James Sykes

Accomplished Technical Lead with extensive expertise in DevOps, Cybersecurity, and Platform Engineering.

London + Remote

JS

Introduction

Leveraging two decades of IT expertise, I have progressed from hands-on roles in large-scale datacenter environments to technical lead positions building and supporting platforms in the finance, insurance and payments sectors.

Recently, my focus has shifted towards cloud computing, with a deep specialization in Azure and GCP. I excel in utilizing advanced DevOps tools and methodologies, including Terraform, Pulumi, GitOps and Kubernetes to enhance infrastructure efficiency and foster innovation.

I have successfully guided and mentored small teams, fostering collaboration across diverse, multinational groups. Notably, I have thrived in full-time remote settings for over five years, demonstrating exceptional adaptability and communication skills. This blend of technical acumen, leadership, and remote work proficiency positions me uniquely to lead and innovate in dynamic and challenging IT environments.

Work Experience

Chime Software
Contract
ISO 27001
Azure
Cybersecurity

DevOps + Cybersecurity Consultant

Azure Platform security assurance, DevOps and cloud infrastructure support for a innovative software business. Working towards ISO 27001 compliance.

Pollinate
Contract
Azure
Platforms

Senior DevOps Consultant

Returning to Pollinate as a technical lead tasked with building a new platform to support OpenBanking payments for global banking partners

Generali Switzerland
Contract
DevOps
GCP
Developer Experience

DevOps Consultant

Generali were in the process of a large scale cloud migration to GCP and needed a DevOps specialist to help with the transition. I was responsible for building and maintaining the new cloud infrastructure. In addition we deployed a cloud IDE platform based upon Eclipse Theia to support the global development teams.

Pollinate International
Contract
DevOps

Senior DevOps Consultant

Senior consultant focusing on DevOps for a new merchant payment platform, leading projects and implementing efficient cloud solutions.

Vanquis Bank
Contract
DevOps
Azure
Cloud Transformation

DevOps Team Lead

Greenfield project to launch a new loan product offering for Vanquis Bank, leading the DevOps effort and managing infrastructure and automation.

Euromoney Institutional Investor
Contract
DevOps
Cloud Transformation

DevOps Team Lead

Large cloud transformation project for a global publishing company, leading the DevOps effort and managing infrastructure and automation.

Rank Group
Web Operations

Senior Web Operations Engineer

Supported Rank Groups online gaming platforms, managing server infrastructure and ensuring high availability and performance.

ChameleonNet
Datacenter
Hosting

Head of Hosting

Managed suite of hosting services for a small digital agency. Responsible for networking, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and client support. Notably built a new hosting platform for Unicef's Soccer Aid event in partnership with ITV.

Technologies

Azure
GCP
Terraform
Pulumi
Kubernetes
Helm
Kustomize
GitOps
ArgoCD
FluxCD
AKS
GKE
Python
PowerShell
Bash
Linux
Windows
Networking
Data Centre
Cybersecurity
DevSecOps