Nikunj Patel

• Direct all IT strategy and operations for leading provider of technology-based sales and marketing solutions and its fastest-growing subsidiary (Stayinfront, CRM software company), with responsibility for nine-member domestic and offshore team and $4MM budget, including $2MM for Amazon Web Services (AWS).
• Designed, implemented, and maintain a large, highly available, and highly scalable SaaS infrastructure in AWS & Azure across four regions, the company’s on-premise data center, and three locations worldwide in support of CRM deployments to customers in 180 countries.
• Used CloudWatch and open-source Zabbix and Linux to plan and deploy sophisticated monitoring system that analyzes uptime, resource usage, end-user connection rates and counts, and database and application performance, and integrated system into AWS to assist in auto-scaling during periods of peak usage.
• Utilized auto-scaling, capacity planning, and reserves to reduce costs by 30%, and reviewed capacity on quarterly basis to maintain cost reductions, driving total savings of up to $3MM to date.
• Developed and implemented comprehensive information security program from ground up for both companies and created disaster recovery plan for RediData subsidiary hosted on-premises that reduced RTO to near zero.
• Gathered specifications and oversaw all infrastructure for company’s entry into Chinese market, including setup of in-country cloud environments in AWS and Azure while meeting variety of technical challenges to remote access and management due to strict government regulations.
• Monitored and tested application performance to identify potential bottlenecks, develop solutions, and collaborate with developers on solution implementation.
• Defined cloud architecture for both hybrid and non-hybrid cloud solutions.
• Identified and remediated single points of failure and security risks.
• Displayed sound understanding of standard networking protocols, virtual networks, and load balancing.
• Collaborated with development and operations teams to develop practical automation solutions and custom modules.
• Performed deliverable security reviews for infrastructure code and guided team to achieve security best practices.
• Conducted multiple technical and leadership principle interviews for new hires.
• Provided solution designs to meet system strategies, capabilities, and technologies and to respond to current and future business requirements.
• Monitored end-to-end infrastructure using CloudWatch and Zabbix for notification.
• Designed secured, cost-optimized, highly available, and fault-tolerant infrastructure in AWS. Azure and GCP.
• Implemented VPC peering with other accounts, allowing access and routing to service and users of separate accounts to communicate.
• Developed baseline VPC and network designs, including leveraging VPN connectivity and Direct Connect.
• Implemented IAM best practices and role-based access control.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Oversee the planning, implementation, and maintenance of the organization's IT infrastructure, including networks, servers, hardware, and software.
• Ensure the availability, security, and scalability of IT systems and resources.
• Implemented AWS VPN tunnels to multiple locations, ensuring secure and reliable connectivity between the network endpoints.
• Coordinate with vendors and service providers to procure necessary equipment and services.
• Successfully managed on-premises Dell/HP/IBM servers for Active Directory, DHCP, DNS, RADIUS, File server, Replication, and Exchange servers, ensuring they are consistently up and running with an impressive 99.99% uptime, supporting smooth daily IT operations.
• Effectively managed Cisco manageable switches and routers, Cisco ASA, FortiGate, Juniper, Watchdog, and Palo Alto firewalls, meticulously overseeing the network transition across global branch offices to ensure a secure and seamless connectivity experience.
• Implemented a robust disaster recovery process by leveraging Backup Exec and Veeam backup tools, enabling efficient offsite and cloud backups for secure data preservation and seamless restoration in the event of a disaster.
• Successfully migrated on-premise Active Directory servers to the Azure cloud on a global scale and configured Azure AD Connect sync service to ensure the consistent synchronization of identity information between the cloud and on-premises server.
• Develop and implement the organization's IT strategy aligned with business goals and objectives.
• Identify and prioritize technology initiatives to improve operational efficiency and productivity.
• Conduct technology assessments and make recommendations for system upgrades or replacements.
• Lead and manage a team of IT professionals, including hiring, training, and performance evaluation.
• Delegate tasks and responsibilities effectively to ensure smooth operation and project execution.
• Foster a collaborative and productive work environment and provide mentorship and guidance to team members.
• Oversee the planning, implementation, and maintenance of the organization's IT infrastructure, including networks, servers, hardware, and software.
• Ensure the availability, security, and scalability of IT systems and resources.
• Coordinate with vendors and service providers to procure necessary equipment and services.
• Develop and enforce IT security policies and procedures to protect sensitive data and ensure compliance with industry regulations.
• Conduct risk assessments and implement appropriate security measures, including firewalls, antivirus software, and data encryption.
• Provide technical support and guidance to end-users on hardware, software, and network-related issues.
• Investigate and resolve IT incidents and problems in a timely manner.
• Implement IT service management best practices, such as incident management, change management, and problem management.
• Prepare and manage the IT department's budget, ensuring cost-effectiveness and optimal resource allocation.
• Conduct audits and assessments to monitor adherence to IT policies and compliance requirements.
• Collaborate with business leaders and department heads to understand their technology needs and align IT initiatives accordingly.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and automation to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

