Critical thinker with an extensive understanding of high-availability architecture and concepts. Purpose-driven professional with the capacity to be a strong team player and work effectively independently. Currently targeting AWS Certified Sysops Administrator. Having experience working in private environments as well as with Public Cloud providers including heavily AWS, and then GCP, Azure, and Digital Ocean. CKA Certified
My career journey began unexpectedly when the pandemic delayed my graduation, allowing me to start as a System Administrator before completing my degree. After graduating, I worked as a Lab Instructor at my university, where I earned the Google IT Support Certification. This experience gave me a strong foundation in both IT support and teaching.
I later transitioned into a DevOps role, where I focus on CI/CD pipeline configuration with GitLab, task automation using Ansible and shell scripting, and containerizing apps with Docker for Kubernetes deployments. I also worked with a US-based organization to set up their AWS CI/CD pipeline using CodeCommit, CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, and CodePipeline.
I’m now a Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) and preparing for the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator certification. Outside of work, I enjoy baking, walking, and exploring nature—activities that help me stay creatively inspired and recharge.
Dec 2022 - Present
Developed a GO API for seamless cloud deployment, using
Terraform to deploy Kubernetes clusters across providers and
Helm for microservices deployment. Enabled single-click
deployment with validation, migrations, and user access.
Created a Python-based CLI deployment manager, allowing
offline deployment on multiple VM architectures and Linux
OSes.
Built Jenkins/Groovy CI/CD pipelines and GitOps-based
pipelines for infrastructure deployment on a private cloud.
Led Kubernetes cluster documentation and deployment, enhancing
in-house development with Rancher UIs and enabling legacy app
migration to Kubernetes, including shared memory support.
Automated daily workloads with scripts, optimizing pipeline
build times and integrating SonarQube for code scanning to
improve the developer experience.
May 2022 - Nov 2022
Built scalable REST APIs in Node.js/Express, integrating
open-source and third-party tools.
Developed parallel task APIs to optimize multi-core CPU usage,
and conducted stress tests with Artillery to eliminate
performance bottlenecks.
Implemented JWT authentication
for enhanced security.
Exported logs to Prometheus via Promtail and integrated
Grafana dashboards for performance monitoring.
Automated monitoring stack configurations with Ansible for
consistent setups.
Feb 2021 - Apr 2022
Managed Rancher-based Kubernetes clusters for development and
production, using GitLab CI/CD pipelines for automated builds,
tests, and deployments.
Deployed and managed EKS
clusters on AWS with ekstcl and GitOps via GitHub for client
projects.
Administered infrastructure with VMware ESXi, Ansible, and
Terraform, and configured production databases with read
replicas and backups.
Migrated company infrastructure
from AWS to on-prem servers, minimizing downtime and resolving
issues.
Consolidated a client's multi-cloud infrastructure
(DigitalOcean, AWS, Azure) into a unified AWS solution.
May 2020 - Sep 2020
Set up CentOS-based VMs for deploying PHP applications and
hosting MySQL databases, securing servers for PHP and Laravel
apps with SSL and hardening measures.
Implemented robust database backup policies using open-source
solutions.
High Availability and Disaster Recovery
Implemented high-availability PostgreSQL clusters with repmgr in a master-slave architecture. Automated backup processes and disaster recovery using AWS Backup services and custom scripts, ensuring robust data protection and rapid recovery across various use cases.
API Development
Developed a Node.js API to manage PostgreSQL database access, providing endpoints for CRUD operations and enabling parallel processing for improved performance.
Infrastructure Migration
Led seamless infrastructure migrations from AWS to GCP, utilizing Terraform and Ansible to automate and streamline the process, ensuring minimal downtime and smooth transitions.
Security and Development
Configured OpenVPN within VPCs to enhance security for in-house development, ensuring secure access to internal resources.
Kubernetes Cluster Repair
Recovered a critical Kubernetes cluster by repairing broken components caused by internal certificate expiry, safeguarding crucial data and ensuring system continuity.
Cloud Platform Utilization
Optimized cloud infrastructure by utilizing DigitalOcean databases with backups, Kubernetes clusters for container orchestration, and application deployment via GitHub CI/CD and the DigitalOcean App Platform for seamless application delivery.
AWS Infrastructure Utilization
Leveraged AWS services including VPCs, CloudFront, Block Storage, and WAF to host a production website, ensuring high availability, scalability, and security with caching for improved performance.
Website Performance Optimization
Reduced frontend load times for a WordPress site from 30 seconds to just 2-3 seconds by configuring AWS CloudFront for faster content delivery and improved user experience.
When I'm not immersed in DevOps and cloud engineering, I love to
unwind by baking, taking long walks, and exploring the beauty of
nature. These activities help me recharge and keep my creativity
flowing. Whether it's trying out new recipes or simply enjoying the
peace of a nature trail, I find that a little time away from the
screen is just as important as the work itself.
If you're interested in connecting or discussing new opportunities,
feel free to reach out. I’m always open to sharing ideas,
collaborating, and learning from others in the tech community.
Mobile: +92-347-9888024
contact@szeeshan.me
zs.zeeshansaeed22@gmail.com
Peshawar, Pakistan