Technology Consultant · Architect · Engineer
Chris O'Brien
I architect, secure, and automate across the full technology stack — cloud platforms, identity & security, DevSecOps pipelines, Kubernetes, data & AI, application development, and virtualized infrastructure. From the network edge to enterprise SaaS, I turn complex requirements into working systems.
Read more about my experience.
Each domain represents experience for a specific role in most organizations today. Pick one to see the highlights or to download a copy.
Summary of skills
Languages
PowerShell · C# · ASP.NET · JavaScript · Python · HTML · CSS
DevOps & CI/CD
GitHub Actions · Azure DevOps · ArgoCD · Flux · Helm · Kubectl · K9s · Make
Infra as Code
Terraform · Bicep · ARM · Azure CLI
Security & Monitoring
Microsoft Sentinel · Defender for Cloud · KQL · Log Analytics · QRadar · Azure Monitor
Professional experience
Principal Architect · Vorteum, LLC
Apr 2025 – Present- Designed and built chat + RAG applications integrating Claude, Copilot, and OpenAI across Python, React, .NET, Blazor, and SignalR.
- Created tokenization schemes and patterns to safeguard sensitive data flowing through LLM pipelines.
- Authored multi-stage Docker builds and PowerShell automation for AI app environments and services.
- Led inventory and architecture discovery of mission-critical VMware environments (vCenter, Horizon 7/8 GPU VDI, Cisco, Dell, NVIDIA); built migration plans to Azure.
- Integrated Jira Service Management with GitHub so application/infra changes auto-trigger reviews, PRs, approvals, and deployment workflows.
- Established self-service onboarding provisioning Azure + on-prem resources, service principals, repos, and CI/CD.
- Implemented cost tracking, tagging, and custom Azure dashboards via Azure Functions and PowerShell.
- Reviewed architectures and designs for change-board approval; responded to RFP / RFI / RFQ; led scrum, backlog, and sprint planning.
Senior Azure Solutions Architect - Enterprise Platform & AI Analytics · CBTS
Jan 2025 – Apr 2025- Owned the enterprise analytics platform built on OpenAI, Gemini, Mistral, Llama, and GPT across secure Azure environments.
- Deployed and managed Databricks with LLM support and Data Factory with private linked services.
- Designed hub-and-spoke networks, hybrid DNS, NSGs/ASGs, Private Endpoints, and Private DNS Resolver.
- Implemented Azure Policy at scale to enforce NIST 800-53 controls (logging, encryption, tagging, location).
- Built multi-stage CI/CD on GitHub and Azure DevOps for Angular, React, and .NET applications.
- Stood up Defender for Cloud, Veracode, Trivy, and Dependabot; triaged findings and drove remediation.
- Configured Sentinel analytics rules, KQL workbooks, and incident workflows for real-time detection and response.
- Presented AI/analytics solutions and demos to executive management.
Interim Manager, Infrastructure & Security Ops · Bluesky Resource Management
May 2024 – Nov 2024- Deployed FortiGate appliances with custom ARM templates integrated with VNets.
- Configured private endpoints, Azure DNS, AD DNS, zones, records.
- Developed scripts for employee onboarding, Active Directory updates, ADP updates, server provisioning.
- Integrated SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect protocols with Land Gorilla, GitHub, and FortiGate.
- Configured and troubleshot Data Factory linked services, SQL access, and self-hosted integration runtimes.
- Developed logging solution for Sentinel, Defender, and QRadar.
DevSecOps Engineer - Azure - AWS, Infrastructure & Security · LiquidX
Jan 2024 – May 2024- Led MLOps for Deep OCR, Azure AI Services, AI Vision
- Created Entra groups and role assignments for teams to have access to resources in Azure and GitHub
- Developed automation for SOC 2, audits, compliance, and development tasks.
- Utilized KQL, Microsoft Defender, Sentinel, and Log Analytics for threat detection and incident response, integrated Azure Monitor for centralized logging, metrics, and alerts across subscriptions and tenants.
- Setup and troubleshoot profiles for B2C userflows, logins, SSO, authentication
- Built continuous integration workflows, led software releases on a 3-week schedule
- Developed and maintained Azure DevOps pipelines and releases for all applications.
- Designed and implemented a modern data warehouse, Databricks, Data Factory, Data Lake, Event Hub, AKS, GitHub Actions, and Bicep.
- Docker image versioning, container performance enhancement, HELM chart development, and tagging, serverless compute troubleshooting and monitoring
- Developed automation apps and scripts for SSL management and secret expirations.
- Implemented branch protection rules, and required reviewers for code and pipeline changes.
- Developed Terraform scripts to automate and apply NSG rules enforcing security policies consistently across multiple AKS clusters.
- Configured IP Flow, Istio, Azure Load Balancer, Azure DNS, Route tables, VNets, subnets, and private endpoints to manage traffic between services
- Troubleshoot and manage serverless applications and deployments.
