US_West | Software Developer - Testing Tools/Automation/Performance _L3

Cloud Automation Engineer Location: Charlotte Job Description: We are seeking an Automation Engineer with strong experience in Ansible, HashiCorp Packer, and Google Cloud Compute Engine to design, build, and maintain automated machine image and VM provisioning solutions for both Windows and Linux environments. Key Responsibilities: Infrastructure AutomationDesign and implement automated VM image build pipelines using HashiCorp Packer for Google Cloud Compute EngineDevelop reusable golden images for Windows Server and Linux workloadsAutomate VM configuration, software installation, patching, and baseline hardening using AnsibleBuild standardized and repeatable provisioning patterns for Compute Engine instances across multiple environments Google Cloud EngineeringManage and optimize Google Cloud Compute Engine instances, instance templates, managed instance groups, and related servicesImplement best practices for VM image lifecycle management in GCPIntegrate image creation and provisioning workflows with GCP networking, IAM, service accounts, and storage servicesSupport deployment patterns for both standalone and scalable Compute Engine-based workloads Windows and Linux AdministrationAutomate configuration of Windows and Linux virtual machines using Ansible playbooks and rolesBuild and maintain OS-specific provisioning logic for Windows Server and Linux distributions (RHEL, CentOS, Rocky, Ubuntu, or similar)Manage system configuration, domain join, local user/group policies, package installation, agent deployment, and OS baseline settingsSupport patching, security hardening, and operational readiness of VM builds CI/CD and DevOps IntegrationIntegrate Packer and Ansible workflows into CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab CI, or similar)Maintain version-controlled infrastructure and image build code in Git repositoriesImplement automated testing and validation of machine images before releasePromote immutable infrastructure and image versioning practices Security and GovernanceApply secure baseline configurations and OS hardening controls to Windows and Linux imagesEnsure compliance with enterprise security, vulnerability remediation, and audit requirements Required Qualifications:5+ years of experience in cloud infrastructure automation, system engineering, or DevOps rolesStrong hands-on experience with Ansible for configuration management and provisioningStrong hands-on experience with HashiCorp Packer for machine image creationExperience with Google Cloud Platform, especially Compute Engine, IAM/service accounts, VPC networking fundamentals, and Cloud StorageExperience administering and automating both Windows Server and Linux operating systemsStrong scripting experience in Bash, PowerShell, or PythonUnderstanding of infrastructure-as-code, immutable images, and standardized build patterns Preferred Qualifications:Experience with Terraform for GCP infrastructure provisioningExperience creating enterprise golden images and image promotion pipelinesFamiliarity with security hardening frameworks and vulnerability remediation processesExperience with Active Directory integration, Windows configuration automation, and Linux hardening Technical Skills:Automation/Provisioning: Ansible, PackerCloud Platform: Google Cloud Platform, Compute EngineOperating Systems: Windows Server, LinuxScripting: PowerShell, Bash, PythonDevOps Tools: Git, Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CIInfrastructure as Code: Terraform "All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran."