Aamir A. - Manager – IT

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Lahore, Pakistan

Experience

Nov 2024 - Present

1 year

Lahore, Pakistan

Manager – IT

Wateen Telecom Limited

Ensure 24/7 availability, performance, and scalability of Dell R740 servers and 5-node Hyper-V cluster
Maintain and optimize 100+ VMs across QA, staging, and production environments
Proactively monitor capacity utilization and plan upgrades to meet business growth
Implement and maintain disaster recovery (DR) and backup strategies for all critical applications
Minimize downtime by managing failover and redundancy across Hyper-V cluster nodes
Conduct periodic failover testing to validate high availability mechanisms
Ensure compliance with ISO 27001, ISO 9001, and PTA regulatory requirements
Prepare and maintain audit documentation, risk registers, and evidence for certification renewals
Lead internal and external IT audits, ensuring timely closure of NCs (Non-conformities)
Manage hybrid Exchange environment ensuring seamless mail flow and user experience
Administer Office 365 services (Exchange Online, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint) with security best practices
Implement and monitor email security measures (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, anti-spam, anti-phishing)
Implement and monitor security controls across servers, VMs, and O365/Exchange environments
Manage patching, vulnerability assessments, and hardening of infrastructure
Align IT operations with information security policies and standards
Provide L3 support for IT infrastructure issues and ensure SLAs are met
Establish and monitor KPIs for uptime, incident resolution, and resource utilization
Drive automation and process improvements to reduce operational overhead
Lead IT operations team in managing infrastructure and support tasks
Coordinate with vendors (Microsoft, Dell, auditors) for support, upgrades, and compliance
Train and mentor team members on virtualization, cloud, and audit best practices

May 2023 - Nov 2024

1 year 7 months

Lahore, Pakistan

Manager – Infrastructure and Networks

Tkxel

Develop and implement strategies for the organization's IT infrastructure, ensuring scalability, reliability, and security
Implemented and managed network performance monitoring and troubleshooting using SolarWinds and Zabbix
Lead the planning, design, and implementation of server systems, storage solutions, and other critical infrastructure components
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align infrastructure initiatives with business goals
Resolved conflicts and negotiated mutually beneficial agreements between parties
Design, build, deploy, and maintain business applications and critical infrastructure in AWS Cloud
Architect cost-efficient, scalable cloud environments to support business objectives
Migrate archaic systems to the cloud to drive digital transformation
Ensure cloud environment security and prevent downtime or security breaches
Design, implement, and manage network architecture to support current and future business needs
Implement network security measures including firewalls and VPNs
Stay abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies
Build and lead a high-performing IT team, providing guidance, mentorship, and performance management
Foster a collaborative and innovative work culture
Collaborate with external vendors and service providers for infrastructure services
Negotiate contracts and manage vendor relationships
Implement and maintain security protocols for IT infrastructure
Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and industry standards

May 2021 - May 2023

2 years 1 month

Lahore, Pakistan

Hybrid

Infrastructure and Cloud Operations Lead

Xavor Corporations

Administer and maintain Microsoft Exchange servers (2013/2016/2019/Online) in on-premises, hybrid, or cloud environments
Configure and manage Exchange services, including mail flow, mailbox databases, and public folders
Manage and maintain DAG (Database Availability Groups) for high availability
Design, build, deploy, and maintain business applications and critical infrastructure in AWS Cloud
Architect cost-efficient, scalable cloud environments to support business objectives
Migrate archaic systems to the cloud for digital transformation
Ensure cloud environment security and prevent downtime or security breaches
Assess risk associated with third-party platforms or frameworks
Identify opportunities to digitize common tasks and improve operations
Design, build, and maintain internal cloud applications
Transfer data and internal processes to cloud architecture
Minimize data leakage and downtime
Stay up to date on cloud computing best practices and improve infrastructure
Communicate with internal teams (Sales, Development, Operations, IT) and stakeholders to meet project needs
Recommend hardware and software based on project and organizational requirements
Saved $1500/month by implementing cost-saving initiatives

Jan 2016 - May 2021

5 years 5 months

Lahore, Pakistan

Senior DevOps/Systems/Networks Administrator

eBricks Inc.

