DoD Zero Trust & Cloud Systems Engineer

FRANCISCO N. SALMERON

Camden, NC ***** 252-***-**** *********.*.********@*****.***

Active DoD Top Secret/SCI Clearance U.S. Citizen Valid U.S. Passport

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Cloud Systems Engineer SME with 15+ years designing, deploying, securing, and operating enterprise IT systems across federal, DoD, and coalition environments. Currently serving as Zero Trust subject matter expert on the US BICES-X program, defining secure future-state architectures for DoD intelligence sharing with coalition partners. Expertise spans Zero Trust architecture (NIST SP 800-207, ICAM, micro-segmentation, software-defined perimeter), cloud platforms (Microsoft Azure, AWS), enterprise virtualization (VMware vSphere, vCenter, Nutanix, Hyper-V), and cybersecurity compliance (RMF, NIST SP 800-53, DISA STIG, FedRAMP). Active DoD Top Secret/SCI clearance. DoD 8140 IAT Level III (CompTIA SecurityX). Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate. VMware VCP-DCV. Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.

CORE SKILLS

•Zero Trust Architecture: NIST SP 800-207, DoD Zero Trust Strategy, ICAM, PKI, micro-segmentation, software-defined perimeter, encryption

•Cloud Platforms: Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), hybrid cloud architecture, cloud migration, cloud networking, cost optimization

•Virtualization: VMware vSphere, VMware vCenter, VMware ESXi, Nutanix AHV, Microsoft Hyper-V, virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)

•DevSecOps and Automation: Terraform, Ansible, GitLab CI/CD, Docker, Kubernetes, PowerShell, Bash, Python, Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

•Security and Compliance: Risk Management Framework (RMF), NIST SP 800-53, DISA STIG, FedRAMP, FISMA, ACAS, Nessus, SCAP, Trellix ePO (HBSS), vulnerability management, ATO

•Microsoft Enterprise: Windows Server, Active Directory, ADFS, Azure AD (Entra ID), Group Policy, Exchange, Office 365, SharePoint, SCCM, WSUS, SQL Server Always On

•Infrastructure: Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), NetApp SAN, Cisco UCS, Cisco NEXUS, SolarWinds, Splunk, ServiceNow, disaster recovery, backup

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Cloud Systems Engineer SME, Zero Trust

Advanced Software Design Inc. (ASD), US BICES-X Program Pearl Harbor, HI April 2026 - Present

•Serve as Zero Trust subject matter expert on the US Battlefield Information Collection and Exploitation System eXtended (US BICES-X) program supporting DoD intelligence information sharing with coalition partners across combatant commands

•Design and define future-state secure architectures for enterprise IT capabilities, aligning business strategies, operational processes, and IT roadmaps with DoD Zero Trust requirements and NIST SP 800-207

•Identify and document architectural requirements supporting enterprise Zero Trust adoption, including goals, approach, Plans of Action and Milestones (POA&M), and desired end states

•Develop architecture models, high-level system design diagrams, and data-driven analyses articulating current-state gaps and future-state needs

•Research, evaluate, and propose solutions across Zero Trust pillars including ICAM, PKI, micro-segmentation, software-defined perimeter, and encryption against functional and technical requirements

•Prepare assessments, point papers, briefings, and executive presentations supporting program leadership decision-making

Installation Engineer / Site Lead (Contract)

CORE Partners, Foreign Military Sales Iraq Baghdad, Iraq February 2026 - April 2026

•Deployed enterprise IT infrastructure across Baghdad data centers and 12 regional Ministry of Defense sites; deployed Nutanix AHV and Kubernetes infrastructure

•Directed daily site activities, supervised work crews, and coordinated logistics, asset management, and equipment procurement across distributed sites

Information Systems Security Engineer / Cloud Security Engineer (Contract)

Expansia, Department of the Air Force Cloud Works Hampton, VA (Remote) September 2025 - February 2026

•Engineered and administered cloud systems across AWS and Azure; designed hybrid cloud architectures; implemented infrastructure automation using Terraform

•Integrated security controls into CI/CD pipelines; managed Docker and Kubernetes containerization; conducted ACAS/Nessus vulnerability assessments ensuring NIST and FedRAMP compliance

HBSS/Trellix System Administrator (Contract)

IT Direct Support LLC Comalapa, El Salvador February 2025 - September 2025

•Administered enterprise endpoint security platform (Trellix ePO) across Windows and Linux environments supporting SOUTHCOM-area operations per DISA and USCYBERCOM directives

