AI-Enabled Infrastructure Automation Engineer
Southern Company · Atlanta, GA
- On site
- Full-time
- $120,000 / year
- Atlanta, GA
Job highlights
- Automate IT infrastructure provisioning and management.
- Utilize AI coding assistants for enhanced efficiency.
- Develop solutions for servers, storage, and networking.
- Collaborate and train teams on automation best practices.
- Improve infrastructure reliability and scalability.
About the role
Job Summary
The AI-Enabled Infrastructure Automation Engineer designs, develops, and implements automation solutions to enhance the efficiency and reliability of Southern Company's IT infrastructure. This role will focus on automating the provisioning and management of servers, storage, and networking across VMware and physical environments, improving efficiency, scalability, and reliability.
Job Requirements
- BS/BA in Computer Science or MIS is desired or equivalent work experience
- 7+ years of hands-on platform, DevOps, or infrastructure engineering experience, with deep production work in at least one of Terraform or Ansible (ideally both) and strong Git-based workflow fluency.
- At least 6 months of substantial daily use of AI coding assistants on infrastructure work, shipping Terraform modules, Ansible roles, or pipeline code with AI in the loop.
- Working knowledge of Python or C# sufficient to build integration tooling, MCP servers, etc.
- Demonstrated ability to teach and evangelize — this role is intended as a force multiplier for our Computing Infrastructure Automation team as well as coders within our various Computing Services departments.
- Clear written communication; comfort producing reference documentation and internal playbooks.
- Pragmatic judgment about where AI should and shouldn’t be leveraged.
- Demonstrated knowledge of automation technologies and processes
- Basic knowledge of security policies
- Working knowledge of Windows and Linux operating systems
- Background in VMware Cloud Foundation and Hyper-V virtualization technologies
- Experience with enterprise storage systems (Dell EMC)
- Familiarity with enterprise networking (Cisco)
- Proficiency with scripting (Ansible, PowerShell, Python, Bash, REST APIs)
- Hands-on experience with automation platforms (Ansible Tower/AWX, vRealize Automation, Terraform for VMware)
- Experience with source control systems (e.g., Git, Azure DevOps, GitHub) in enterprise environments
- Demonstrate strong communication and influence skills to encourage adoption of automation standards
- General knowledge of Southern Company's core business
- General knowledge of information technologies (those currently used within the system and new technologies)
- Ability to effectively organize tasks, manage multiple priorities/details, meet schedules, and deliver on customer commitments
- Ability to negotiate with and influence others across organizations within the IT organization.
- Ability to build relationships and work in a team atmosphere as well as work independently
- Ability to provide and accept feedback
- Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills
- Professional oral and written communication skills
- Understanding of how their activities impact function budget
Nice to have
- Prior experience building internal developer platforms, paved roads, or self-service catalogs (internal CLIs, Terraform module registries, Ansible content collections).
- Hands-on MCP server development and/or other AI tool integration work.
- Experience in a regulated industry (utilities, financial services, healthcare, defense) where auditability and change control are first-class concerns.
- Exposure to policy-as-code frameworks and their integration into PR workflows.
Major Job Responsibilities
- Configure, tune, and maintain our AI coding assistant stack (Claude Code, Copilot, or equivalents) providing our coders with consistent, high-quality output aligned to our standards.
- Author and maintain rules files, system prompts, and context packages that teach the AI assistants our Terraform module conventions, Ansible role patterns, Git workflows, security and compliance guardrails.
- Design and operate MCP servers as appropriate.
- Build a shared, version-controlled library of prompts, agent workflows, and slash commands for the recurring tasks each department faces — module generation, legacy-to-IaC conversion, pull request review, runbook updates, and drift triage.
- Automate provisioning and lifecycle management of VMware vSphere, Hyper-V, bare-metal servers, and other computing infrastructure
- Develop scripts, workflows, and playbooks for storage provisioning, SAN/NAS automation, and backup integration
- Automate network device configuration and monitoring using tools like Ansible, Python, or vendor APIs
- Implement and manage configuration management tools (Ansible, Puppet, Chef) for OS and middleware automation
- Collaborate with stakeholders to understand diverse automation needs and advocate for unified solutions
- Provide guidance and training to peers on effective branching strategies, versioning, and code review processes
- Integrate automation workflows with ITSM and CMDB systems
- Build and maintain automated patching, compliance, and reporting frameworks
- Optimize infrastructure utilization and reduce manual intervention in operational tasks
- Participate in departmental initiatives
- Communicate progress, problems and best practices to management, leads and teammates
About Southern Company
Southern Company (NYSE: SO ) is a leading energy provider serving 9 million customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service is our mission. The company has electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company, a leading distributed energy solutions provider with national capabilities, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, resilience and sustainability, we are taking action to meet customers' and communities' needs while advancing our goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and are the key to our sustained success. We are transforming energy into economic, environmental and social progress for tomorrow. Our corporate culture has been recognized by a variety of organizations, earning the company awards and recognitions that reflect Our Values and dedication to service. To learn more, visit www.southerncompany.com .