Manage AWS services: EC2, S3, SNS, RDS, IAM, VPC, and Route53
Architect secure VPC solutions using network ACLs, security groups, and public/private configurations
Create and manage S3 buckets and policies
Manage IAM policies to define groups, users, roles, and access rules
Create snapshots and AMIs for backup and cloning instances
Backup MongoDB via AWS CLI and maintain on S3
Use JIRA for issue tracking and change management
Engage in performance management processes, including reviews, feedback, and mentoring
Review scope of work and assign tasks based on team skills
Communicate team successes and challenges to Director IT
Lead Systems/Networks team for installation, configuration, administration, and maintenance of infrastructure, including authentication, messaging, DHCP/DNS, and deployment systems (CodePipeline, Ansible, Terraform)
Maintain network infrastructure: switches and firewalls
Perform systems analysis, evaluation, design, integration, documentation, and implementation of applications
Participate in deployment, troubleshooting, and maintenance, configuring and maintaining servers and services (Citrix XenCenter, VMware, WSUS, clusters, RDS 2012, IIS, NTP, Group Policy, backups, storage)
Provision, install, configure, operate, and maintain hardware, software, and related infrastructure
Conduct technical research and development to drive infrastructure innovation
Ensure systems, OS, software, and procedures adhere to organizational standards
Assist project teams with technical issues in project initiation and planning phases
Troubleshoot Nagios and Prometheus alerts
Install and rebuild servers, configure hardware, peripherals, services, and storage
Perform daily system monitoring and verify integrity and availability of hardware, resources, logs, and backups
Conduct regular security monitoring and intrusion detection
Manage user accounts and provide Tier III support
Repair and recover from hardware or software failures and communicate with impacted constituencies
Perform performance tuning, hardware upgrades, and resource optimization
Maintain data center environmental and monitoring equipment
Apply OS patches and upgrades and configure new services as needed

May 2011 - Jan 2016

4 years 9 months

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Senior Systems Administrator

emaratech FZ LLC

Administer Windows, LAN, VMware, IIS, FTP, AD/DNS, mail, and ISA servers
Design and implement HA and DR solutions for eForm, eServices, Vision eForm, PCI Noqodi, and IQC Vision projects
Perform systems analysis, evaluation, design, integration, documentation, and implementation of applications
Deploy, troubleshoot, and maintain servers and services (VMware, WSUS, HPOV, clusters, RDS 2012, IIS, NTP, Group Policy, SharePoint, WebSphere, backups, and storage)
Handle Microsoft Exchange 2013 deployment, configuration, and troubleshooting
Manage NetBackup 7.7.1 for Exchange 2013 database backups
Operate and maintain Sitescope and Operations Manager for Windows and HP Diagnostics
Implement PCI-DSS on Noqodi Payment Gateway and participate in ISO 27001 implementation
Install and configure Sophos and Symantec antivirus servers
Perform regular security monitoring, daily backups, file archival, user account management, performance reporting, and capacity planning
Provide Tier III support and troubleshoot issues
Apply OS patches, upgrades, and configure new services
Upgrade and configure system software for enterprise applications

Feb 2008 - Apr 2011

3 years 3 months

Lahore, Pakistan

Remote

Senior Networks/Systems Engineer

Descon Engineering Limited

Configure, install, and troubleshoot routers, switches, and firewalls for HQ and remote sites
Provide WAN technical services to remote sites
Plan, source, and implement WAN requirements with Manager TSG
Backup WAN device configurations and store offsite
Maintain and extend VPN connectivity and cabling infrastructure
Prepare network designs for new requirements and relocations
Manage LAN/WAN requirements, enhancements, and maintenance solutions
Configure and maintain Active Directory, email, FTP, DNS, web services, and Trend Micro Interscan Messaging Security Suite
Assign tasks to network and hardware technicians and ensure timely execution
Monitor connectivity and services (FTP, DNS, HTTP, SMTP, POP3) using sMonitor and bandwidth via PRTG
Maintain and extend monitoring systems using SolarWinds

Aug 2006 - Jan 2008

1 year 6 months

Lahore, Pakistan

Networks / Systems Engineer

JS Investments Limited (Formerly JS Abamco Limited)

Oct 2004 - Jul 2006

1 year 10 months

Lahore, Pakistan

Assistant Networks/Systems Engineer

Punjab University

Jan 2003 - Sep 2003

9 months

Lahore, Pakistan

Junior Systems Analyst / Desktop Support

Demax Computer Systems

Summary

Experience in AWS Management, Ansible Tower, Terraform, LAN/WAN/NOC Administration, Windows/Linux Servers Management, VCenter/ESXi/Hyper-V Management, Citrix XenCenter Management, NOS Patches & Updates, etc.
Instrumental in assessing and mapping hardware / software / network requirements, translating them into technofunctional specifications & designing customized solutions for the same
Strong knowledge of Microsoft Active Directory and Windows Server environments encompassing Windows Server Versions, Active Directory Forest mode, Microsoft Exchange Server 2013, 2016, 2019, MS Exchange Cluster Management, Group Policy application, Flexible Single Master Operations (FSMO) Roles, Global Directories, Exchange & Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP & LDAPS), Certificate Services, DNS, DHCP, IIS, FTP, Internet Security & Acceleration (ISA 2004/2006), Threat Management Gateway (TMG), SCCM (Systems Center Configuration Manager), WSUS (Windows Server Update Services), MS Entra ID, MS Intune, MS Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive
Proficient in providing technical support for troubleshooting complex issues effectively while ensuring minimum downtime & maximum availability of network within established Service Level Agreements
Analytical, meticulous and quality-oriented professional with an eye for detail
Strong problem solving & technical skills coupled with confident decision making for enabling effective solutions leading to high customer satisfaction and low operational costs