Curriculum Vitae

Senior Platform Engineer | Azure | Terraform | Kubernetes

Connor O'Kane

Senior Platform Engineer

Ireland[email protected]LinkedInGitHub

Professional Summary

Senior Platform Engineer with extensive experience in designing, implementing, and maintaining Cloud Infrastructure on Microsoft Azure. Proven expertise in Infrastructure as Code using Terraform, container orchestration with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), and CI/CD pipeline development with Azure DevOps. Passionate about automation, reliability engineering, and enabling development teams to deliver software efficiently and securely.

Technical Skills

Cloud Platforms

  • Microsoft Azure (Expert)
  • AWS (Proficient)

Infrastructure as Code

  • Terraform (Expert)
  • ARM Templates

Container & Orchestration

  • Docker
  • Kubernetes / AKS
  • Helm Charts
  • Azure Container Registry

CI/CD & DevOps

  • Azure DevOps (Pipelines, Repos, Boards)
  • GitHub Actions
  • ArgoCD / GitOps
  • Jenkins

Monitoring & Security

  • Prometheus / Grafana
  • Azure Monitor / Log Analytics
  • HashiCorp Vault
  • Azure Key Vault

Programming & Scripting

  • Python
  • Bash / Shell Scripting
  • Go
  • PowerShell

Professional Experience

Senior Platform Engineer

2024 - Present

Kainos | Belfast

  • Design and implement cloud infrastructure on Azure using Terraform, managing 100+ resources across multiple environments for the UK Public sector.
  • Designed and led the migration of a legacy HashiCorp Infrastructure adding features such as a 3 Node HA cluster, Raft Replication, Auto-Unseal, OIDC authentication.
  • Developed and maintained CI/CD pipelines in Azure DevOps for 20+ development teams, reducing deployment time from hours to minutes.
  • Establishing best practice when using AI on Project promoting the use of MCP Servers.
  • Creating and designing Remote MCP Servers on Azure for Platforms teams to access MCP Servers securely.
  • Mentor/Manage junior engineers and conduct knowledge sharing sessions on DevOps best practices.
  • Helping to design solutions using Azure IaaS services including compute, networking, monitoring, security, backup recovery.
  • Scripting in languages such as Bash, Python and Go for tasks in automation and infrastructure management that can't be configured via IaC.
  • Presenting at MeetUp events hosted at Kainos around areas of Platform/Cloud Engineering and AI.
  • Communicate technical design via meetings/documentation and presentation to a technical and non-technical audience.

Platform Engineer

2023 - 2024

Kainos | Belfast

  • Managed Azure infrastructure including Virtual Networks, Application Gateways, and Azure SQL databases
  • Automated infrastructure provisioning using Terraform, reducing manual configuration by 80%
  • Implemented secrets management using HashiCorp Vault and Azure Key Vault
  • Built containerized applications using Docker and deployed to AKS clusters
  • Created reusable Terraform modules for standardized infrastructure deployment
  • Carrying out the delivery work of projects with minimal supervision
  • Working in fast-paced, deadline-oriented environments

Production Support Engineer

November 2021 - August 2023

Citi Bank | Belfast

  • Orchestrated comprehensive strategies for deployment by leveraging business knowledge, improving SDLC efficiency and collaboration between development and production support teams
  • Analysed data and identified key metrics to measure and monitor the effectiveness of implementation practices leading to continuous improvements during the maintenance phase and better resource utilisation
  • Instituted documentation and planning for tests for ITRS scripts to ensure quality and validation of code that meets technical standards and end user requirements before deployment
  • Evaluated and improved integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) processes within the maintenance phase to incorporate thorough testing with both developers and teams, reducing post deployment issues and enhancing user satisfaction
  • Prioritised maintainability when developing scripts, facilitating seamless updates and improvements by having well documented code, leading to more efficient future developments and iterations
  • Regulated the release management processing, ensuring smooth transitions into live systems while meeting regulatory requirements and maintaining system stability
  • Administered server access protocols, ensuring timely arrival of files and upholding system efficiency and security
  • Implemented comprehensive system monitoring strategies, proactively identifying potential issues to reduce downtime and enhance service quality, including installing net probes for monitoring
  • Utilised a balanced mix of technological and business terminology in all communications ensuring clarity and mutual understanding across diverse team members
  • Directed the support forum, handling incident management, identifying recurring application issues, and continuously expanding personal knowledge on applications to enhance troubleshooting effectiveness
  • Worked closely with developers to analyse and report trader issues

Certifications

  • HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate (003)
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
  • AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

Education

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Engineering

2014 - 2018

Ballymena Tech FarmLodge | Ballymena

Grade: D*D*D* (Distinction, Distinction, Distinction)

BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Software Development

2014 - 2018

Belfast Met | Belfast

Grade: D*D* (Distinction, Distinction)

Key Projects

Multi-Region AKS Platform

View on GitHub

Designed and implemented automated alerting for AKS with HolmesGPT and Robusta paired with actionable insights using an AI Agent.

GitHub Repository Rules Automation

View on GitHub

Automated GitHub repository governance using Terraform and GitHub Actions to enforce branch protection rules, security policies, and compliance standards across multiple repositories.

Technical Blog & Portfolio Website

View on GitHub

Built a modern technical blog and portfolio using Next.js, React, and Tailwind CSS with automated deployment pipeline and content management system for sharing DevOps knowledge and best practices.

MCP Pod Platform - Secure MCP Server Hosting

The MCP Pod platform hosts MCP servers in Azure Container Instances, providing a secure gateway through Azure API Management with OAuth 2.0 authentication. This MCP Pattern has been created hosting a MongoDB MCP server that connects to Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB vCore.

Interested in working together or have questions? Feel free to reach out!

Contact MeLearn More About Me