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Kenneth James

@kennethjames

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Highly skilled Senior Systems Administrator with extensive IT experience.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I am looking for a challenging role that fosters innovation and growth.

I am a dedicated Senior Systems Administrator with a wealth of experience across multiple IT domains. My journey has taken me through various roles, from managing complex network infrastructures to leading modernization efforts in high-stakes environments. Currently, I serve as a Senior Principal Systems Engineer at Northrop Grumman Corporation, where I lead initiatives to overhaul lab hardware and software, ensuring that our systems are not only efficient but also secure and compliant with industry standards.

Throughout my career, I have demonstrated a strong commitment to continuous improvement and innovation. My expertise in automation, particularly with tools like Ansible and Terraform, has allowed me to streamline processes and enhance system performance. I take pride in my ability to tackle challenges head-on, whether it's migrating legacy systems to modern infrastructures or implementing cutting-edge solutions that drive operational excellence. My passion for technology and problem-solving fuels my desire to contribute to impactful projects that enhance user experiences and organizational capabilities.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Senior Principal Systems Engineer

Current

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Feb 2023 - Present (2 years 4 months)

Leading modernization efforts for lab hardware and software, including a full-scale overhaul of the lab network and migration to hyperconverged infrastructure. Responsible for automating VM and container creation using Ansible and Terraform.

Systems Administration Network Administration Ansible Terraform Ceph Automation Linux

Senior Systems Administrator

Insight Global

May 2022 - Feb 2023 (9 months)

Administered and supported lab infrastructure services, migrating legacy services to modern offerings. Implemented central logging solutions and ensured DISA STIG compliance on Linux systems.

Systems Administration Linux Ansible Grafana Cloud Services Infrastructure Management Automation

Senior Systems Administrator

SAIC

Oct 2021 - May 2022 (7 months)

Managed on-premises air-gapped solutions and VMware/OpenShift environments. Implemented Nagios monitoring and managed code pipelines using GitHub and Jenkins.

Systems Administration VMWare OpenShift Nagios GitHub Jenkins Ansible Cloud Services Infrastructure Management

HPC Systems Administrator

the Hammers Company

Jan 2020 - Oct 2021 (1 year 9 months)

Supported NASA's NCCS Discover HPC Cluster, administering parallel filesystems and high-speed interconnects. Introduced containerized workloads and managed GPU workloads.

HPC Puppet Containerization GPU Systems Administration Linux Networking

Systems Administrator

the Hammers Company

May 2016 - Oct 2020 (4 years 5 months)

Provided support for Windows, macOS, and Linux OS, along with database administration for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MSSQL. Developed Ansible playbooks for Linux administration.

Systems Administration Windows MacOS Linux MySQL PostgreSQL MSSQL Ansible Database Administration

Systems Engineer

The Canton Group

Jun 2013 - May 2016 (2 years 11 months)

Provided IT support for small businesses, managed website CMS updates, and administered Windows and Linux servers. Responsible for network setup using Cisco hardware.

Systems Engineering IT Support Windows Linux Cisco CMS Website Hosting Network Administration

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

University of Maryland Global Campus

Bachelor of Science, Cybersecurity

2015 - 2019

Studied Cybersecurity with a focus on protecting systems and networks from cyber threats. Gained knowledge in various security protocols and practices to ensure data integrity and confidentiality.

Hagerstown Community College

Associate of Applied Science, Cybersecurity and Network Administration

2012 - 2015

Pursued an Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity and Network Administration, focusing on the foundational skills necessary for managing and securing networked systems.