Resume | Franco Lopez

Skills

Containers: Kubernetes (Linode LKE, Talos Linux), Docker, Helm, Traefik, cert-manager
CI/CD & GitOps: GitHub Actions, Flux CD, Argo CD, Ansible, SOPS secrets management, infrastructure as code (Helm, Kubernetes manifests)
Cloud & identity: Microsoft Azure (IaaS, Entra ID, Conditional Access, MFA), Active Directory, Microsoft 365, Google Cloud, Linode/Akamai, Cloudflare
Infrastructure & OT: Linux, Windows Server, VMware vSphere, HPE SimpliVity, Hyper-V, Proxmox, IT/OT integration, production-line systems, video surveillance
Network & security: Fortinet firewalls, Cisco, Cisco Meraki, site-to-site VPN, WireGuard, IDS, VLAN segmentation, Cloudflare DNS/WAF, TCP/IP, DNS, TLS
Reliability (SRE): Backup and disaster recovery (restic), failover testing, DR drills, incident response, on-call, 24/7 production support
Programming & automation: Python, Django, Bash, PowerShell, JavaScript, React, SQL, PostgreSQL, PHP, REST APIs, Power Automate, local LLMs, Claude Code
Delivery & leadership: Solution design, technical presentations, Freshservice ITSM, SLA design, vendor management, IT roadmaps, team leadership

Experience

LS Tractor USA · IT Manager (Head of IT, U.S. & Canada)

North American division of LS Mtron (LS Group, South Korea), with 6 U.S. sites, 200+ employees, and 350+ dealerships across the U.S. and Canada.

Raleigh, NC · Oct 2022 – Present

Designed, built, and operate Start Blue, LS Tractor's official tractor quoting platform for the U.S. and Canada. Anyone can configure a tractor and get a quote in a few clicks, and 350+ dealerships use secure accounts to save quotes and apply their own pricing; 3,000+ quotes generated.
Run the platform on a three-node Kubernetes cluster (React, Django, PostgreSQL) delivered through GitOps: GitHub Actions builds images, Flux CD reconciles the cluster from Git, SOPS encrypts secrets, and Traefik and cert-manager handle ingress and automated TLS. In production for over two years without a major incident.
Presented Start Blue at LS Mtron headquarters in South Korea, including to the Global CEO; now adapting it with engineering teams there for multiple languages and global markets.
Designed backup and disaster recovery for production platforms and company data, with automated restic backups of application data and cluster configuration and tested recovery procedures.
Led IT for two new manufacturing facilities in 2025, in Palestine, TX and Battleboro, NC, from planning through go-live, delivering networking, site-to-site VPN, compute, security, and identity without disrupting existing sites.
Led the migration of 200+ users from on-premises Active Directory to Microsoft Entra ID, implementing Azure AD Connect, MFA, and Conditional Access, modernizing Group Policy, and moving file shares to OneDrive.
Manage networking and security across all sites (Fortinet firewalls, site-to-site VPN, secure remote access), deployed 130+ security cameras, and custom-built a 200 TB storage server for 6-month video retention.
Developed and support LS Academy, a Moodle learning management system (LMS) on Kubernetes for 500+ dealers, employees, and U.S. LS Group affiliates, deployed through Argo CD and GitHub Actions.
Automated business processes with Microsoft 365, Power Apps, and Power Automate, including an internal ticketing system, and built an AI-assisted file organization tool that uses local language models to classify a shared, multi-department file server and flag duplicates, with human review before any change.
Lead a team of 4 IT professionals, serve as the escalation point for production incidents, and present IT roadmaps, project status, and risks to division leadership. Received the 2025 CEO Award for Employee of the Year.

