sam bilbow-randall

about

Being a CloudOps Engineer in the online healthcare sector, I work with Linux and Docker, running web microservices across clouds but predominantly on Google Cloud Platform. My day-to-day focuses on DevSecOps improvements and consolidation to reliable IaC with Terraform and Ansible.

Before moving into cloud infrastructure, I completed a PhD in Music Technologies at the University of Sussex, focused on expressive musical performance in extended realities. That background still shapes how I think about systems, focusing on usability, embodiment, effective tooling, and systems built to last.

education

  • 2019–2023
    Ph.D. Music Technologies University of Sussex
  • 2018–2019
    M.A. Music and Sonic Media University of Sussex
  • 2015–2018
    B.A. Music Technology University of Sussex

experience

  • 2025–now
    CloudOps Engineer Evaro

    Aug 2025 – present

    • Own cloud infrastructure, uptime, and reliability on Google Cloud; work with engineering leads on delivery and incidents
    • Run Linux VM estates and infrastructure as code (Terraform) for compute, networking, storage, and related access controls
    • Designed our move off managed WordPress hosting onto Compute Engine after a technical onboarding with Google; chose Terraform for IaC
    • Own onboarding new workloads onto GCP with Terraform (VMs, Cloud Run, networking, databases)
    • Automation with Ansible for server config and incident response; own monitoring, dashboards, and alerts
    • CI/CD for infrastructure changes (GitHub Actions) and support for engineering pipelines
  • 2024–2025
    ITOps Specialist Evaro

    Nov 2024 – Aug 2025

    • Promoted as I took on more production incident response alongside core IT
    • Worked with product and engineering on incidents and day-to-day platform issues
    • Documented internal and external systems; kept ownership of accounts, devices, access, and tooling
    • Stepped into the first cloud migration work, which led into CloudOps
  • 2024
    IT Support Technician Evaro

    Apr 2024 – Nov 2024

    • Provide friendly and efficient technical support to internal staff members
    • Assist in the development, maintenance, and documentation of internal software systems
    • Troubleshoot and resolve hardware, software, and network issues
    • Set up and maintain user accounts and access permissions
    • Implement and maintain cyber security measures, ensuring compliance with policies
    • Assist with website content management and software testing
    • Setting up reports in business analytics tools
    • Participate in IT projects and initiatives, contributing ideas and solutions
    • Continuously learn and stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and best practices
  • 2023–2024
    Postdoctoral Researcher University of Sussex

    Brighton · one year funded position developing Ph.D. research into FOSS multi-performer experiences

    • Researched Linux as a platform for free and open-source AR experiences
    • Wrote technical documentation for past projects to keep them usable
    • Delivered an interdisciplinary XR workshop at an international conference
  • 2019–2023
    Doctoral Researcher (Ph.D.) University of Sussex

    Brighton · practice-led Ph.D. building experimental musical performances in Unity on 3D-printed open-source AR headsets

    • Designed and developed novel audiovisual AR instruments and performance systems in Unity (C#)
    • Built and ran open-source 3D-printed AR headsets (Project North Star) for live performance and user studies
    • Published 5 peer-reviewed papers on AR/XR systems and HCI (2021–2024), including a doctoral thesis on embodied interaction in AR
  • 2017–2023
    Earlier experience

    Taught and assessed undergraduate C++, circuitry, and audio synthesis as a Doctoral Tutor (Sussex, 2022–23); designed sensor interactions and prototyped Arduino/CAD for a funded art installation (Studio Sissel Marie Tonn, 2022); ran Google Workspace administration, a Shopify build, and SEO/analytics for a small business (BeFries & BeSaucy, 2017–2020).

skills

  • scripting
    Bash, Python
  • config & data
    YAML, SQL
  • IaC
    Terraform, Ansible
  • observability
    Grafana, Alloy, Loki, Prometheus, Tempo
  • systems & CI
    Linux (systemd, journald), Docker, Git, GitHub Actions, CircleCI
  • cloud
    GCP (Compute Engine, Shared VPC, Cloud Storage, Cloud Run, Cloud SQL, IAM), Cloudflare, DigitalOcean, Vercel, Linode
  • homelab
    Proxmox, Terraform, Ansible, Docker, Grafana