•Coordinated patch deployment and vulnerability remediation; developed SOPs, automation scripts, and technical documentation

Data Center Technical Project Manager (Contract)

Insight Global, Joint Staff J7 Washington, DC October 2024 - February 2025

•Managed multidisciplinary IT teams supporting Joint Force Development; led cloud migration, virtualization optimization, and modernization projects 20 percent ahead of schedule

•Implemented disaster recovery plans sustaining 99.99 percent data availability; negotiated vendor contracts achieving cost savings

IT Infrastructure Engineer / Operations Lead (Contract)

TCOM LP, Foreign Military Sales Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia March 2024 - October 2024

•Led IT operations for deployed FMS aerostat surveillance program achieving 99.9 percent uptime; administered Windows Server clustering, VMware vCenter, NetApp SAN, and hybrid cloud connectivity

•Implemented automated patching with SCCM and WSUS; applied Terraform Infrastructure as Code for configuration consistency

Virtual Infrastructure Engineer / Security Lead (Contract)

CACI, CJTF-HOA / AFRICOM Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti September 2023 - March 2024

•Designed and deployed data center infrastructure including Cisco NEXUS, Cisco UCS, VMware ESXi, and NetApp SAN across classified enclaves

•Implemented DISA STIG hardening and NIST SP 800-53 compliance; conducted ACAS/Nessus vulnerability scanning and remediation; automated operations with PowerShell

System Engineer (Contract)

CompQsoft, US Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Center Elizabeth City, NC January 2023 - September 2023

•Managed production VMware vCenter environments and virtual machine lifecycle supporting USCG aviation missions; implemented monitoring and alerting; mentored junior engineers

Principal Specialist, Digital Technology

Raytheon Intelligence and Space McKinney, TX January 2022 - January 2023

•Administered Windows, RHEL, and virtualization systems across SAP/SCI classified environments; managed COMSEC/EKMS equipment with 100 percent NAVEDTRA compliance; enforced NISPOM, JAFAN, and RMF standards

Senior System Engineer / Lead Consultant / System Administrator (Contracts)

Insight Global (DEA); LTS (Dept of Commerce); ManTech (Defense Health Agency) Washington, DC / Portsmouth, VA February 2021 - February 2022

•Managed hybrid cloud and virtualization environments across three federal agencies; deployed Nutanix hyper-converged infrastructure; served as PKI Registration Authority Officer; developed automation and Infrastructure as Code

Senior System Administrator (Contract)

STF, Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic Portsmouth, VA August 2020 - February 2021

•Managed C5I systems and Active Directory domains; implemented DISA STIG compliance and RMF certification and accreditation packages per DoDI 8510.01; automated administration with PowerShell

Lead Senior System Administrator

Command Post Technologies, Joint Information Operations Range (JIOR) Norfolk, VA March 2019 - August 2020

•Managed enterprise VMware vCenter, NetApp SAN, PKI environments, and SQL Server Always On high-availability clusters; supervised system administration team; performed vulnerability scanning and remediation tracking

IT Specialist / System Engineer-Supervisor, GS-2210-12

Norfolk Naval Shipyard / US Forces Japan / US Forces-Afghanistan (Federal Civilian) Multiple Federal Locations July 2010 - March 2019

•Progressed from GS-09 to GS-12 over nine years of federal civilian service managing IT operations, classified networks, and VMware infrastructure for Navy and joint commands

•Director of Information Management, US Forces-Afghanistan (2015): supervised IT teams supporting senior military leadership in a combat environment; served as COMSEC Enhanced Trusted Agent and Security Manager

•System Engineer-Supervisor, US Forces Japan (2016-2018): supervised IT professionals at OCONUS installation; managed asset procurement, patch management, and infrastructure lifecycle

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science, Information Technology, Western Governors University, 2024

CERTIFICATIONS

•CompTIA SecurityX (CASP+), DoD 8140 IAT Level III / IAM Level II, expires March 2027

•Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)

•VMware Certified Professional, Data Center Virtualization (VCP-DCV), 2023

•CompTIA Security+ CE, CompTIA Network+ CE, CompTIA A+ CE, expire March 2027

•DISA ACAS 201 Installation and Administration, 2025; DISA HBSS Administrator 201 ePO 5.9

CLEARANCE

Active DoD Top Secret/SCI, adjudicated September 2025. US Citizen. Valid US passport. Fluent in English and Spanish.

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