Chris Kirby
About Chris Kirby
Chris Kirby is a Senior Linux and Automation Engineer with extensive experience in various Unix systems and cloud technologies. He has held positions at several organizations, including Saga plc and Nationwide Building Society, where he has implemented advanced automation solutions and managed complex infrastructure.
Current Role at Nationwide Building Society
Chris Kirby serves as a Senior Linux and Automation Engineer at Nationwide Building Society, a position he has held since 2022. In this role, he focuses on enhancing automation processes and managing Linux systems to support the organization's infrastructure. His responsibilities include implementing automation tools and ensuring efficient system performance.
Previous Experience at Saga plc.
Prior to his current role, Chris worked at Saga plc. as a DevOps Engineer from 2017 to 2022. During his five years at Saga, he contributed to various projects that involved managing Linux environments and improving deployment processes. His work supported the company's operational efficiency and system reliability.
Technical Background and Skills
Chris has a comprehensive technical background with expertise in various Unix systems, including FreeBSD and OpenBSD. He is skilled in web server technologies such as Apache and Nginx, and possesses advanced programming skills in languages like Bash, Python, and Java. His knowledge extends to multiple Linux distributions, including CentOS, Red Hat, Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian, and Mint.
Experience in Automation and Configuration Management
Chris has implemented a Green Field Ansible/Ansible Tower Cluster for Saga Group's new insurance division, enhancing configuration management. He utilizes a variety of automation and configuration tools, including Ansible, Salt, Jenkins, TeamCity, Kubernetes, Terraform, and Terragrunt, to streamline processes and improve system management.
Certifications and Cloud Expertise
Chris holds AWS Certified Architect credentials and has practical experience with AWS services such as RDS, EC2, ECS, Docker, ELB, Beanstalk, and CloudFormation. His cloud expertise is complemented by experience in virtualization technologies, including AWS, ESXi, KVM, VirtualBox, and Xen, enabling him to effectively manage cloud-based infrastructures.