Lead Infrastructure & Cloud Engineer

Job Description - Lead Infrastructure & Cloud EngineerPosition Title: Lead Infrastructure & Cloud EngineerExperience Level: 5-8 YearsLocation: DubaiDepartment: Information Technology (IT)Job SummaryWe are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Lead Infrastructure & Cloud Engineer to manage, support, secure, and optimize the organization's on-premises and cloud infrastructure.The ideal candidate will possess strong L2 and L3 support expertise across Microsoft technologies, Windows Server, Microsoft 365, identity management, virtualization, storage, backup solutions, and cloud platforms, including Microsoft Azure and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI).The role is responsible for ensuring the availability, performance, security, scalability, and reliability of the organization's IT infrastructure and cloud environments. The successful candidate will also support business-critical systems and lead infrastructure modernization, cloud migration, automation, and digital transformation initiatives.Key ResponsibilitiesInfrastructure AdministrationManage and maintain enterprise IT infrastructure environments.Administer Windows Server environments and related services.Monitor infrastructure performance, availability, capacity, and system health.Manage operating system upgrades, security patching, and infrastructure lifecycle activities.Ensure adherence to IT governance, security, compliance, and operational standards.Provide advanced L2 and L3 support for infrastructure-related incidents and service requests.Plan and implement infrastructure upgrades, migrations, and modernization initiatives.Coordinate with application, cybersecurity, database, and network teams to maintain service availability.Active Directory and Identity ManagementAdminister Active Directory, Organizational Units, DNS, DHCP, DFS, and Group Policies.Manage Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft Entra Connect.Implement and support Identity and Access Management controls.Support Single Sign-On and Multi-Factor Authentication.Manage user provisioning, access permissions, privileged accounts, and identity security policies.Implement Conditional Access policies and identity protection controls.Monitor directory synchronization and resolve authentication-related issues.Conduct periodic reviews of user access, administrative privileges, and inactive accounts.Microsoft 365 AdministrationAdminister and support:Exchange OnlineMicrosoft TeamsSharePoint OnlineOneDrive for BusinessMicrosoft IntuneMicrosoft DefenderMicrosoft Purview (preferred)Additional responsibilities include:Manage Microsoft 365 licensing and group-based licence allocation.Troubleshoot mail flow, collaboration, synchronization, access, and security-related issues.Support Microsoft 365 security, compliance, retention, and governance initiatives.Manage Exchange Online policies, mailboxes, distribution groups, and shared mailboxes.Configure and maintain Microsoft Teams and SharePoint administrative policies.Support data-loss prevention, information protection, and eDiscovery requirements.Monitor Microsoft 365 service health and coordinate resolution of service-impacting incidents.Cloud Infrastructure AdministrationMicrosoft AzureAdminister Azure Virtual Machines, Storage Accounts, Virtual Networks, and related resources.Configure Network Security Groups, VPN Gateways, private endpoints, and hybrid cloud connectivity.Manage Azure subscriptions, resource groups, role-based access controls, and governance policies.Administer Azure Backup and Azure Site Recovery.Support Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, alerts, and infrastructure monitoring.Implement Azure security controls, policies, and recommended cloud governance practices.Optimize Azure resource utilization, licensing, and operational costs.Support Azure landing zones and standardized cloud architecture.Participate in cloud migration, modernization, and workload transformation projects.Implement high-availability and disaster-recovery solutions for Azure workloads.Oracle Cloud InfrastructureAdminister OCI Compute, Storage, Networking, Database connectivity, and Security services.Manage Virtual Cloud Networks, subnets, route tables, security lists, and load balancers.Configure and manage OCI Identity and Access Management.Administer OCI compartments, policies, user groups, and access controls.Support OCI Backup, Monitoring, Logging, and Disaster Recovery solutions.Manage hybrid connectivity between OCI and on-premises environments.Monitor OCI resource performance, availability, security, and cost.Participate in OCI migration, modernization, and infrastructure deployment projects.Implement high-availability and business-continuity solutions for OCI workloads.Virtualization and Datacenter ManagementManage VMware vSphere and ESXi environments.Administer Microsoft Hyper-V environments.Provision, configure, and maintain virtual machines.Manage virtual infrastructure capacity, availability, and performance.Support high-availability, replication, and disaster-recovery configurations.Manage host upgrades, firmware updates, and virtual infrastructure patching.Perform datacenter capacity planning and resource optimization.Support physical servers, racks, power, cooling, and datacenter-related infrastructure.Coordinate with vendors for hardware maintenance and warranty support.Storage and Backup AdministrationAdminister enterprise storage solutions, including:NetAppQNAPHPE MSASAN and NAS platformsManage backup and recovery platforms, including:Veeam Backup & ReplicationAzure BackupMicrosoft 365 backup solutionsOCI Backup and RecoveryAdditional responsibilities include:Monitor backup jobs and resolve failures.Perform regular backup validation and restoration testing.Conduct disaster-recovery exercises.Define and maintain retention, replication, and recovery policies.Maintain recovery documentation, runbooks, and operating procedures.Ensure recovery objectives align with business requirements.Monitor storage capacity, utilization, and performance.Endpoint ManagementManage Microsoft Intune and modern device-management solutions.Configure and deploy security baselines, compliance policies, and endpoint controls.Manage Windows Autopilot and automated device provisioning.Administer Windows device lifecycle and patch-management activities.Manage application deployment and endpoint configuration policies.Support desktop and laptop infrastructure.Monitor device compliance and remediate non-compliant endpoints.Support