Jerome Smotherman
Nokia
Greenwood,IN
39
years of professional experience
Results-driven Global Program Manager with extensive experience managing Linux-based servers and cloud environments. Proven skills in debugging, automation, and user access management, ensuring compliance with security standards and enhancing operational efficiency.
Work History
Global Program Manager
38 Years 6 Months- Own the day-to-day operation of Customer Documentation servers and services across cloud platforms and data centers (including, but not limited to, GCP), plus selected on‑prem/hosted VMs.
- Act as the primary point of contact for other teams (NI product teams, IT, security, cloud/platform teams, tooling owners) on topics related to the Customer Documentation ecosystem: incident coordination, integration design, and change planning.
- Manage user accounts on servers, including creation, modification, deactivation, and access control in line with Nokia security and compliance requirements.
- Install and maintain base software libraries and applications on servers (for example, runtime environments, supporting tools, documentation-related services), including patching, upgrades, and rollbacks when needed.
- Diagnose and resolve complex issues across servers, applications, databases, and integrations using strong debugging and troubleshooting skills, including root cause analysis and implementation of durable fixes.
- Manage and optimize PostgreSQL databases used by documentation and related applications, including backups, tuning, and troubleshooting.
- Design, implement, and maintain integrations with other Nokia systems and tools, leveraging Apache web servers, Azure SSO, Git-based workflows, and relevant APIs.
- Develop and maintain automation and tooling using Perl, Python, and shell scripts to improve reliability, deployment speed, and operational efficiency across all supported platforms.
- Ensure all systems and configurations comply with Nokia IT security policies and standards, including access controls, patching, and secure configuration baselines.
- Maintain accurate, up-to-date technical documentation covering architecture, configuration, procedures, and operational runbooks for all supported environments.
- Collaborate closely with Customer Documentation, NI product teams, IT, security, and other business groups to understand requirements and provide customer-focused solutions and support.
- Participate in capacity planning, change management, and continuous improvement initiatives for the documentation platform, including performance and cost optimization across cloud and data center resources.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Computer Technology
Skills
Solid experience managing Linux-based servers and services in virtualized and cloud environments (experience with at least one major public cloud such as GCP
Azure
or AWS; GCP exposure is an advantage but not mandatory).
Hands-on experience with user and access management on servers (Unix/Linux and/or Windows)
including groups
roles
and integration with corporate identity solutions.
Practical experience with installing
configuring
and updating base software libraries and applications on servers in production environments.
Strong debugging and problem-solving abilities across distributed systems (logs
traces
performance metrics
configuration analysis) with a structured approach to incident resolution and root cause analysis.
Strong hands-on skills with PostgreSQL: schema design basics
performance tuning
backup/restore
and troubleshooting.
Proficiency with scripting and automation using Perl
Python
and shell scripts (Bash or similar).
Experience with Apache HTTP Server (configuration
virtual hosts
SSL/TLS
reverse proxies) in production environments.
Practical knowledge of Azure SSO (Azure AD
SAML/OIDC integrations) and identity/access management concepts.
Experience integrating systems using Git (GitHub/GitLab/Azure DevOps) for configuration management and deployment workflows.
Familiarity with corporate IT security best practices (hardening
least privilege
patching
logging
monitoring) and ability to work within Nokia IT and NI BG security frameworks.
Strong organizational skills with a disciplined approach to documentation and configuration management.
Customer-focused mindset with the ability to communicate clearly with technical and non-technical stakeholders across multiple teams and business groups.
Timeline
Global Program Manager
Nokia
01.1988 - 07.2026Read More
Purdue University
Bachelor of Science from Computer Technology
Read More