IT Network and Infrastructure Lead

ABOUT THE ROLE The company is transitioning from a traditional BPO service delivery model to an AI-enabled, tech-driven platform. We are seeking a IT Technical Lead for Network & Infrastructure a Player-Coach to take complete ownership of our internal systems, cloud infrastructure, endpoint management, and client connectivity. This is not a traditional corporate management or delegator role. You will be the top technical authority in the company, leading a small, junior IT team by example. You must be willing and able to roll up your sleeves—writing scripts, configuring Azure/Intune policies, analyzing network traceroutes, and hardening endpoints—while simultaneously coaching the team to build a proactive, "see-it, fix-it, get-it-done" culture. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Technical Leadership & Culture Shift (Player-Coach) Lead by Doing: Act as the primary technical escalation point for complex infrastructure, networking, and cloud issues. You are expected to personally troubleshoot and resolve high-priority incidents alongside your team. Transform Team Mindset: Shift the team culture from reactive "order-takers" to proactive systems owners who identify and fix root causes before they impact operations. Granular Mentorship: Conduct daily stand-ups, review ticket diagnostics line-by-line with junior analysts and establish clear accountability and metric-driven SLA targets. 2. Infrastructure, Networking & Client Connectivity Network Reliability & Triage: Own the end-to-end connectivity path for 300+ agents (both WFH and in-office) connecting to US-based client ERP environments. Network Security: Manage user accounts, role permissions and access controls. Administer and maintain active directory, group policy and DHCP and DNS Services. Implement and monitor firewalls and security hardening standards Proactive Diagnostic Engineering: Deeply analyze network performance using packet loss, latency jitter, hop-by-hop traceroutes, and endpoint resource metrics to isolate issues between local home ISPs, office firewalls, and client VPNs. Routing Strategy: Implement and maintain split tunneling, QoS, dual-ISP failover mechanisms, and bandwidth optimization across distributed environments Backup and Disaster Recovery: Develop, maintain, and update disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity documentation 3. Cloud, Endpoints & Security Posture Azure & M365 Administration: Own the administration of Azure AD/Entra ID, Microsoft 365, conditional access policies, and hybrid infrastructure. Endpoint & Device Management (MDM): Enforce strict endpoint compliance using Microsoft Intune/SCCM, automated OS patching, disk cleanup policies, local admin rights restrictions, and hardware lifecycle management for remote laptops. AI Tool Integration & Security: Support the secure rollout of AI productivity tools (e.g., Claude Cowork, internal APIs) by enforcing strict sandboxing, M365 data loss prevention (DLP) rules, read-only API scopes, and protection against prompt injection risks. REQUIRED SKILLS & COMPETENCIES Proven Technical Superiority: You must possess deeper hands-on technical skills than everyone on your team in order to earn their respect and mentor them effectively. Hands-on Scripting & Automation: Proficiency in PowerShell, Python, or CLI tools to automate routine IT helpdesk tasks, endpoint configuration, and infrastructure provisioning. Deep Networking Diagnostics: Ability to interpret ping payload responses (packet loss/jitter), traceroute latency spikes, routing loops, and firewall/VPN logs to diagnose last-mile ISP vs. core network failures. Cloud & Systems Expertise: Practical experience managing Azure, Intune, Active Directory, Cisco/Meraki or Fortinet firewalls, and modern ITSM tooling (ServiceNow, Jira, or Freshservice). High Operational Urgency: A relentless focus on system uptime, rapid incident resolution, and zero tolerance for recurring unaddressed bugs. QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE Experience: 7+ years of hands-on experience in Systems Administration, Network Engineering, or DevOps, with at least 2+ years leading small technical teams or acting as an L3 Lead Engineer. Environment Background: Experience in a fast-paced BPO, Managed Services Provider (MSP), or high-growth tech environment handling multi-tenant client setups is strongly preferred. Certifications (Preferred): Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator / Enterprise Administrator, CCNA, or ITIL v4 Foundation.