• Working knowledge of network configuration setup with TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS and LAN, WAN.
• Diagnose systems to resolve network connectivity issues of client computers and other devices.
• Interact directly with users to diagnose and fix system related issues.
• Utilize BMC ticketing system to resolve trouble tickets.
• Configure file and print sharing on Windows systems, create share folders and map other windows systems to the share folders.
• Administer installations and upgrades of software to Windows, Linux and UNIX operating systems.
• Apply patches and solutions to existing applications to fix bugs issues.
• Perform system build procedures for Microsoft Windows 2008/2012/2016/2019 servers and Microsoft Windows 7/8/10/11 client operating systems.
• Manage, monitor and troubleshoot Microsoft Windows servers and client operating systems in domain environment.
• Administer Active Directory administration, including promoting Windows server to domain controller, creating user accounts, resetting user passwords, managing and maintaining Active Directory and Group Policies.
• Perform computer operation scheduling, backup, storage and retrieval functions
• Responsible for performing server build procedures for Red Hat 7, 8, and Centos 6, 7 in the cloud and on-premise.
• Install and configure Samba on UNIX or Linux systems on premises or in the cloud.
• Configure Amazon AWS EC2 instances for Windows Server 2019 and RHEL8, setup IAM accounts and multifactor authentications.
• Perform automated tasks using bash shell scripting
• Maintain flexible schedule and respond to 7x24 on-call and weekend emergencies.
• Support, monitor, and maintain virtualized end user computing platform such as VMware ESX, vCentre, Hyper-V Environment.
• Provide technical support and advanced troubleshooting for 200 odd end user computing systems, software applications, and system configurations while providing exceptional customer service as part of third tier help desk support structure.

Laxcon Steels Limited.

• Designed proactive preventive maintenance schedules to prevent unnecessary downtime and hardware faults.
• Planned and implemented a complete on-premises IT infrastructure based on management's budgetary requirements and future objectives.
• Created alerts and configured monitoring of specified metrics to manage their on-premises IT infrastructure efficiently.
• Implemented corrective plans of action for network availability and latency.
• Completed reports detailing network and systems performance and downtime issues.
• Provisioned new software and hardware for use, following established security policies.
• Oversaw file system and storage upgrades while safeguarding data integrity and redundancy.
• Migrated data from legacy system to Tally databases.
• Worked with users to determine areas of technology in need of improved usability.
• Adopted cost-effective, useful solutions to implement into current systems.
• Delivered Tier 2 and Tier 3 support for problem identification, diagnosis and issue resolution.
• Created nightly jobs for database backups.
• Monitored networks and network devices to resolve technical problems quickly.
• Implemented, developed and tested installation and update of file servers, print servers and application servers.
• Planned and implemented upgrades to system hardware and software.

• Consulted with providers via phone, email, and in person to provide technical support for up to 80 users experiencing hardware and software issues.
• Created nightly jobs for database backups.
• Performed software installations and upgrades to Linux and Windows operating systems.
• Tested software remotely and onsite for server sets to maintain operational readiness.
• Integrated and updated software products to boost system compatibility.
• Implemented internet and intranet applications on multiple platforms.
• Mentored employees and offered constructive feedback for performance improvement.
• Configured and tested Windows Server operating systems with roles features.
• Evaluated software products to determine compatibility with existing systems.
• Installed and configured network printers and other peripheral devices.
• Designed and evaluated WAN and LAN connectivity technologies.