Infrastructure Automation Architect Sr.

Architect Sr, Infrastructure

JOB SUMMARY: This position is part of the Technology Organization (TO) Infrastructure Services (IS), which has responsibility for electrical and mechanical infrastructure in data center facilities; edge, aggregation, and core telecommunications; data and voice networks and firewalls; and Windows, Linux, and UNIX servers, storage, and integration technologies. 

This position is an infrastructure automation architect responsible for:

• Define the strategy and architecture for automation of the IS organization’s infrastructure with a focus on eliminating manual processes, improving scalability, increasing reliability, and enabling faster delivery of IS services
• Identify, document, and educate on automation frameworks, tools, and platforms (tools include Ansible, Terraform, GitHub, Bicep, Microsoft Orchestrator, VMware Aria, and other technology-specific tools; standard scripting languages include PowerShell and Python)
• Consult on new/changing infrastructure automation needs by listening, translating, guiding, and advising
• Standardize automation practices across teams to ensure consistency and security, making it easy for IS teams to do automation
• Create reusable scripts, playbooks, templates, and modules to be used by Automation Engineers to build automations to provision, configure, and manage infrastructure
• Integrate automation, provisioning, and configuration management with CI/CD pipelines, monitoring systems, and IT service management tools
• Enable self-service portals or APIs so developers and operations teams can provision infrastructure on demand
• Partner with other architects in IS and other organizations to revise or adjust standards as appropriate
• Lead the design/engineering of new automation solutions for which standards do not yet exist
• Proactively engage with partners like DevOps engineers, cloud engineers, network engineers, and platform teams to align automation with business needs
• Research industry guidance, frameworks, and best practices
• Lead the IS Automation Program with the objective of enabling the organization to automate everything
• Provide technical leadership and mentor IS automation engineers in automation practices
• Ensure automation complies with security policies, regulatory requirements, and best practices
• Identify and build guardrails into automation practices and platforms to prevent misconfigurations

JOB REQUIREMENTS: (Education, Experience, Knowledge, Skills)

Job Requirements

• Broad knowledge of all infrastructure technologies, with strong technical aptitude, knowledge and hands-on experience in more than one infrastructure technology area
• Deep technical knowledge of infrastructure automation including platforms and tools 
• Understanding of rules and regulations that govern the use of technology, such as NERC CIP, Sarbanes-Oxley, and internal policies
• Ability to define and articulate the “big picture” long-term vision for the infrastructure, and develop short term plans to achieve it
• Ability to analyze information from multiple sources for complex problem resolution
• Ability to design / engineer infrastructure solutions to maximize resiliency while minimizing cost and complexity 
• Ability to create and evaluate reference technical architectures and ensure enterprise-wide buy-in, adoption, adherence and implementation
• Ability to organize tasks and coordinate various employees, vendor / contractors, and customers / partners to meet project goals
• Ability to work independently, prioritizing major tasks by overall impact to the company
• Ability to communicate and work with all levels of management, vendors, and other internal and external groups
• Ability to effectively lead committees and teams, train personnel, and make presentations.

Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s in Computer Science or an Engineering field strongly preferred; four (4) years of relevant technical experience is an acceptable substitute.
• A minimum of five (5) to eight (8) years of service (depending on job level), providing engineering and/or support for infrastructure technologies. When relevant technical experience is substituted for a degree, the minimum experience requirement increases by four (4) years.

Competencies

• Comprehensive leadership skills recognizable by others inside and outside the team
• Strategic thinker that can embrace, influence, and lead change
• Effectively organize tasks, manage multiple priorities, meet schedules, and deliver on commitments
• Ability to negotiate with and influence others – internally as well as with vendors
• Ability to establish and nurture relationships at all levels of the organization
• Takes ownership of work assignments and personal development
• Excellent communication skills (both oral and written) as well as technical writing
• Excellent presentation skills and ability to relate and connect with a variety of audiences
• Ability to articulate business drivers and how information technology can be applied to meet the requirements in business terms
• Ability to simplify complex subjects in a way that can be easily understood by less technical audiences
• High degree of focus on quality, reliability, efficiency, and cost effectiveness
• Recognition of cyber security threats and risks, and importance of protecting the infrastructure 
• Capacity and desire to learn and apply new technologies and concepts 
• Superb diagnostic, troubleshooting, analysis, and problem-solving skills
• Self-motivated, takes initiative, is proactive, and habitually removes obstacles for success
• Curious and creative, always questioning, and never satisfied by the status quo
• Assess impact and quantify risk to ensure appropriate business decisions are made
• Demonstrate Southern Company Values

About Southern Company

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is a leading energy provider serving 9 million customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service is our mission. The company has electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company, a leading distributed energy solutions provider with national capabilities, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, resilience and sustainability, we are taking action to meet customers' and communities' needs while advancing our goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and are the key to our sustained success. We are transforming energy into economic, environmental and social progress for tomorrow. Our corporate culture has been recognized by a variety of organizations, earning the company awards and recognitions that reflect Our Values and dedication to service. To learn more, visit www.southerncompany.com. 

Southern Company invests in the well-being of its employees and their families through a comprehensive total rewards strategy that includes competitive base salary, annual incentive awards for eligible employees and health, welfare and retirement benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional/social well-being. This position may also be eligible for additional compensation, such as an incentive program, with the amount of any bonus/awards subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable incentive plan(s). A summary of the benefits offered for this position can be found here https://seo.nlx.org/southernco/pdf/SOCO-Benefits.pdf. Additional and specific details about total compensation and benefits will also be provided during the hiring process.

Southern Company is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.