tasks such as log cleanup, temporary file removal.

Assisted in OS updates and minor patching, following documented procedures to apply updates and reboot systems during scheduled maintenance windows.

Supported basic network troubleshooting on Linux hosts (ping/trace, SSH connectivity), working with network teams when deeper investigation was needed.

Assisted with hardware swaps and troubleshooting (disks, memory, network cards) in coordination with data center or onsite staff, verifying that Linux recognized new hardware.

Supported on boarding of new employees by setting up Linux accounts, configuring SSH keys, and walking users through basic commands and best practices.

Participated in on call shadowing with more senior engineers to learn how incidents are triaged, escalated, and documented in tools like Jira or ServiceNow.

Education:

Bachelors in Arts

Wagner College, NY 2019

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