Michael Leer-Hipple

Experienced Professional with expertise in Team Leadership, DevOps, and System Reliability

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A Seasoned Engineer with over a decade of experience in designing, operating, and leading teams to deploy applications for businesses of varied sizes. Expertise in Cloud Strategy, Cloud Security, and Kubernetes, employing modern practices like Agile, DevOps, Reliability, and Chaos Engineering to deliver scalable, robust systems that are efficient and pleasurable to use and maintain.


Work Experience

Managing Consultant

Gremlin LTD | 2018 - Present

Gremlin is an IT company providing Managed Services, Cloud Migrations and DevOps resources.

Senior DevOps Engineer

Kennek | July 2022 - April 2023

I utilized my software development expertise to create efficient CI/CD pipelines with the help of GitHub Actions, oversee Kubernetes for container orchestration, and design comprehensive tooling solutions. Furthermore, I restructured the AWS environment to boost both security and cost-efficiency. These efforts resulted in a significant improvement in code quality, resource optimization, and productivity in an agile development setting.

  • Design of CI/CD utilising GitHub Actions
  • Kubernetes management
  • Developer tooling
  • AWS Architecting

Staff Platform Engineer

Fnality International | July 2021 - July 2022

I efficiently carried out thorough security audits and handled intricate Kubernetes clusters, showcasing deep understanding of systems security and container orchestration. I designed and developed a root certificate authority, which improved the overall security architecture. I demonstrated leadership by encouraging knowledge sharing and training for both tech-savvy and non-tech individuals, promoting a collaborative and continuous learning environment.

  • Security Auditing
  • Management of Kubernetes clusters
  • Design and development of root certificate authority
  • Provided training to employees throughout the business

Lead DevOps Engineer

Vive (GH Bank) | September 2020 - July 2021

I led the creation and execution of secure, cloud-native architectures, and developed internal security tools to strengthen the cybersecurity posture of the organization. I pioneered the use of automated systems to enable GitOps capabilities for Kubernetes and AWS, reflecting proficiency in contemporary DevOps practices. I also directed and coordinated diverse DevOps and DevSecOps teams, cultivating a culture of teamwork and continual enhancement. I was actively involved in optimizing cloud costs and redesigning Spring-based microservices to improve system performance. By creating custom resources for Kubernetes, I further demonstrated my technical competence in container orchestration. I also crafted a proxy-based solution to manage and control egress from AWS.

  • Design and implementation of secure cloud native architecture
  • Development of internal security tooling
  • Implementation of automated systems providing GitOps capabilities for Kubernetes and AWS
  • Management of DevOps and DevSecOps teams
  • Cost Optimisation
  • Architecting Spring based microservices
  • Development of custom resources for kubernetes
  • Design of a Proxy based solution allowing controlled egress from AWS
  • Team Leadership

DevOps Engineer

WorldPay | November 2019 - September 2020

I was involved in collaborating with their data teams to construct a data lake, with a primary focus on the necessary infrastructure and security measures. This was aimed at providing secure, role-based access to potentially sensitive data, including Personally Identifiable Information.

  • Upgrade of existing terraform to latest version and syntax
  • Design and develop secure cloud policies, conforming principals of least priviledge
  • Creation of Kubernetes clusters with role-based access to resources
  • Development of GitOps based deployments
  • Design of a Proxy based solution allowing controlled egress from AWS

Site Reliability Engineer

Mention Me | January 2019 - November 2019

As a Site Reliability Engineer at Mention Me, my key responsibilities revolved around modernizing our legacy cloud infrastructure to a more secure and efficient setup using infrastructure as code principles. I spearheaded the creation of a Kubernetes environment, demonstrating a strong command of container orchestration. In addition to these tasks, I was responsible for upgrading Elasticsearch, which I successfully accomplished with minimal system downtime. This role required a strong focus on system reliability, performance, and security, all of which were central to my tasks and responsibilities.

  • Migration of existing cloud-based infrastructure to a more secure architecture.
  • ElasticSearch upgrade from legacy EOL version to latest stable release with minimal downtime.
  • Design a Kubernetes based deployment pipeline to increase development velocity.

Head of DevOps

CallSign | November 2018 - January 2019

As the Head of DevOps at CallSign, my responsibilities encompassed establishing a robust DevOps and SRE function within the organization. A significant part of my role involved defining the operational model for these new teams, ensuring that their structure and function aligned with the company’s broader objectives. I was also responsible for the hiring process for these teams, identifying and recruiting the right talent to drive our technology goals forward. Furthermore, I played a crucial role in devising the company’s cloud usage strategy, creating guidelines and practices that optimized efficiency and met business needs. This role required strong leadership, strategic planning, and a deep understanding of DevOps and reliability practices.

  • Leadership
  • Stakeholder Management
  • Cloud Strategy

Senior Software Engineer (SE3) | Site Reliability Engineer

Ocado Technology | April 2018 - November 2018

In my role as a Senior Software Engineer and Site Reliability Engineer at Ocado, my responsibilities were multifaceted and dynamic. I was entrusted with the task of building a team of Site Reliability Engineers, assembling a group of skilled individuals who were adept at ensuring the reliability and resilience of our software products. A significant part of my work involved implementing Chaos principles, which helped us anticipate, mitigate, and effectively deal with potential disruptions. Working with geographically dispersed engineering teams was another critical aspect of my role, requiring effective communication and coordination to ensure seamless collaboration. In addition, I was instrumental in creating a Product Maturity Program, which was designed to ensure that products entering production were secure and resilient, meeting our high standards for quality and performance.

  • Creation of Site Reliability function
  • Product Maturity Strategy

Principle Engineer | Site Reliability Engineer

Crownpeak | April 2016 - April 2018

As a Principal Engineer at Crownpeak, I successfully implemented DevOps and SRE principles globally, led the re-architecture of our SaaS platforms for enhanced security and scalability, and developed internal tools to increase development velocity. I also led a global engineering team, delivered innovative cloud solutions, and provided expert M&A advisory, all while promoting the design and implementation of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), containerization, and configuration management systems.

  • Cloud Architecture
  • Creation of internal and external solutions to exceed customer expectations
  • Practice area / Team leadership
  • Design and Implementation of IaaS, Containerisation and Configuration Management
  • Development of GitOps based deployment systems
  • Design and Development of ChatOps systems

Senior Linux Engineer | DevOps Engineer

Rackspace | July 2012 - April 2016

As a Senior Windows and Linux Systems Engineer at Rackspace, I played a pivotal role in the OpenStack team, where I was deeply involved in cloud architecture and automation. In addition to providing support to both internal and external customers, I actively participated in the mentorship of junior engineers and non-technical employees, fostering an environment of continuous learning and growth. My responsibilities also included the development of automation tools for use on customer servers, further enhancing our service efficiency. I also designed and implemented internal tooling to meet internal requirements, demonstrating my ability to create custom solutions for specific needs. A key component of my role involved developing automated systems to reduce manual labor, signifying my commitment to efficiency and optimization.

  • Cloud Architecture
  • Mentorship
  • Python Development
  • NodeJS Development
  • Automation design

Projects

aws-ssh-config

Open Source

Tool that uses AWS EC2 API to generate an SSH config.

ansible-nebula

Open Source

Ansible role to deploy Nebula a scalable overlay networking solution.