Stack: Kubernetes · Flux CD · Argo CD · GitHub Actions · SOPS · Traefik · React · Django · PostgreSQL · Linode/Akamai · Azure / Entra ID · Fortinet · Microsoft 365 · Power Platform

Interamerican Foods Corp. / La Moderna USA · IT Manager

U.S. subsidiary of Grupo La Moderna, one of Latin America's largest pasta manufacturers. Its first U.S. plant produces private-label pasta for Walmart (Great Value), Campbell's, and Goya.

Cleburne, TX · Jun 2017 – Oct 2022

Owned all technology for a new $80M automated manufacturing plant, from greenfield buildout through 24/7 production, covering network and wireless, cybersecurity, video surveillance, servers and storage (VMware on HPE SimpliVity), identity, and OT/IT integration for production and packaging lines.
Led a team of 3 IT staff with on-call coverage for 24/7 production, and presented technology plans and launch readiness to executive and plant leadership.
Automated multi-tier backup and disaster recovery for production and packaging-line servers, with failover testing and regular DR drills, reducing recovery time from over 60 minutes to under 10.
Led the selection and implementation of Freshservice ITSM for 27 sites and 2,500+ users across the U.S., Mexico, and Guatemala, configuring SLAs, policies, automated workflows, and reporting.
Rolled out Cisco Meraki switching, wireless, and cameras across all U.S. sites with zero production downtime.
Secured all sites with site-to-site VPN, next-generation firewalls, intrusion detection (IDS), Cloudflare DNS and WAF, WireGuard remote access, and network segmentation; delivered regular security awareness training.
Built a cloud-hosted web platform for freight scheduling, document management, and logistics coordination; ran the company's official U.S. website on Azure IaaS; and migrated 100+ users to Microsoft 365.

Stack: VMware vSphere · HPE SimpliVity · Azure · Cisco Meraki · Fortinet · Cloudflare · WireGuard · Microsoft 365 · Freshservice

SR Traffic Service Inc. · Software Engineer

Cross-border logistics company operating 4 distribution facilities between the U.S. and Mexico.

Laredo, TX · Jan 2010 – Jun 2017

Designed and built a warehouse management system (WMS) from the ground up, with barcode generation, handheld scanner integration, mobile and desktop clients, real-time inventory, customs documentation, and client reporting for 20+ international clients across 4 facilities.
Developed REST APIs, SQL-backed workflows, and customer portals that automated inventory, dispatch, and customs paperwork.
Automated build, test, and deployment and migrated workloads to the cloud; implemented database backup and recovery for WMS and client data, and led regular security audits and remediation.

Stack: JavaScript · PHP · SQL · REST APIs · Bash · CI/CD

Projects

Start Blue — Official Tractor Quoting Platform

LS Tractor's official tractor quoting tool for the U.S. and Canada, open to the public, with secure accounts for 350+ dealerships. React, Django, and PostgreSQL on a three-node Kubernetes cluster, delivered through GitHub Actions and Flux CD, with automated restic backups. In production for over two years without a major incident; 3,000+ quotes generated.

Stack: Kubernetes · Flux CD · GitHub Actions · React · Django · PostgreSQL · Linode/Akamai

Read the project write-up →

LS Academy — Learning Platform

Moodle learning management system on Kubernetes for 500+ dealers, employees, and U.S. LS Group affiliates, deployed through Argo CD and GitHub Actions.

Stack: Kubernetes · Moodle · Argo CD · GitHub Actions · GitOps

Read the project write-up →

Certifications & Training

Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) — Microsoft (2022)
Engineering Cisco Meraki Solutions — Cisco Meraki (2021)
HPE SimpliVity 380 System Administration (VMware) — HPE (2019)

Education

B.S. Computer Systems Engineering — Universidad del Valle de México (2010)

Currently Learning

Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), in progress
Terraform and infrastructure as code
Go, for Kubernetes tooling and automation
AI developer tools (Claude Code, MCP, agentic workflows) for infrastructure automation and documentation

Languages

English and Spanish, fully bilingual.

Platform & DevOps EngineerIT Infrastructure & Operations Leader