mobile device management and mobile application management requirements.Infrastructure and Cloud SecurityImplement infrastructure and cloud security controls.Apply cybersecurity best practices and system-hardening standards.Manage privileged access, administrative accounts, and role-based access controls.Investigate and resolve infrastructure and cloud security incidents.Manage system vulnerabilities, patch compliance, and configuration risks.Support compliance assessments, security audits, and governance initiatives.Work closely with cybersecurity teams to implement security recommendations.Maintain secure configuration standards for servers, cloud platforms, storage, backup, and virtualization environments.Support Microsoft Defender for Cloud and other relevant cloud security solutions.Monitoring and TroubleshootingMonitor infrastructure and cloud environments using:SolarWindsAzure MonitorLog AnalyticsOCI MonitoringVMware monitoring toolsMicrosoft 365 administrative and security portalsAdditional responsibilities include:Perform root-cause analysis for major incidents.Resolve escalated L2 and L3 infrastructure and cloud issues.Monitor system health, service availability, resource utilization, and performance.Maintain incident, problem, and change-management records.Develop preventive measures based on recurring incidents and performance trends.Coordinate with vendors, service providers, and internal technical teams for complex issue resolution.Participate in critical incident and service-restoration activities.Automation and Infrastructure as CodeDevelop PowerShell scripts to automate routine administrative activities.Automate user provisioning, system reporting, health checks, and maintenance tasks.Support infrastructure deployment through automation tools and standardized templates.Implement Infrastructure as Code practices where applicable.Maintain scripts, automation documentation, and version controls.Identify opportunities to improve efficiency through automation and orchestration.Projects, Documentation and ComplianceLead infrastructure and cloud deployment projects.Lead server, virtualization, storage, backup, and cloud migration initiatives.Support new office and datacenter infrastructure deployments.Maintain infrastructure and cloud architecture diagrams.Develop and maintain technical documentation, operating procedures, and support runbooks.Participate in business-continuity and disaster-recovery planning.Support internal and external audits.Evaluate and recommend new infrastructure and cloud technologies.Manage project deliverables, technical risks, timelines, and vendor coordination.Provide technical guidance and mentoring to infrastructure support team members.Ensure all infrastructure changes follow the organization's change-management processes.Required Technical SkillsMicrosoft TechnologiesWindows Server 2016, 2019, and 2022Active DirectoryMicrosoft Entra IDMicrosoft Entra ConnectDNSDHCPDFSGroup PolicyPowerShellWindows Failover ClusteringCertificate ServicesMicrosoft 365Exchange OnlineSharePoint OnlineOneDrive for BusinessMicrosoft TeamsMicrosoft IntuneMicrosoft DefenderMicrosoft Purview (preferred)Microsoft AzureAzure AdministrationAzure Virtual MachinesAzure StorageAzure Virtual NetworksVPN GatewaysNetwork Security GroupsAzure BackupAzure Site RecoveryAzure MonitorLog AnalyticsAzure PolicyRole-Based Access ControlMicrosoft Defender for CloudCost ManagementOracle Cloud InfrastructureOCI ComputeOCI StorageOCI NetworkingOCI Identity and Access ManagementOCI Backup and RecoveryOCI Monitoring and LoggingOCI SecurityOCI Load BalancingOCI Disaster RecoveryVirtualizationVMware vSphereVMware ESXiVMware vCenterMicrosoft Hyper-VHigh Availability and ReplicationBackup and StorageVeeam Backup & ReplicationNetAppQNAPHPE MSASAN and NAS technologiesMicrosoft 365 backup solutionsCloud backup and disaster recoveryEndpoint ManagementMicrosoft IntuneWindows AutopilotWindows Update for BusinessEndpoint compliance and configuration managementApplication packaging and deploymentAutomationPowerShell scriptingTask automationInfrastructure automationInfrastructure as Code knowledgeAzure Resource Manager templates or Bicep (preferred)Terraform knowledge (preferred)Supporting Infrastructure KnowledgeTCP/IPDNS and DHCPCloud connectivityVPN technologiesLoad balancingFirewalls and security controlsHybrid cloud architectureRequired QualificationsEducationBachelor's or Master's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Cloud Computing, or a related discipline.Experience5-8 years of experience in infrastructure and cloud engineering.Strong L2 and L3 infrastructure troubleshooting experience.Experience supporting enterprise and multi-site IT environments.Hands-on experience administering Windows Server and Active Directory.Strong Microsoft 365 administration experience.Hands-on experience managing Microsoft Azure and OCI environments.Experience with virtualization, storage, backup, disaster recovery, and endpoint-management technologies.Experience leading infrastructure and cloud implementation or migration projects.Experience supporting business-critical enterprise systems.Working knowledge of cloud security, governance, and cost-optimization practices.Preferred CertificationsMicrosoftMicrosoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect ExpertMicrosoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator AssociateMicrosoft 365 Certified: Administrator ExpertMicrosoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator AssociateMicrosoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer AssociateOracleOCI Architect AssociateOCI Architect ProfessionalOCI Cloud Operations ProfessionalVirtualization and BackupVMware Certified ProfessionalVeeam Certified EngineerOther Preferred CertificationsITIL FoundationCertified Cloud Security ProfessionalTerraform AssociateKey CompetenciesStrong infrastructure and cloud troubleshooting skills.Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.Strong leadership, communication, and documentation skills.Ability to manage critical incidents under pressure.Infrastructure and cloud project implementation experience.Strong customer service and stakeholder-management skills.Ability to work independently and within cross-functional teams.Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.Strong understanding of infrastructure security, governance, and compliance.Ability to mentor technical team members and provide technical direction.Commercial awareness of cloud consumption, licensing, and cost optimization.