Senior Systems Engineer

About the Role
The Senior Systems Engineer is responsible for the design, deployment, and migration of data-center infrastructure for customers. This includes servers, storage, backup, and cloud solutions. The role entails delivering from assessment and design through to cut-over and handover, with responsibilities that extend to Level 3 support for systems issues.

Duties & Responsibilities

Deployment and Implementation

• Design, install, and configure server, storage, backup, and virtualization solutions for customer projects.
• Deploy blade servers (HPE, Dell), including firmware, iLO/iDRAC, OS builds, and hardening.
• Build and configure virtualization platforms (VMware vSphere/vSAN, Microsoft Hyper-V, Nutanix).
• Implement SAN/NAS storage (HPE, Dell EMC, NetApp, Pure) - zoning, LUN provisioning, replication, and snapshots.
• Deploy backup and disaster recovery solutions (Veeam, Commvault, Veritas) ensuring retention, immutability, and offsite/cloud copy.

Migration

• Plan and execute data-center, server, storage, and workload migrations with minimal downtime.
• Conduct P2V/V2V migrations, storage data migrations, and Windows Server / Active Directory upgrades.
• Migrate on-prem workloads to Azure, AWS, or local UAE cloud, as well as Exchange to Microsoft 365.
• Write the migration plan, Method of Deployment (MD), cut-over runbook, and rollback plan for each project.

Cloud and Hybrid

• Design and deploy hybrid infrastructure encompassing Azure/AWS compute, storage, networking, and identity (Entra ID).
• Implement cloud backup, DR-as-a-service, and site-to-site connectivity with the network team.

Support and Operations

• Provide Level 3 support for systems incidents and perform root-cause analysis.
• Conduct preventive maintenance (PM) and health checks for AMC customers and produce PM reports.
• Maintain as-built documents, configuration records, and knowledge base articles.

Pre-sales and Customer Delivery

• Support pre-sales efforts with solution design, Bill of Quantities (BoQ), Statement of Work (SOW) inputs, and man-day estimates for RFPs.
• Collaborate directly with customers, vendors, and project managers on scope, timelines, and acceptance.

Qualifications
Education

• Minimum: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, IT, or Engineering.
• Desired: Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate or MCSE Server / Core Infrastructure; VMware VCP-DCV (VCAP an advantage); Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) or AWS Solutions Architect - Associate; Veeam VMCE, Commvault, Veritas, Zerto; HPE or Dell EMC storage/server certification; ITIL Foundation.

Experience

• Minimum: 10+ years in systems infrastructure, with at least 5 years hands-on in deployment and migration projects; Proven delivery of end-to-end data-center, server, storage, backup, and cloud migrations.
• Desired: Experience working as a system integrator or within managed services in the UAE/GCC.

Skills & Abilities
Required:

• Servers: HPE ProLiant/Synergy, Dell PowerEdge, Windows Server, Linux (RHEL/Ubuntu).
• Virtualization: VMware vSphere, vCenter, vSAN; Hyper-V.
• Storage: SAN/NAS (HPE, Dell EMC, NetApp), FC/iSCSI, replication.
• Backup & DR: Veeam Backup & Replication, disaster recovery design and testing.
• Identity & M365: Active Directory, DNS/DHCP, Group Policy Objects (GPO), Entra ID, Exchange/M365 migration.
• Cloud: Microsoft Azure or AWS (IaaS, storage, backup, hybrid).
• Automation: PowerShell.
• Strong documentation capabilities: High Level Design/Low Level Design, Method of Deployment, migration plans, and as-built reports.

Desired:

• Knowledge of Nutanix AHV, VMware HCX; Pure Storage, HPE Alletra; Commvault, Veritas, Zerto; Intune; local UAE cloud platforms; Ansible, Terraform.
• Valid UAE driving license; willingness to perform cut-overs outside of normal hours.

Compliance with policies and procedures based on the ISO standards adopted by the organization.