- Supported incident response and post-incident review by correlating events across Defender, Sentinel, and Log Analytics.
- Performed recurring access and security review activities and provided compliance evidence for internal audits.
Cloud Consultant · Brooksource
Oct 2022 – Jan 2024- Developed a multi-region CI/CD pipeline for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) with ArgoCD, Terraform, and GitHub Actions.
- Developed and deployed ci/cd pipelines on GitHub Actions to automate and manage Neo4j graph database to work in a containerized environment, develop and build containers, configured Neo4j in clustered mode on top of AKS, deployed stateful sets for stateful applications
- Integrated Azure resources including AKS clusters with Azure Active Directory for centralized identity and access management.
- Optimized storage for AKS and other services using Premium and Ultra disks on VMs and Azure File, and Blob CSI drivers, volume claims (PVC), resource quotas, and limits.
- Control and monitor the traffic entering and leaving the AKS cluster with Istio service mesh, TLS, Azure Virtual Network Manager, load balancer rules, and application gateways
- Configured PodAffinity, NodeAffinity, autoscale, taints and tolerations
- Designed and implemented a labeling scheme for resources so they could be managed and tracked by the correct teams.
- Secured AKS environments by centralizing, automating, and protecting credentials and enforcing policies
- Developed and deployed Docker containers for .NET, Neo4j, Python, Postgres, MongoDB, and Oracle applications optimizing to enhance performance, reduce image size and complexity
- Developed kubectl, bash, PowerShell and Terraform scripts to automate the build, test/lint and publish of images to JFrog, Azure Container Registry and GitHub.
- Develop GitHub templates to reuse in new projects
DevSecOps Engineer · SoftPro
Mar 2022 – Oct 2022- Created Azure DevOps pipelines for CI/CD workflows and IaC deployment using Terraform, ARM Templates, PowerShell, Bash and Bicep.
- Set up Prometheus and Grafana for metrics and alerts; deployed Splunk and log analytics workspaces.
- Managed secrets and sensitive data with HashiCorp Vault and Azure KeyVault, kubectl and PowerShell
- Integrated Azure Monitor for centralized logging, metrics, and alerts.
- Integrated GitHub Actions with FluxCD / GitOps workflows to sync repositories to AKS clusters automatically.
- Assist with network forensic analysis by developing a PowerShell script to find and enable NSG Flow Logs on all NSGs.
- Developed automation to find and renew expiring app/ent registrations.
- Supported security assessments and control validation by preparing technical evidence for audit requests.
Lead Architect · DAIRTA
Feb 2015 – Mar 2022- Designed and supported data center and cloud technology solutions for public safety and mission-critical systems.
- Engineered disaster recovery and virtualization solutions with Zerto on VMware for 2 data centers.
- Led the design and development of a document generation application, self-service portal, and custom data center tools.
- Developed Docker containers to convert legacy ASP.net applications.
- Assisted CSO and security team with PowerShell scripting to discover and remediate Windows server vulnerabilities.
- Directed the design and development of internal tools and projects for automation, delivery, and management.
Lead Architect · Hewlett Packard
Sep 2012 – Oct 2015- Led the architecture team, delivering HP services and products, customer engagements, and delivery operations.
- Served as a customer escalation point across projects, working directly on projects where needed.
- Deployed HP hardware/software, VMware, Hyper-V, and other infrastructure solutions.
- Responded to RFP, RFI, and RFQ producing estimates for hardware and software, demos and POCs
- Developed scalable web applications and APIs using .NET Core, optimizing for performance and integrating with SQL and NoSQL databases.
- Managed project delivery, customer relationships, and licensing for enterprise projects, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
Lead Architect · SAIC
Dec 2011 – Sep 2012- Responded to RFP, RFI, and RFQ.
- Led proof-of-concept and pilot projects, including infrastructure design and market research for internal data center improvements.
- Implemented best practices for service management, ITIL, MOF, TOGAF.
Contractor/Systems Engineer/Senior Systems Engineer · GEICO
Oct 2007 – Dec 2011- Monitored the overall status and health of customer-facing applications, implementing DevSecOps for 7 lines of business.
- Enhanced sales and decreased website abandonment through the development and implementation of a Business Intelligence system and customer experience program using Tealeaf.
- Managed VMware deployments, virtual machine builds for web, app, and database servers, troubleshoot and support C#, VB.NET, ASP.NET, MVC, ADO.NET, ADO.NET Entity Framework, Web services SOAP, and WCF Services.
Apps & projects
Certifications
- AZ-900 (Apr 2021 · Expires Apr 2033)
- Microsoft Security Operations & Security Architecture coursework (SC-200, SC-100)
- Essentials of MLOps with Azure
- Building a Personalized Chatbot with OpenAI and LangChain
- Microsoft Operations Framework 4.0
- ITIL Foundation
- MCP · MCSD · MCSA · MCSE · MCITP
Education
Information Systems Management
University of Maryland University College