Senior DevOps Engineer

As a Senior DevOps Engineer at Simply Business, you will focus on automating processes, building scalable infrastructures, and supporting our Platform as a Service (PaaS). Your primary responsibilities include creating production-ready solutions, implementing Infrastructure as Code practices, and ensuring our systems remain secure and auditable. You'll also embrace chaos engineering principles, contributing to our DevOps culture by optimizing deployment pipelines and fostering a self-service environment for our engineering teams.

To qualify for the Senior DevOps Engineer position at Simply Business, candidates should have strong Linux systems administration skills and hands-on experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. Familiarity with continuous delivery and automation tools like Ansible, Terraform, and Docker is essential. Additionally, candidates should possess excellent programming skills in any language and a solid understanding of infrastructure as code concepts to thrive in this dynamic role.

At Simply Business, our DevOps technology stack includes AWS for infrastructure, along with tools like GitHub Actions, Codebuild, Terraform, and Ansible to streamline deployment processes. We leverage Docker for containerization and employ monitoring and logging tools like New Relic and ELK. Our focus on creating a self-service, automated environment allows engineering teams to manage their own applications efficiently while adhering to best practices in security and performance.

The team culture for Senior DevOps Engineers at Simply Business emphasizes collaboration, continuous improvement, and a commitment to innovation. We promote a friendly, inclusive atmosphere that fosters professional growth and encourages team members to challenge conventions. Our approach of being product-driven rather than project-driven ensures that each engineer has the opportunity to make meaningful contributions while enjoying a healthier work-life balance through our hybrid working model.

As a Senior DevOps Engineer at Simply Business, you'll enjoy a competitive benefits package that includes comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage, participation in the company's bonus program, and a 401(k) plan with a generous employer match. Additionally, we offer 25 days of vacation, excellent learning and development opportunities, team outings, and a flexible hybrid work model to fit your lifestyle, all contributing to a fulfilling work experience.

In my previous roles, I managed infrastructure as code by using tools like Terraform and Ansible to automate deployment processes. This approach allowed me to create version-controlled templates for all my infrastructure components, enabling reproducibility and reducing configuration drift. I also integrated these practices into CI/CD pipelines for continuous deployment to ensure a stable and secure environment.

One challenging project involved migrating our infrastructure to a new cloud provider while ensuring minimal downtime. I developed a detailed plan that included replicating existing configurations, testing deployment scripts in staging environments, and executing a blue-green deployment strategy. Regular communication with team members helped us coordinate effectively, and the migration was successful with zero downtime, showcasing our capability to handle critical changes.

I have extensive experience using monitoring tools like New Relic and ELK Stack for logging and visualization. In my previous roles, I have set up alerts based on performance metrics and logs to proactively address any issues. By implementing dashboards, I provided real-time visibility for the engineering teams, enabling us to troubleshoot quickly and maintain system health effectively.

In a DevOps environment, security is paramount. I adopt a 'security by design' philosophy, ensuring that security practices are integrated from the initial development stages. This involves automating security checks in CI/CD pipelines, using tools for secrets management, and regularly auditing configurations against best practices. I also promote a culture of security awareness among team members to ensure everyone understands their role in safeguarding our applications.

I have successfully implemented continuous delivery and deployment (CD/CD) pipelines using tools like Jenkins and GitHub Actions. This involved automating testing, building, and deployment processes, which allowed us to consistently deliver updates to production with high confidence. An essential part of my role was to define clear workflows and best practices, ensuring all team members could contribute to and understand the process.

When troubleshooting in a production environment, I first gather logs and metrics to identify the issue's root cause. I value the use of monitoring tools and set up alerts to notify me of any anomalies. Once the issue is pinpointed, I apply a systematic approach to implement a fix, document the process, and ensure preventative measures are in place to avoid recurrence. Collaboration with team resources is also crucial for effective resolution.

I have hands-on experience with container technologies, primarily Docker. I've utilized Docker to package applications and their dependencies in a consistent environment, which significantly accelerates deployment processes. I also have experience with orchestration tools like Kubernetes, focusing on managing containerized applications at scale, ensuring high availability, and simplifying system management.

My preferred tools for infrastructure automation include Terraform for its declarative infrastructure model and Ansible for its simplicity in configuration management. Terraform's ability to manage infrastructure across multiple cloud providers is a significant advantage, while Ansible's agentless architecture makes it easy to implement in diverse environments. Both tools empower teams to deploy consistent and reproducible infrastructure quickly.

Continuous improvement in DevOps practices is achieved through regular retrospectives and feedback loops. I encourage open discussions on what went well and what can be improved. By tracking key performance metrics, we can identify areas for optimization and implement changes iteratively. Additionally, staying up-to-date with industry trends and integrating new tools and technologies helps us evolve our practices constantly.

The most critical skills for a Senior DevOps Engineer include strong technical knowledge in cloud platforms, solid scripting or programming abilities, and effective automation expertise. Additionally, excellent problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to system monitoring and troubleshooting are crucial. Strong collaboration skills are also important since DevOps professionals work closely with development and operations teams to drive efficiency.