A Cloud DevOps Principal Engineer with 20+ years of experience building enterprise-scale infrastructure platforms. Specializing in Infrastructure-as-Code, DevSecOps automation, and developer experience optimization through systems thinking and convention-driven engineering. Passionate about building sustainable, well-documented platforms that other engineers love to use, with a focus on security-first cloud solutions and modern Python development practices.
Core Competencies
DevOps & Agile Engineering: Supporting rapid time-to-value through experimentation, feedback loops, and continuous improvement in value streams
Systems Thinking & Technical Leadership: Building sustainable, well-documented platforms that other engineers love to use through convention-driven engineering and Unix philosophy
Developer Experience Innovation: Creating solutions that solve real problems engineers face daily, with focus on productivity and developer satisfaction
Infrastructure Engineering Excellence: Architecting scalable, maintainable systems with automated validation, type-safe development, and comprehensive error handling
Cloud-Native Architecture: Designing enterprise-scale distributed systems with containerization, orchestration, and serverless patterns
Cloud DevOps Principal Engineer, Global Manufacturing - Data and Digital
Responsibilities
Platform Engineering Excellence: Architected enterprise-scale infrastructure platforms serving 302+ product teams with 166+ AWS modules, enabling pharmaceutical innovation across Global Manufacturing & Supply and Global Quality operations through platform-on-platforms architecture that reduces deployment time from weeks to hours
Developer Experience Innovation: Built context-aware tooling, standards-compliant applications, and comprehensive documentation systems that optimize developer productivity through sustainable, well-documented platforms. Created CLI productivity tools (ghostship, inji, octo) and pioneered modern Python tooling adoption
Infrastructure-as-Code Leadership: Architecting Terraform Building Blocks and automated PR validation systems with robust error handling and user-friendly workflows
DevSecOps Platform Engineering: Building secure CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions, harness.io IDP, and modern Python tooling (uv, mypy, ruff) following Unix philosophy and separation of concerns
Enterprise Security Engineering: Implemented policy-as-code compliance across 1,514 TFC workspaces, zero-trust security patterns, secure CI/CD pipelines with Harness.io IDP/CD, and type-safe credential management with HashiCorp Vault integration
Technical Mentorship: Guiding DevOps teams on Takeda Cloud Patterns, platform engineering workflows, and infrastructure orchestration. Active in algorithmic problem solving (Advent of Code) and open source development, demonstrating continuous learning and technical curiosity
DevSecOps Platform Engineering: Developed harness.io IDP/CD capabilities and Terraform BuildingBlock PR validation systems, implementing automated testing and validation workflows for enterprise infrastructure. Provided consultancy to Takeda product teams around DevSecOps journeys, application deployment, platform engineering workflows, and infrastructure orchestration. Supported teams with project setup, onboarding, DevSecOps enablement, and feature prioritization.
Cloud DevOps Lead Engineer, Cloud Solutions Engineering
Responsibilities
Cloud Solutions Engineering: Architected Solution Build System and project build tools with standardized templates and automated workflows, supporting team onboarding from weeks to days and serving 302+ product teams across pharmaceutical applications (Veeva Vault, Benchling, BigID)
Cloud Solutions Architecture: Leading DevOps team in designing white-glove cloud solutions for Takeda’s product teams on AWS Enterprise Cloud
Infrastructure-as-Code Engineering: Building Terraform Building Blocks, automated build/release pipelines, and cloud governance frameworks
DevSecOps Practice Development: Establishing security-first CI/CD practices, automated testing (pytest, ruff, mypy), and quality gates
Team Leadership & Mentorship: Hiring, building cloud chapter capabilities, and fostering technical agility through psychological safety and collaboration
Platform Engineering: Creating reusable infrastructure patterns and building blocks that support team productivity across the organization
The Accenture Danubia ATC is an innovation hub serving various international enterprise clientele with industry & functional experience, and best-of-breed technology solutions.
Jan 2022 → May 2022
DevOps Lead, Global Travel & Expenses Platform
Responsibilities
Cloud Migration Engineering: Led enterprise cloud migration (VMWare on-prem → Azure) for global travel & expenses platform, consolidating IaC and enhancing CI/CD capabilities
DevOps lead in an infrastructure team chartered with an Enterprise Cloud Migration (VMWare on-prem → Azure). Consolidating IaC, Enhancing CI/CD capabilities, Developing bespoke automation + monitoring/reporting.
