Platform Engineer

Role: Cloud Infrastructure & Platform Engineering (Hands On)

Location: Germantown, MD

Duration: 12+ months

Role Overview

Cloud Infrastructure & Platform Engineering is a hands on technical leader responsible for designing, automating, securing, and operating hybrid and multi cloud infrastructure across on premises and Google Cloud platforms.

This role combines deep technical execution with strategic leadership, driving cloud modernization initiatives, infrastructure automation, database migrations, network/security architecture, and mentoring of next generation engineers.

A person in this role, actively architects and implements enterprise grade solutions across VMware, GCVE, Kubernetes, Network Security (Google Cloud Platform & Palo Alto), Database platforms, Cisco/Dell switches, EMC/Pure Storage, Brocade SAN switches while guiding teams in best practices for Infrastructure as Code (IaC), DevSecOps, and reliability engineering.

Key Responsibilities

• Cloud & Hybrid Infrastructure Leadership
• Lead operational management of:
• Google Cloud Platform (Google Cloud Platform)
• Google Cloud VMware Engine (GCVE)
• On prem VMware & NSX environments
• Drive pre production to Google Cloud Platform Oracle and BRM migrations for all programs
• Design secure hybrid connectivity models (VPN, firewall, load balancing)
• Ensure high availability, scalability, backup and disaster recovery readiness

Infrastructure as Code & Automation

Architect and maintain enterprise grade automation using:

• Ansible & Terraform
• Develop migration automation scripts for:
• VM provisioning, Network placement, SSH key configuration, root password setup,
• Oracle Data Guard & Cascaded Data Guard configuration
• Database failover orchestration, Upgrade and enhance IaC modules to support new cloud features
• Lead Blue/Green deployment automation strategies

Database & Oracle Migration Engineering

Lead Oracle database migrations from on prem to GCVE/Google Cloud Platform

Design and automate:

• Data Guard setup
• Cascaded Data Guard
• Failover orchestration
• Implement Google Cloud Platform Datastream integrations
• Optimize performance and resiliency for mission critical databases

Kubernetes & GKE Platform Engineering

Lead GKE cluster lifecycle management:

• New feature evaluation
• IaC upgrades to support features
• Cluster version upgrades
• Blue/Green traffic switching
• Ensure secure, scalable Kubernetes environments
• Integrate load balancing, firewall, and security controls

Load Balancing & Traffic Engineering

Configure and manage:

• Google Cloud Platform Load Balancers, AVI Load Balancer, AVI/NSX Load Balancing
• maintain VM with Iptables move for F5 replacement for Internet to Google Cloud Platform to GCVE based transactions
• Implement production grade traffic routing strategies
• Ensure performance optimization and high availability

Security & Network Architecture

Manage and architect:

• Palo Alto Firewalls (Prod, Staging, Lab), CloudArmor WAF
• Google Cloud Platform FQDN Firewall (design, IaC, and production rollout)
• NSX security configurations, Design secure VPN connectivity (e.g., Chase Billing VPN setup via IaC), Implement Zero Trust and least privilege principles
• Oversee firewall rule governance and compliance

API & Platform Services

• Lead Apigee X deployment and configuration in Google Cloud Platform
• Ensure secure API gateway integration with backend services
• Align API platform with enterprise security and networking standards

GCVE, NSX & Virtualization Management

Oversee lifecycle management of:

• GCVE infrastructure
• NSX networking
• AVI load balancers
• Optimize virtualized network performance and segmentation
• Maintain enterprise HA and DR posture

Leadership & Mentorship

• Mentor and develop new and mid level engineers
• Promote Infrastructure as Code and automation first mindset
• Establish technical standards and design review practices
• Lead incident reviews and architectural decision boards
• Drive continuous improvement culture

Technical Expertise

• Cloud & Virtualization, Google Cloud Platform (Compute, Networking, Datastream, GKE, CloudArmor)
• GCVE - VMware vSphere, NSX T

Automation:

Terraform (advanced module design), Ansible (complex orchestration playbooks), CI/CD integration for infrastructure

Databases: Oracle (Data Guard, Cascaded Data Guard, failover), Migration engineering

Alloydb, Mongodb, BQ

Networking & Security: Palo Alto Firewalls, F5 & iptables migration, Google Cloud Platform FQDN Firewall

CloudArmor WAF, VPN architecture, Load balancing (Google Cloud Platform LB, AVI, NSX)

GKE & Platform: Kubernetes

• GKE cluster lifecycle management, Execution of Blue/Green deployment strategies
• Leadership Characteristics: Hands on technical depth at architect level
• Strong troubleshooting capability across stack (OS Network DB Cloud)
• Strategic thinker with execution focus
• Comfortable operating in production critical environments
• Strong mentoring and cross team collaboration skills
• Ability to translate business needs into scalable technical solutions

Impact of the Role:

Drives enterprise cloud modernization, Reduces operational risk via automation, Improves deployment velocity, Enhances security posture, Enables scalable database migration, Develops high performing engineering talent, Ensures resilient, production grade infrastructure