Southern Company invests in the well-being of its employees and their families through a comprehensive total rewards strategy that includes competitive base salary, annual incentive awards for eligible employees and health, welfare and retirement benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional/social well-being. This position may also be eligible for additional compensation, such as an incentive program, with the amount of any bonus/awards subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable incentive plan(s). A summary of the benefits offered for this position can be found here https://seo.nlx.org/southernco/pdf/SOCO-Benefits.pdf . Additional and specific details about total compensation and benefits will also be provided during the hiring process.
Southern Company is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.
Job Identification: 18748
Job Category: Information Technology
Job Schedule: Full time
Company: Southern Company Services
Key skills/competency
- AI-Enabled Infrastructure Automation
- Terraform & Ansible Expertise
- Python/C# Scripting
- VMware & Hyper-V Virtualization
- DevOps & Git Workflows
- IT Infrastructure Management
- Cloud Automation
- Security Policies
- Troubleshooting Skills
- Communication & Influence
Skills & topics
- AI Automation Engineer
- Infrastructure Automation
- DevOps
- Terraform
- Ansible
- Python
- Cloud Automation
- IT Infrastructure
- VMware
- Southern Company
How to get hired
- Customize your resume: Highlight your 7+ years of infrastructure engineering experience, deep Terraform/Ansible knowledge, and AI coding assistant usage.
- Showcase AI proficiency: Emphasize at least 6 months of daily AI assistant use in your infrastructure work.
- Demonstrate teaching skills: Mention your ability to evangelize automation and train others in your application.
- Tailor your cover letter: Align your experience with Southern Company's mission and the specific requirements of the AI-Enabled Infrastructure Automation Engineer role.
- Prepare for technical and behavioral questions: Be ready to discuss your experience with scripting, virtualization, and your approach to problem-solving and teamwork.
Technical preparation
Behavioral questions
Frequently asked questions
- What are the key technical skills required for the AI-Enabled Infrastructure Automation Engineer role at Southern Company?
- The AI-Enabled Infrastructure Automation Engineer role at Southern Company requires a strong foundation in infrastructure engineering with at least 7 years of experience. Key technical skills include deep expertise in Terraform and Ansible, proficiency in Python or C# for integration tooling, and hands-on experience with AI coding assistants for infrastructure tasks. Familiarity with VMware Cloud Foundation, Hyper-V, enterprise storage (Dell EMC), and networking (Cisco) is also crucial, along with scripting languages like PowerShell, Bash, and REST APIs.
- How much experience with AI coding assistants is expected for this position?
- Southern Company is looking for candidates with at least 6 months of substantial daily use of AI coding assistants on infrastructure work. This includes experience shipping Terraform modules, Ansible roles, or pipeline code with AI integrated into the development process. The ability to leverage AI pragmatically and teach others its effective use is a significant aspect of this role.
- What is the desired educational background for the AI-Enabled Infrastructure Automation Engineer?
- While a Bachelor of Science (BS) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Computer Science or MIS is desired for the AI-Enabled Infrastructure Automation Engineer position at Southern Company, equivalent work experience is also considered. The emphasis is on substantial hands-on experience in platform, DevOps, or infrastructure engineering.
- Can you describe the typical responsibilities of an AI-Enabled Infrastructure Automation Engineer at Southern Company?
- The AI-Enabled Infrastructure Automation Engineer at Southern Company is responsible for designing, developing, and implementing automation solutions for IT infrastructure. This includes automating the provisioning and management of servers, storage, and networking using tools like Terraform and Ansible, often enhanced by AI coding assistants. The role also involves authoring documentation, training peers, and contributing to the overall efficiency and reliability of the infrastructure.
- What kind of team environment can I expect at Southern Company for this role?
- Southern Company fosters a collaborative team environment for its AI-Enabled Infrastructure Automation Engineers. You will be part of the Computing Infrastructure Automation team and collaborate with coders across various Computing Services departments. The role emphasizes strong communication and influence skills, the ability to build relationships, and a willingness to work both independently and as part of a team, providing and accepting feedback.