Application Solutions Architect

APPLICATION SOLUTIONS ARCHITECT

This position is a member of the distribution operations applications team that provides software engineering and system administration support for the Advance Distribution Management System (ADMS) at Alabama Power. This candidate will be responsible for providing technical expertise working with Kubernetes-based applications, Linux systems, and technical teams to deliver reliable implementations. The position combines software deployment automation/validation, systems integration, data troubleshooting, scripting, documentation, and CI/CD practices.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as the technical lead and subject matter expert for the GE's GridOS Kubernetes-based platform.
• Design, review, and guide Kubernetes architecture patterns, including Helm chart standards, Istio service mesh adoption, multi-cluster design considerations, and secure microservices deployment approaches.
• Troubleshoot deployment, configuration, networking, and Linux system issues.
• Support integrations using REST APIs, messaging, middleware, and file-based exchanges.
• Architect and design scalable, secure, and resilient integration solutions leveraging modern cloud technologies and integration patterns.
• Recommend and implement automation opportunities that improve productivity, reduce operational effort, enhance reliability, and support continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with enterprise architects, product owners, and business stakeholders to align integration solutions with strategic objectives.
• Work closely with infrastructure, cybersecurity, and operations teams to ensure seamless integration and compliance with enterprise standards.
• Oversee system design documentation, integration testing, and performance optimization.
• Establish observability standards using Prometheus, Grafana, AlertManager and ServiceMonitor configuration to improve monitoring coverage and actionable alerting.
• Stay current on emerging technologies and trends in cloud integration, data management, and utility systems.
• Provide technical leadership, coaching, and mentoring to engineers and support personnel.
• Apply strong communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills to identify, communicate, and resolve issues while maintaining a reliable 24x7 storm-critical platform.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS

Technical Skills/Experience

•Demonstrated experience designing, deploying, administering, and supporting enterprise Kubernetes platforms in highly available production environments. Experience with Rancher RKE2 or similar Kubernetes distributions preferred.

• Proven experience with cloud computing platforms (Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud) in on-premise / virtualized environments (Windows, Linux, VMware) and integration technologies such as APIs, microservices, and message queues.
• Experience implementing GitOps and CI/CD practices using technologies such as GitHub, GitHub Actions, ArgoCD, Jenkins, or similar automation frameworks.
• Experience deploying and managing containerized applications using Kubernetes, Helm, Secrets, and Ingress Controllers.

•Experience with infrastructure automation and configuration management tools such as Ansible, Terraform, or similar Infrastructure-as-Code platforms. •Understanding of secrets management, certificate management, and identity integration technologies including HashiCorp Vault, Active Directory, LDAP, OIDC, or similar solutions. •Experience supporting mission-critical operational systems requiring high availability, disaster recovery, cybersecurity compliance, and 24x7 operational support. Experience supporting utility systems, ADMS, SCADA, DERMS, EMS, or other Operational Technology (OT) platforms is preferred.

• Internally motivated, able to work proficiently both independently and in a team environment.
• Experience with Istio or comparable service mesh capabilities, including traffic management, security policy concepts, service-to-service communication, and operational support considerations.

•Strong knowledge of Linux administration, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), system performance tuning, patching, troubleshooting, security hardening, and operational support.

• Working knowledge of Helm, Apache Arrow, SQL, and modern cloud-native tooling
• Knowledge of Kafka, TimescaleDB, or data streaming and time-series architectures
• Experience developing scripts, modules, or tools with Python, Java, Kotlin, or similar languages.
• Displays Southern Style: Unquestionable Trust, Superior Performance, and Total Commitment

Education

• BS/BA in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or related degree preferred.
• 8+ years of experience supporting enterprise Linux platforms, Kubernetes-based environments, automation and software delivery pipelines, or utility operational technology systems.
• Preferred certifications include Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD), Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE), Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP), Terraform Associate, or equivalent AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud professional certifications.

Alabama Power provides safe, reliable, and affordable electricity to 1.5 million customers across the lower two-thirds of Alabama.

For more information, visit www.AlabamaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/AlabamaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/AlabamaPower), LinkedIn (Linkedin.com/company/alabama-power), and Instagram (Instagram.com/alabamapower).

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is a leading energy provider serving 9 million customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service is our mission. The company has electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company, a leading distributed energy solutions provider with national capabilities, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, resilience and sustainability, we are taking action to meet customers' and communities' needs while advancing our goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and are the key to our sustained success. We are transforming energy into economic, environmental and social progress for tomorrow. Our corporate culture has been recognized by a variety of organizations, earning the company awards and recognitions that reflect Our Values and dedication to service. To learn more, visit www.southerncompany.com.

Southern Company invests in the well-being of its employees and their families through a comprehensive total rewards strategy that includes competitive base salary, annual incentive awards for eligible employees and health, welfare and retirement benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional/social well-being. This position may also be eligible for additional compensation, such as an incentive program, with the amount of any bonus/awards subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable incentive plan(s). A summary of the benefits offered for this position can be found here https://seo.nlx.org/southernco/pdf/SOCO-Benefits.pdf. Additional and specific details about total compensation and benefits will also be provided during the hiring process.

Southern Company is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Alabama Power