Adam Schaefers - CV
Table of Contents
Curriculum Vitae
#!/usr/bin/env python3
import random
wearer_of_many_hats = [
'DevOps Engineer', # _##_
'DevSecOps Engineer', # (^^)
'Site Reliability Engineer', # -- --
'Systems Sorcerer', # / \
'Cloud Whisperer',
]
print(f"Today, I'm your: {random.choice(wearer_of_many_hats)}")
Contact
Summary
I am a Devops engineer with ~7 years of professional experience specializing in AWS and Terraform Infrastructure as Code (IAC), with an open-source background in Linux distro development and package maintenance. While my recent professional experience has been heavily focused on AWS and Terraform, I'm also comfortable diving into alternative cloud platforms, Ansible codebases, writing Python scripts, and handling traditional Linux system administration. My passion for automation drives me to create efficient CI/CD pipelines to support teams in delivering their products to market.
Troubleshooting complex issues is my niche, where I excel by applying the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle and embracing the Unix philosophy, while crafting creative solutions. I have no problem supervising and overseeing production operations, writing detailed documentation, and making strategic recommendations to guide companies into the future.
Currently, I am studying to obtain my Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) certificate from the Linux Foundation.
Experience
Immaculata Studios - Senior Devops Engineer - Remote (Oct. 2021 - Present)
- Developed a cross-account AWS repository syncing platform using Terraform, AWS EventBridge, and AWS Lambda with Python scripting. This system enhanced development workflows and improved AWS environment isolation by employing least-privileged IAM permissions.
- Implemented comprehensive CI/CD pipelines across accounts for applications ranging from Ruby on Rails to Strapi and Next.js. These pipelines automated the building and pushing of Docker images to a private ECR. Upon completion, they triggered an image pull or a fleet refresh in the backend, ensuring seamless updates across environments.
- Authored and meticulously maintained a significant Terraform codebase with a focus on modularity and reusability. Ensured comprehensive documentation to facilitate team use and updates.
- Developed a self-hosted, in-house private Terraform module registry, enabling centralized management and versioning of Terraform modules.
- Implemented scalable AWS infrastructure solutions, including autoscaling using AWS EC2 Auto Scaling groups or AWS Fargate, ECR, EFS, RDS, Elasticache, and EC2 Image Builder, etc. This optimized infrastructure adaptability and performance for evolving business needs.
- Managed legacy Linux-based monolith LEMP (Linux, Nginx, MySQL, PHP) stacks, integrating Varnish Cache to enhance scalability and performance. Automated monolith patching and security of critical applications via AWS Systems Manager.
- Established a comprehensive monitoring and alerting system using AWS CloudWatch and SNS, significantly enhancing incident management and providing thorough oversight of system health. This setup included the integration of a custom Python-based AWS Lambda EventBridge relay messenger, ensuring proactive responses to potential issues through timely team notifications.
- Maintained a suite of tools such as Redmine, Mattermost, Vaultwarden, and Wireguard to streamline operations and enhance security.
Working the Senior DevOps role for Immaculata Studios, the full
responsibility of day-to-day operations fell on me. I maintained our
SLAs, made solid technology recommendations, and Terraformed them into
reusable modules.
I developed alerting and notification systems, maintained our team
communication infrastructure, and was the first line of defense if
issues occurred.
For some clients, I also managed project communications directly.
We tackled hard problems, often related to scaling Ruby on Rails or
NextJs applications. Implementing auto-scaling infrastructure and
developing least-privileged, cross-account CI/CD pipelines were key to
enhancing developer productivity and application scalability.
Security was a constant focus, with best practices implemented through
AWS VPC, Private and Public Subnets, Security Groups, least privileged
IAM principles, and AWS WAF V2 to protect our clients.
Additionally, part of my role included mentoring junior team members,
sharing knowledge and guiding them through the complexities of modern
DevOps practices.
Skvare - Devops Engineer - Remote (Feb. 2020 - Oct. 2021)
- Detected and resolved software bugs within a collaborative team environment.
- Collaborated using version control systems for efficient code management.
- Authored documentation to streamline project workflows.
- Implemented CI/CD pipelines for automated software delivery.
- Evaluated and recommended DevOps solutions for optimized workflows.
- Led migration and deployment of large Drupal and Civicrm websites.
- Managed monitoring and maintenance of development, staging, and production servers.
- Oversaw high-volume mail server maintenance for reliable communication.
