Credentials

Mona
Systems Engineer, Educator, Architect
I design and operate high-trust systems across security, infrastructure, and human
performance.

Core Expertise

  • HashiCorp Vault (Enterprise Deployment & Operations)
  • Secrets Management & Zero Trust Architecture
  • Technical Program & Project Leadership
  • Platform Operations & Production Readiness
  • Cross-Functional Team Leadership
  • Customer & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Incident Response & Operational Resilience
  • Technical Documentation & Enablement

Professional Experience

HashiCorp Vault Platform Lead – Enterprise Secrets Management
  • Own end-to-end operation, maintenance, and customer onboarding of an enterprise HashiCorp Vault platform.
  • Design and govern Vault namespaces, paths, roles, and policies to support secure access across multiple application teams.
  • Lead application and team onboarding by translating customer requirements into durable Vault access models aligned with security standards.
  • Serve as the primary interface for Vault customers, coordinating access requests, onboarding workflows, and ongoing operational support.
  • Lead proof-of-concept initiatives for deploying and operating Vault on OpenShift, evaluating architecture, integration, and operational readiness.
  • Partner with security, platform, and application teams to balance customer needs with platform stability and governance.
  • Ensure production readiness and drive continuous improvement of the Vault platform in an enterprise environment.

Application / DevOps Manager
  • Led operations and maintenance for production systems, overseeing a 15-member team responsible for reliability, delivery execution, and incident response.
  • Designed and implemented DevOps automation initiatives, including Ansible playbooks that streamlined deployment and configuration workflows.
  • Improved system reliability by coordinating across development, operations, and infrastructure teams to strengthen CI/CD pipelines.
  • Conducted architectural gap analyses and led disaster recovery planning for mission-critical applications.
  • Provided operational visibility through risk assessments, performance metrics, and stakeholder reporting.

Senior Programmer Analyst / Database Administrator
  • Designed, deployed, and operated high-availability production and research databases supporting large-scale scientific workloads.
  • Managed databases exceeding 100TB, including backup, recovery, and performance optimization across Windows and Linux environments.
  • Implemented SQL Server 2019 big data tooling and supported Kubernetes-based deployments using shell scripts and YAML.
  • Ensured data integrity, availability, and operational continuity for research teams.

Mentorship & Capacity Building

Cybersecurity Mentorship
  • Mentored 18+ early-career and transitioning professionals in cybersecurity, cloud, and infrastructure roles over a two-year period.
  • Led structured, student-driven mentoring sessions focused on technical fundamentals, career navigation, and systems thinking.
  • Guided mentees through security principles, infrastructure basics, operational thinking, and real-world problem framing.
  • Supported career pivots by helping mentees translate prior experience into technical and security-aligned roles.
  • Focused on building independent thinking and long-term capability.

Technical Instruction & Security Education

Security Instruction (Bootcamp-Level)
  • Taught cybersecurity and foundational security concepts to a cohort of 6+ students in a structured bootcamp environment.
  • Delivered instruction on core security principles, threat awareness, and systems-oriented thinking.
  • Translated complex technical concepts into clear, approachable frameworks for learners from non-traditional backgrounds.
  • Emphasized real-world application and durable understanding over tool-specific memorization.

Education
M.S. Technical Management
Johns Hopkins University
B.S. Computer Science
Montclair State University

Certifications

HashiCorp Certified: Vault Associate (002)

Contact
Professional inquiries and collaborations:
missmonask@gmail.com