SaltStack Architect - PIpeline in , United States
Energy Jobline ATTB · US ·
- Category
- Architecture
- Experience
- 8+ years
This is a pipeline req.
The Saltstack Architect will define automation strategies using VMware SaltStack Config (SSC), enabling infrastructure-as-code, compliance, and repeatable deployments for customer environments. This role focuses on automation design, governance, and integration strategy.
Key Responsibilities
Lead workshops with customer teams to define automation and configuration management objectives.
Architect SaltStack integration with VCF 9, vSphere, NSX, and VCF Automation.
Design Salt state trees, configuration baselines, and orchestration workflows.
Define policies for compliance, drift remediation, and security hardening.
Collaborate with architects across VCF, VKS, and VCF core to align automation strategies.
Provide roadmap and governance guidance for long-term automation adoption.
Oversee consultants executing automation builds and validations.
Required Skills & Experience
8+ years of VMware or enterprise automation experience.
Hands-on expertise with SaltStack Config (SSC) in enterprise environments.
Familiarity with VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2; exposure to or training in VCF 9.
Strong scripting experience (Python, YAML, PowerShell).
Proven experience in customer-facing professional services/consulting engagements.
Background in at least one configuration management tools (Ansible, Puppet, Chef).
Hybrid cloud automation experience (VMware, AWS, Azure, GCP).
Familiarity with DevOps toolchains (GitHub, Jenkins, CI/CD pipelines).
Certifications
VMware Certified Professional - VMware Cloud Foundation Architect (2V0-13.25)
Skills Checklist
SaltStack Architecture & Design
VMware SaltStack Config (SSC) architecture and sizing
Integration design with VCF 9, vSphere, NSX
Master/minion topology and scalability design
High availability and disaster recovery design
Multi-site and distributed deployment architecture
Configuration Management Strategy
Define automation and configuration management objectives
Design Salt state trees and pillar data structures
Configuration baseline and standardization strategy
Compliance and drift remediation frameworks
Security hardening and patch management policies
Automation & Orchestration Design
Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) patterns and standards
Orchestration workflow design (Salt orchestrate, runners)
Event-driven automation and reactor design
Job scheduling and execution strategies
Idempotent state configuration design
Integration & Governance
Integrate SaltStack with VCF Automation (vRA)
Connect to VCF Operations for monitoring
API integration with external systems
Role-based access control (RBAC) and security policies
Version control and GitOps integration (GitHub, GitLab)
Customer Engagement & Workshops
Lead automation discovery and requirements workshops
Define configuration management and compliance goals
Present architecture to executives and technical teams
Translate business requirements into automation strategy
Facilitate governance and operational maturity planning
Scripting & Development
Python scripting for Salt modules and states
YAML authoring for Salt state files
PowerShell integration for Windows management
Jinja templating for dynamic configurations
Custom Salt execution modules and runners
Cross-Workstream Collaboration
Align with VCF Automation team on integration points
Coordinate with VCF Core Architect on infrastructure automation
Work with VKS team on container configuration
Ensure consistency across automation workstreams
Oversee consultants executing build and validation
Architecture & Documentation
Develop SaltStack architecture artifacts and diagrams
Create integration specifications and workflow documentation
Document design decisions and tradeoffs
Build automation standards and best practices guides
Capture functional and non-functional requirements
Compliance & Security
Design compliance monitoring and reporting frameworks
Security baseline enforcement and validation
Vulnerability remediation automation
Configuration drift detection and correction
Audit logging and compliance reporting
Operational Excellence
Day-2 operations strategy for configuration management
Automation lifecycle management and versioning
DevOps practices and continuous improvement
Knowledge transfer and enablement delivery
Operational maturity and adoption roadmap
Technical Foundations
VCF 5.2+ hands-on experience with VCF 9 exposure
Configuration management tools (Ansible, Puppet, Chef)
Hybrid cloud automation (AWS, Azure, GCP)
DevOps toolchains and CI/CD pipelines
Enterprise automation frameworks and patterns