Ken Rachynski

Professional Summary

Senior infrastructure and DevOps professional with 30+ years designing, building, and operating systems across manufacturing and software development environments. Deep expertise in cloud infrastructure (AWS), CI/CD pipelines, database administration, and developer productivity tooling. Proven track record of enabling distributed teams and remote work capabilities since 2000, with a focus on building sustainable, well-documented systems.

Professional Experience

DIRTT | Senior DevOps Analyst | Calgary, AB | Apr 2012 - Dec 2025

• Collaborated with IT leadership to design and implement infrastructure supporting globally distributed software development teams serving sales and manufacturing pipelines
• Managed developer infrastructure services including CI/CD systems (Jenkins, GitHub), source control management, and custom integration testing environments, ensuring consistent performance and accessibility across multiple geographic regions
• Implemented Infrastructure as Code practices using Terraform to automate AWS deployments through Jenkins pipelines, improving deployment consistency and reducing manual configuration errors
• Piloted and deployed containerization initiatives using Docker and Kubernetes for lab and production environments, modernizing application deployment and scaling capabilities
• Administered AWS cloud infrastructure and on-premises systems supporting development, testing, and production workflows, with 24/7 on-call responsibility and mobile device management capabilities
• Evaluated and implemented observability solutions including OpenTelemetry and Honeycomb to improve system monitoring and troubleshooting
• Supported seamless transition to fully remote development operations during COVID-19, maintaining system reliability and developer productivity across distributed teams
• Planned and executed migrations for critical developer tooling, including evaluation of GitHub Actions for CI/CD modernization
• Managed SQL Server environment for MRP software, including version upgrades and performance optimization, until transition to dedicated DBA
• Developed and supported Microsoft Office-based applications for business users until handoff to Production Support team
• Established cross-training program with IT team to ensure knowledge transfer and system continuity
• Oversaw custom integration testing systems through full lifecycle until retirement and replacement

Evans Consoles | IT Manager | Calgary, AB | 2004 - Apr 2012

• Managed all IT operations for mid-sized manufacturing firm, overseeing infrastructure, systems, and application development
• Led team of systems administrators and software developers, planning and executing major infrastructure upgrades and maintenance initiatives
• Administered VMware virtualization environment, HPE compute and storage infrastructure, Windows servers, Active Directory, and SCCM
• Managed ERP system operations and provided database administration (SQL Server) supporting finance and manufacturing operations
• Coordinated with vendors to deliver third-party customizations for CAD software, ensuring integration with manufacturing workflows
• Implemented and supported CRM applications for distributed sales and support teams
• Developed custom applications and Office-based solutions to meet business requirements
• Planned and managed annual IT budgets for hardware, software, and infrastructure investments

Zip Air | Systems Analyst - Finance | Calgary, AB | 2003 - 2004

• Provided technical support and system administration for finance team applications
• Coordinated with backend software teams in Halifax to resolve technical issues and ensure system reliability
• Collaborated with Air Canada's IBM IT team to design and deploy custom workstation images optimized for Zip Air's software environment

Evans Consoles | Software Developer/Systems Administrator | Calgary, AB | 1993 - 2002

Refined responsibilities (2000 - 2002):

• Developed software solutions for video and graphics imaging applications
• Researched and implemented technologies enabling remote access to imaging systems and collaborative workflows for distributed creative teams
• Contributed audio and video engineering expertise to creative projects

Expanded responsibilities (1995 - 2000):

• Developed custom standalone and Microsoft Office-based applications to meet business needs
• Administered file and mail servers, backup systems, and data archival processes
• Managed network and internet infrastructure, coordinating with vendors to migrate to Ethernet and upgrade systems to Windows 95
• Implemented OpenBSD-based firewall and routing solutions with ISDN connectivity for secure WAN access

Initial role (1993 - 1995):

• Provided technical support and system management for users at a growing manufacturing company
• Led infrastructure transition from Mac-based to PC-based systems, developing custom software solutions to support the migration
• Implemented and maintained 10BASE-T network infrastructure

Team Lead - Records Digitization Project | Telus | Calgary, AB | 1988 - 1993

• Led team responsible for converting historical paper records of communications circuits into electronic database system
• Validated data entry for accuracy and circuit design compliance, developing expertise in telecommunications infrastructure
• Developed productivity tools for circuit design teams, creating early custom software solutions
• Progressed from data entry to quality validation to team leadership over five years

Skills

Cloud & Infrastructure

AWS, VMware, HPE compute and storage, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform

Systems Administration

Windows Server, Active Directory, SCCM, Linux (multiple distributions), Ansible configuration management

DevOps & CI/CD

Jenkins, GitHub, GitHub Actions, source control management (SCM)

Observability

OpenTelemetry, Honeycomb

Databases

SQL Server administration and optimization

Development

Java, C#, Microsoft Office application development; familiar with Kotlin and Rust

Networking & Security

Network infrastructure design and management, firewall administration (OpenBSD, Fortinet, Cisco)

Enterprise Systems

ERP management, MRP software deployment, CRM implementation

Technical Interests

Homelab enthusiast

evaluate and test emerging technologies in self-hosted environment before recommending for production use