Nexus IT Group placed a dedicated DevOps Engineer with an email security software company, giving its 5-person engineering team its first owner for GCP infrastructure, automation, and CI/CD.
At a glance
| Client | Software and technology services company specializing in email security, DMARC compliance, and domain protection |
| Role filled | DevOps Engineer (new position, remote) |
| Reports to | Principal Engineer |
| Team supported | 5-person software development team |
| Candidates submitted | 15 |
| Hires | 1 |
| Core stack | Linux, GCP, Ansible, Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, monitoring |
The client
The client builds software and delivers technology services that help organizations secure email, achieve DMARC compliance, and protect their domains from spoofing and abuse. Its product runs on Google Cloud Platform and is built by a lean, 5-person software development team led by a Principal Engineer.
As the company grew, its infrastructure needs grew with it. Reliability, security, and deployment speed are central to an email security product, and the platform needed someone focused on them full time.
The objective
The client engaged Nexus IT Group to add a dedicated DevOps Engineer who would:
- Take ownership of the company’s DevOps initiatives
- Improve and automate its GCP infrastructure
- Modernize the deployment environment to support continued growth
The challenges
DevOps had no single owner. The software engineers shared DevOps work as a team. That kept things running, but it pulled developers away from product work and left infrastructure without dedicated expertise.
Earlier candidates fell short. Prior applicants either lacked the technical depth the role demanded or were not strong culture fits for a small, tight-knit team.
The bar was broad and deep. The right hire needed hands-on strength across Linux, GCP, automation, containers, infrastructure as code, monitoring, and CI/CD.
The role required independence. As the team’s only DevOps resource in a remote environment, the engineer had to self-direct, communicate clearly, and drive projects without close supervision.
The solution
Nexus IT Group ran a targeted search for a DevOps Engineer with a Linux engineering foundation and hands-on GCP experience, screening every candidate on two tracks: technical depth and how they would operate on the team.
| Technical screen | Behavioral screen |
|---|---|
| Linux engineering foundation | Self-motivation |
| Hands-on GCP experience | Clear communication |
| Ansible and Terraform automation | Initiative and ownership |
| Docker and Kubernetes | Ability to work independently, remotely |
| CI/CD pipelines | Culture fit with a small team |
| Monitoring, networking, and security |
Rather than matching keywords, the search focused on engineers who had owned infrastructure end to end. That addressed the two failure points from earlier candidates at once: thin technical depth and weak team fit.
Results
Nexus IT Group submitted 15 candidates, and the client made 1 hire into a newly created DevOps position.
- 15 qualified candidates submitted
- 1 hire made
- New role created: the company’s first dedicated DevOps Engineer
- 5-person development team now supported by a DevOps owner
- Reports to the Principal Engineer
The outcome
The client now has a dedicated DevOps resource who took immediate ownership of several planned DevOps projects. Developers can return their focus to the product, and infrastructure has a clear owner.
Over the longer term, the engineer supports:
- Infrastructure automation across the GCP environment
- Deployment improvements to CI/CD and release processes
- Security of the infrastructure behind an email security product
- Modernization of the deployment environment as the company scales
Why it worked
The search treated a first DevOps hire as an ownership role, not a ticket-taker role. Screening for initiative and communication alongside Linux, GCP, and automation depth produced a candidate who could start independently and grow with the platform.
Hiring your first DevOps, cloud, or infrastructure engineer? Nexus IT Group places technically vetted engineers who fit small, fast-moving teams. Visit nexusitgroup.com to start a search.