From 99f7cdd6e28a83088d708eeefedf0734643b5d63 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "russell@unturf.com" Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2026 10:16:35 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Add remote-only job preference to CLAUDE.md & netwrix cover letter --- CLAUDE.md | 4 +++ ...-software-engineer-russell-ballestrini.rst | 27 +++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 31 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/pages/cover-letters/2026-02-03-netwrix-principal-software-engineer-russell-ballestrini.rst diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md index 5bf9fab..3b2345c 100644 --- a/CLAUDE.md +++ b/CLAUDE.md @@ -144,6 +144,10 @@ Git operations can be destructive to uncommitted work. Always preserve user's wo - Correct approach: "The opportunity to work with experienced operators while contributing combines technical challenge." Or split into two sentences: "The opportunity to work combines technical challenge. Learning from experienced operators while contributing enhances the experience." - This creates clearer, more direct writing +## JOB SEARCH PREFERENCES + +**Russell ONLY works remote.** Do not apply to or write cover letters for positions that are not fully remote. If a job posting says hybrid, on-site, or in-office, skip it. + ## JSONRESUME POLICY **NEVER include phone number in JSONResume files** - they're public, use email only. diff --git a/content/pages/cover-letters/2026-02-03-netwrix-principal-software-engineer-russell-ballestrini.rst b/content/pages/cover-letters/2026-02-03-netwrix-principal-software-engineer-russell-ballestrini.rst new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ccb2ce8 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/pages/cover-letters/2026-02-03-netwrix-principal-software-engineer-russell-ballestrini.rst @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ + +Russell Ballestrini +=================== + +.. class:: center + +**Principal Software Engineer | Netwrix Corporation** + +.. class:: center + +russell@unturf.com | `russell.ballestrini.net `_ | `GitHub `_ + +---- + +To the Netwrix team: + +15+ years building & operating production systems, with deep experience in security-focused companies. At Cofense, I worked as Senior Security Engineer in SOC2 & FedRAMP environments, managing AWS account controls, user access, vulnerability scanning, & security integrity in product delivery. At Mandiant (now part of Google), I built DevOps infrastructure for one of the most recognized names in threat intelligence. Enterprise security is familiar territory. + +Multi-tenant platform architecture is something I've done from both sides. At Remind, I led site reliability for infrastructure supporting 30M users across 60+ microservices on AWS (EC2, ECS, RDS, DynamoDB, SQS, Lambda, CloudFormation). Infrastructure-as-code, observability with Datadog, deployment automation. Systems stayed up through COVID-19 lockdowns when education communication became critical overnight. I built unsandbox.com as a multi-tenant code execution PaaS with containerized isolation, resource quotas, & secure sandboxing. Designing for tenant separation, compliance boundaries, & hybrid deployment models (containers, VMs, Kubernetes) is core to how I think about platform problems. + +On the engineering side: Python & Ruby are both in my stack, along with Elixir, Bash, Go, & JavaScript. I've built distributed systems, designed CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions & GitLab CI, written infrastructure-as-code, & shipped compliance-ready products. At Coursemojo, I designed CI/CD pipelines using CloudFormation & GitHub Actions, introduced Datadog APM with Fargate sidecars, & scaled AI-powered services. The pattern of building foundational platform capabilities that other product teams build on is exactly what I did at Remind & what this role describes. + +I've bootstrapped four SaaS products where I owned every architectural decision, & at larger companies I've led architecture reviews, mentored engineers, & set technical direction. Principal means making the people around you more effective while driving the hardest technical problems forward. My AWS depth would complement your Azure focus, bringing cross-cloud perspective to hybrid architecture decisions. The mission of placing identity at the core of data security is compelling, & I'd welcome the chance to discuss how my experience fits. + +| + +Russell Ballestrini