- Researched and implemented performance optimization solutions.
- Supported developers and project managers to enhance client satisfaction.
It was here under the guidance of John Ramsden (Devops) and Peter Petrik (then, CEO) I maintained day-to-day operations for Skvare, LLC - an excellent Drupal and CiviCRM managed service provider. Working alongside John and the dev-team, I gained production LEMP experience, as well as troubleshooting, performance and cost optimization. While working alongside Peter, I quickly gained a business-minded perspective, improving my ability to diagnose problems and recommend solutions. Aside from the typical scripting, server maintenance and dev->staging->master application release life-cycle operations assistance, I learned to make estimates, meet deadlines, and exceed expectations.
Open Source - Linux Distro Dev & Package Maintainer - Remote (Jul. 2017 - Aug. 2020)
- KISS Linux Distro Dev / GNU Stack Package Maintainer, with Dylan Araps (Creator of KISS Linux, Neofetch, etc.)
- Technical Documentation Writer and Q&A Troubleshooter with Daniel Robins (creator of Gentoo Linux), at funtoo.org
- Creating Themelios, a NixOS zfs-on-root installer
- Creating Spartan Emacs, a simple base Emacs configuration framework
- Misc. commits merged to upstream open-source software, e.g. https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=206741
- Accidentally went viral on Hacker News, by init'ing my Linux distro using Emacs, dubbing it 'systemE'
- Mentors: Zeb DeOS, Daniel Robins, Chris Giorgi, Dylan Araps, Dustin Lacewell
During this chapter of my life, I set my sights on a future in tech. With the incredible support of my parents, I dove into a rigorous selfstudy regimen, dedicating over 10 hours daily to mastering the craft. I'm deeply thankful for the opportunity they gave me. Immersing myself in IRC channels, open-source communities, and GitHub, I embarked on a personal bootcamp journey, logging thousands of hours. I tackled the fundamentals head-on: Unix PATH & Environment, POSIX Shell scripting, SSH, GPG, Vim, Emacs, Bootloaders, Kernels, Init systems & Service management, TCP/IP, HTTP, Firewalls, Networking stacks, Filesystems, Userspace, Git and beyond.
Elite Parking - Valet Driver, Doorman, Bellman - Honolulu HI (2012 - 2017)
Elite parking is contract service industry work for various high-end hotels & restaurants along the Waikiki strip, such as Trump and Hilton, etc.
- Greet guests upon arrival and departure with a warm, welcoming demeanor.
- Safely park and retrieve guests' vehicles in designated areas, ensuring careful handling of all vehicles.
- Manage and organize parking spaces efficiently to accommodate the maximum number of vehicles.
- Provide information and directions to guests about local destinations, attractions, and the establishment's amenities.
- Maintain a clean and orderly parking area and report any damages or security issues immediately.
- Assist guests with luggage to and from their rooms, ensuring careful handling of personal items.
- Offer a concierge service by providing information about the hotel's facilities and local attractions.
- Coordinate with the front desk to manage guest arrivals and departures smoothly.
- Deliver messages, packages, and room service items promptly to guests' rooms.
- Maintain the lobby and entrance area's cleanliness and presentation, ensuring a welcoming environment.
During this time I picked up invaluable soft-skills that would help me later in tech, whether it be communicating with project managers in a way that is easily relayed to end-clients or simply paying attention to detail. Working in hospitality prior to the pandemic was an amazing time of my life.
Education
- Southwestern Oregon Community College - General Courses, Made Dean's list, 2008
- Aaron Academy, Hendersonville, TN - High School Diploma, 2006
Volunteerism
- Revolution Hawaii - Salvation Army Social Work, 2006-2007
- Revolution Micronesia - Salvation Army Social Work, 2007, 2008
- Founded CoosLUG - Linux User Group, Coos Bay, OR, 2017
Certifications
- AWS Certified SysOps Administrator - Associate
- Terraform - Associate
Here we see my journey taking the road less traveled. Fresh out of homeschooling-through-highschool, with a self-taught background, the conventional education path didn't quite align with my learning style. This led me to explore life through volunteering overseas for several years, providing me with invaluable experiences. I did venture into college, where I succeeded and made the Dean's list, yet I found the traditional learning approach less efficient, though I now appreciate the dedication it requires. As for the technical certifications, those are recent achievements encouraged by my employer for the company's marketing purposes. Being immersed in the technology daily made acquiring these certifications a natural step in my ongoing learning journey.