Platform Engineer

Role: Cloud Infrastructure & Platform Engineering (Hands On)Location: Germantown, MD Duration: 12+ months Role OverviewCloud 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 ResponsibilitiesCloud & Hybrid Infrastructure LeadershipLead operational management of:Google Cloud Platform (Google Cloud Platform)Google Cloud VMware Engine (GCVE)On prem VMware & NSX environmentsDrive pre production to Google Cloud Platform Oracle and BRM migrations for all programsDesign secure hybrid connectivity models (VPN, firewall, load balancing)Ensure high availability, scalability, backup and disaster recovery readinessInfrastructure as Code & AutomationArchitect and maintain enterprise grade automation using:Ansible & TerraformDevelop migration automation scripts for:VM provisioning, Network placement, SSH key configuration, root password setup,Oracle Data Guard & Cascaded Data Guard configurationDatabase failover orchestration, Upgrade and enhance IaC modules to support new cloud featuresLead Blue/Green deployment automation strategiesDatabase & Oracle Migration EngineeringLead Oracle database migrations from on prem to GCVE/Google Cloud PlatformDesign and automate:Data Guard setupCascaded Data GuardFailover orchestrationImplement Google Cloud Platform Datastream integrationsOptimize performance and resiliency for mission critical databasesKubernetes & GKE Platform EngineeringLead GKE cluster lifecycle management:New feature evaluationIaC upgrades to support featuresCluster version upgradesBlue/Green traffic switchingEnsure secure, scalable Kubernetes environmentsIntegrate load balancing, firewall, and security controlsLoad Balancing & Traffic EngineeringConfigure and manage:Google Cloud Platform Load Balancers, AVI Load Balancer, AVI/NSX Load Balancingmaintain VM with Iptables move for F5 replacement for Internet to Google Cloud Platform to GCVE based transactionsImplement production grade traffic routing strategiesEnsure performance optimization and high availabilitySecurity & Network ArchitectureManage and architect:Palo Alto Firewalls (Prod, Staging, Lab), CloudArmor WAFGoogle 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 principlesOversee firewall rule governance and complianceAPI & Platform ServicesLead Apigee X deployment and configuration in Google Cloud PlatformEnsure secure API gateway integration with backend servicesAlign API platform with enterprise security and networking standardsGCVE, NSX & Virtualization ManagementOversee lifecycle management of:GCVE infrastructureNSX networkingAVI load balancersOptimize virtualized network performance and segmentationMaintain enterprise HA and DR postureLeadership & MentorshipMentor and develop new and mid level engineersPromote Infrastructure as Code and automation first mindsetEstablish technical standards and design review practicesLead incident reviews and architectural decision boardsDrive continuous improvement cultureTechnical ExpertiseCloud & Virtualization, Google Cloud Platform (Compute, Networking, Datastream, GKE, CloudArmor)GCVE - VMware vSphere, NSX TAutomation:Terraform (advanced module design), Ansible (complex orchestration playbooks), CI/CD integration for infrastructureDatabases: Oracle (Data Guard, Cascaded Data Guard, failover), Migration engineeringAlloydb, Mongodb, BQ Networking & Security: Palo Alto Firewalls, F5 & iptables migration, Google Cloud Platform FQDN FirewallCloudArmor WAF, VPN architecture, Load balancing (Google Cloud Platform LB, AVI, NSX) GKE & Platform: KubernetesGKE cluster lifecycle management, Execution of Blue/Green deployment strategiesLeadership Characteristics: Hands on technical depth at architect levelStrong troubleshooting capability across stack (OS Network DB Cloud)Strategic thinker with execution focusComfortable operating in production critical environmentsStrong mentoring and cross team collaboration skillsAbility to translate business needs into scalable technical solutionsImpact 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