Sr. Systems Engineer, Cloud Infrastructure - job 14 of 20

The Senior Systems Engineer, Cloud Infrastructure at Visa is responsible for designing and implementing secure and scalable cloud infrastructure solutions that support global payment systems. This includes utilizing knowledge of public cloud platforms like AWS, GCP, and Azure, promoting DevOps principles, establishing foundational services in the cloud, ensuring application availability and security, and integrating critical infrastructure management aspects, all aimed at driving operational efficiency.

Candidates for the Senior Systems Engineer, Cloud Infrastructure role at Visa should possess extensive experience with public cloud platforms, proficiency in Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and automation practices, particularly with tools like Terraform and CloudFormation. Familiarity with Kubernetes and microservices architectures, along with a solid understanding of DevOps principles, is essential to thrive in this position.

In the role of Senior Systems Engineer, Cloud Infrastructure, your work directly contributes to Visa’s mission by building robust and secure cloud infrastructure that enhances the efficiency of payment systems. By integrating innovative technologies and fostering strong collaboration with other teams, you will facilitate an environment ripe for developer productivity and innovation while reducing infrastructure maintenance overhead.

As a Senior Systems Engineer, Cloud Infrastructure with Visa, you will enjoy a hybrid working environment in Austin, where you’ll have the flexibility to manage your schedule in collaboration with your hiring manager. This role involves both remote work and in-office days, providing a balance between professional collaboration and independent project work.

A Senior Systems Engineer, Cloud Infrastructure at Visa must be well-versed in cloud technologies, particularly AWS, GCP, and Azure. Knowledge of DevOps practices, container orchestration (Kubernetes), IaC tools (like Terraform and CloudFormation), and CI/CD pipeline management are crucial for success in the role. Familiarity with security tools and monitoring systems is also important to maintain compliance with industry standards.

In answering this question, be specific about the projects you've worked on using these platforms. Highlight your role in designing and implementing solutions, any challenges you faced, and how you overcame them. Provide examples of specific services you've used, such as EC2, S3, or Kubernetes, to illustrate your hands-on experience.

Discuss the concept of IaC, emphasizing its advantages such as improved consistency, version control, and automation of infrastructure provisioning. Share your experiences with relevant tools like Terraform or CloudFormation, demonstrating how IaC has enhanced your workflow and the broader team’s efficiency.

Describe your approach to cloud security, including practices such as identity access management (IAM), secure network architecture, and compliance with security protocols. Highlight any specific security measures you have taken in your previous roles and how they positively impacted the projects.

Talk about your experience with CI/CD pipelines and automation tools. Discuss how automation has streamlined your processes, reduced human error, and allowed for faster deployments and updates in cloud environments, ultimately enhancing the development lifecycle.

Provide a detailed example of a challenging cloud issue you encountered, how you diagnosed the problem, the steps you took to resolve it, and the outcome. This showcases your problem-solving skills and ability to work under pressure.

Discuss specific resources you follow, such as blogs, podcasts, or conferences related to cloud computing and DevOps. Mention any communities you are part of or courses you have taken to enhance your knowledge and skills.

Explain your communication style and how you engage with other teams, such as development, security, and operations. Provide examples of successful collaborations that led to improved infrastructure solutions or project outcomes.

Outline key best practices such as using IaC for reproducibility, leveraging monitoring and logging tools for oversight, and ensuring security compliance from the outset. Mention your approach to documenting these best practices to share knowledge within your team.

Discuss techniques you employ to monitor application performance, such as identifying bottlenecks using performance metrics, optimizing resource allocation, and refining configurations. Provide examples of improvements you've made in previous positions.

Talk about monitoring cloud resource usage, configuring auto-scaling, utilizing reserved instances, and implementing tagging strategies for resource allocation. Explain how these methods have effectively managed costs in your past roles.