Francis Refol

Platform & Automation Engineer
https://www.linkedin.com/in/frefol
917.933.5124
Experienced IT Automation and Monitoring Engineer with a proven track record in designing and maintaining enterprise infrastructure. Skilled in CI/CD, automated testing, system monitoring, and disaster recovery. Adept at collaborating across teams to implement scalable DevOps solutions and ensure operational resilience.

Work Experience

Technical Applications Engineer
Jul 2022-Aug 2024
Technology Concepts & Design Inc | Purchase, NY
TCDI is a legal services and cybersecurity solutions company.
  • Developed Ansible scripts
    to automate comprehensive management of network inventories, including the deployment of security patches and application updates. Leveraged APIs and SQL for playbook creation.
  • Configured and maintained enterprise monitoring tools
    to track system health and job workflows across hybrid environments (Windows, Linux).
  • Managed and maintained
    critical development assets for the TCDI team, including GitHub Enterprise server, TeamCity, JFrog Artifactory, JFrog XRay, and SonarQube.
  • Supported and administered
    virtual machines running on Windows and Ubuntu Linux operating systems.
  • Supported and administered
    PingID and PingFederate to orchestrate authentication and authorization of users to internal applications.
  • Maintained and supported
    Nuix servers utilized by e-Discovery data processors.
  • Developed and maintained
    software using C# and Java, integrating with Nuix and Relativity APIs.
  • Authored and maintained Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
    to document daily operational workflows, improving team efficiency and onboarding.
Assistant Director of Development Operations
May 2011-Jul 2022
Stroz Friedberg, an AON Company | New York, NY
Stroz Friedberg is a full service investigation firm that develops data discovery software. It was acquired by TCDI on July 2022.
  • Led end-to-end test lifecycle management
    for proprietory Win32 applications (Stroz Discovery and Nuix-X), improving defect resolution timelines.
  • Automated software validation processes
    using Pytest and Selenium, enhancing reliability and deployment speed.
  • Delivered high-quality builds
    through automated build systems such as Jenkins and TeamCity.
  • Developed custom MSI installers
    for enterprise applications, ensuring seamless deployment across environments.
  • Integrated backend services with e-Discover tools
    (Nuix, Relativity APIs) to enhance legal data processing workflows.
Build Manager/Developer
Feb 2009-Apr 2011
BlackStratus | Edison, NJ
BlackStratus (formerly NetForensics) develops enterprise-class Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) software.
  • Managed and enhanced
    a custom automated build system utilizing Java and Apache Ant, ensuring efficient and reliable build processes.
  • Maintained and developed
    the installation codebase for the nFX SIM One product using Advanced Installer and Java.
  • Created and deployed
    patch updates for the nFX SIM One product, ensuring seamless functionality and user experience.
Advanced Development Engineer
Aug 2006-Feb 2009
NETGEAR Incorporated | San Jose, CA
NETGEAR is a worldwide provider of networking products for the home and business.
  • Engineered firmware solutions
    in an embedded Linux environment and
    created MSI installers
    for Windows components.
  • Designed, implemented, and maintained
    an automated build system to streamline development processes.
  • Oversaw and conducted
    comprehensive internal and external testing to ensure product quality.
  • Collaborated with global support teams
    to develop and enforce procedures aimed at preventing and eliminating defects in both new and existing products.
Various Technical & Leadership Roles
Apr 1990-Aug 2006
Held progressively senior positions in software development, automation, quality assurance, and operations across multiple organizations, including McAfee Software, SkipJam Corporation, and Helix Software. Led CI/CD implementations, managed QA testing processes, developed enterprise software solutions, and oversaw IT operations to support business growth.

Core Skills

  • Automation & Monitoring:
    Ansible, Rundeck, Jenkins, TeamCity, RESTful APIs, CI/CD, MSI
  • Infrastructure & Virtualization:
    VMWare, Proxmox, Windows, Linux, Docker, Network Administration
  • Security & Compliance:
    SIEM, PingID, PingFederate, SolarWinds, Disaster Recovery
  • Scripting & Development:
    Python, Bash, Powershell, Java, C#, Git, GitHub, Jenkins, TeamCity
  • Project Tools:
    Jira, Confluence, YouTrack
  • Soft Skills:
    Documentation, Cross-functional Collaboration, Problem Solving, Communication

Education

Bachelors of Science in Computer Engineering, CUNY Brooklyn College, 1990