AI/ML Platform Engineering: Built AI/ML accelerator for intelligent image automation and infrastructure anomaly detection, enhancing solution design with IaC + CI/CD integration
DevOps lead in a product team developing an AI/ML accelerator showcasing Intelligent Image Automation for real-world infrastructure anomaly detection. Enhancing Solution Design, IaC + CI/CD, Cloud Security, Cost Optimization
pan-net.cloud is a Deutsche-Telekom private cloud/IaaS platform designed to host specialized NFVi service lines and supporting general-purpose IT workloads for subsidiary Telco operators across europe.
Jun 2019 → May 2021
Cloud Infrastructure Engineer/Technical Lead, IT PaaS, Pan-Net Cloud
Responsibilities
Telco Cloud Platform Engineering: Developed custom PaaS capabilities atop OpenStack IaaS for Deutsche Telekom’s Pan-Net cloud, serving NFVi and Telco IT functions across European operators with Application Load Balancers, Database-as-a-Service, Cloud-Tenant Backup, Configuration Management, and APM/Service Monitoring
VNF Automation Engineering: Designed and implemented VNF CD pipelines for Telco VNF onboarding and productionization into NatCo NFVi tenancies across European operators
Design/Implementation of VNF CD Pipelines for Telco VNF onboarding and productionization into NatCo NFVi tenancies
MANO Platform Engineering: Developed custom VNF Management and Orchestrator (MANO) solutions managing VNF lifecycle on Pan-Net OpenStack NFVi cloud for European Telco operators
Development of custom VNF Management and Orchestrator (MANO) solutions to manage VNF lifecycle on the Pan-Net OpenStack NFVi cloud
Box+Dice are an Australian Real-Estate SaaS developer and provider of B2B/B2C solutions and services.
Oct 2015 → Jun 2017
Senior Systems Engineer, Site Reliability Engineering
Responsibilities
SaaS Platform Engineering: Led DevOps/SRE for Box+Dice SaaS platform operations and B2B integrations, managing AWS cloud migrations and cost optimization for Australian real estate CRM
DevOps/SRE of the Box+Dice SaaS Platform Operations and B2B integrations with industry partners. SaaS Cluster TechOps, AWS Cloud Migrations, Cost Optimization, Platform Security, CI/CD + QA governance, Technical backlog engineering
Citrix solutions power enterprise data, workspace and mobility needs to create better ways of working.
Jul 2010 → Aug 2015
Senior Software Test Engineer, Engineering Productivity, Desktop and Apps
Responsibilities
Test-aaS Platform Engineering: Built custom Test-aaS private cloud for Citrix VDI/DaaS QA, enabling self-service DevTest environments and workload orchestration for engineering productivity
DevOps of a custom Test-aaS private cloud for QA of Citrix VDI/DaaS products. Supporting self-service of DevTest environments, workload orchestration and resource scheduling, test automation framework enhancements.
Skills
Private Cloud, Datacenter Network/Storage Design, Xen/XCP/XenServer Server Virtualization, Apache CloudStack, OpenStack, Citrix XenDesktop/VDI/DaaS, Quality Engineering, Linux, Windows Server Core, PowerShell, Python, Perl
IT Freelancer ◦ Greater London Area, United Kingdom ◦ Various
Aug 2002 → Dec 2007
IT Freelancer, SOHO/Small-to-Medium Clientele
Activities
Designing/Implementing SMB Office IT & Network Solutions, Web Hosting, Process Automation, Desktop Publishing, Web development/authoring
Skills
Apache LAMP Web Hosting, Microsoft Office + SMB Solutions, Network Routing/Switching, Firewalls/VPNs, Perl, Shell Scripting
“Shalom always stood out as the guy in the room with the initiative (backed by his skills) and solutions to our challenges. His deep expertise in Cloud Engineering, DevOps, and coding allowed him to implement scalable and maintainable solutions that empowered his colleagues to work more efficiently.”
— Andrei Banaru, CCSP | 6x AWS Certified | Splunk Core Certified Consultant
“When it comes to managing Linux I have never met anyone more knowledgeable. I cannot recommend Shalom highly enough.”
— Ben Davies, Engineering & Technology Leader | Platform Engineering