Raza Haider
San Antonio,TX
Summary
Results-driven senior IT leader with 20+ years of experience architecting and securing enterprise infrastructure across large-scale, multi-site environments. Proven ability to maintain 99.9%+ system uptime supporting 8,000+ users across 40+ locations, while steering $2M+ annual IT budgets and reducing operational costs by 18%+. Skilled at building and leading high-performing engineering teams, aligning technology strategy with business objectives, and establishing robust cybersecurity and governance frameworks that stand up to audit scrutiny.
Overview
1
1
Certification
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
IT Director
Veterans Transportation Services
Waltham, MA
05.2009 - Current
- IT Director – Infrastructure & Security 2009 – Present
- Veterans Transportation / MTG Group | Waltham, MA
- Lead all enterprise infrastructure and cybersecurity operations across a distributed environment supporting 8,000+ users at 40+ locations. Manage a $2M+ IT budget, maintain 99.9%+ uptime, and direct a team of 12+ engineers.
- Spearheaded enterprise-wide infrastructure modernization initiative, enhancing scalability, performance, and resilience across all 40+ sites, sustaining 99.9%+ uptime for mission-critical operations.
- Designed and enforced a comprehensive cybersecurity control framework encompassing identity & access management, endpoint protection, and network security — significantly reducing organizational risk exposure.
- Strengthened incident detection and response capabilities through deployment of layered defense strategies, resulting in reduced mean time to detection and containment of cyber threats.
- Architected and operationalized disaster recovery and business continuity plans, ensuring rapid recovery of critical systems and minimizing potential business disruption.
- Enterprise Operations & Lifecycle Management
- Governance, Financial & Team Leadership
- Manage $2M+ annual IT budget; optimized vendor spend and resource allocation, delivering 18%+ cost savings through strategic contract renegotiation and service consolidation.
- Developed IT governance frameworks, SOPs, and compliance standards, improving audit readiness and bolstering organizational risk posture.
- Built and scaled a high-performing team of 12+ IT engineers, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and technical excellence.
- Served as an executive IT advisor, translating complex technology risks and opportunities into actionable business strategy recommendations for C-suite leadership.
- Served as an executive IT advisor, translating complex technology risks and opportunities into actionable business strategy recommendations for C-suite leadership.
Network Administrator
National Dentex Corporation
Natick, MA
01.2004 - 12.2009
- Supported 44 remote locations in a multi-domain Microsoft environment, delivering enterprise-level server, network, and workstation administration. Ensured high availability, security, and performance across mission-critical systems while providing advanced technical support to end-users and business units.
- Contributed key insights to projects
- Resolved complex issues and delivered high-level technical support on SonicWall-supported networks, enhancing operational reliability.
- Administered Microsoft Exchange Server, including mailbox management and system maintenance.
- Configured and maintained internet filtering, endpoint security, and workstation protection.
- Performed system backups, restorations, and disaster recovery tasks to protect business data.
- Managed user accounts, security policies, and group structures within Active Directory.
- Managed creation and maintenance of VPN accounts for remote staff, facilitating secure access to corporate resources.
- Produced system documentation, SOPs, and IT policies to standardize operations and support compliance.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to implement IT solutions, upgrades, and infrastructure improvements.
- Designed and maintained corporate intranet and internet sites to support internal communication.
Technical Manager
Tech Team Works
Worcester, MA
01.2002 - 12.2005
- Designed, implemented, and supported corporate network infrastructures across diverse business environments. Delivered consulting services spanning network administration, application development, and business process analysis. Served as a hands-on technical lead for complex deployments and modernization initiatives.
- Highlighted significant achievements in network design and administration.
- Designed and installed corporate networks of varying sizes, architectures, and types.
- Administered Windows NT/2000 and Novell 3.x/4.x environments to maintain stability and security.
- Implemented and supported Exchange Server 5.x/2003 and IIS 4.x/5.x, enhancing enterprise messaging and web service capabilities.
- Managed network peripherals like routers, switches, and hubs to ensure reliable infrastructure operations.
- Utilized enterprise management tools such as SMS TNG and Intel LANDesk for software deployment, inventory, and remote administration.
- Installed and maintained Category 5 cabling to support reliable network connectivity.
- Delivered consulting engagements in web development, business process analysis, custom application development, and network administration.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business and Computer Science
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Boston, MASkills
- System Documentation, Inventory and SOP and policy creation Supervising experience - Supervising experience (More than 20 years) Windows Computer networking JavaScript Middleware systems Cost reduction in IT projects - Cost reduction in IT projects (11-20%) IT security management Requirements gathering Mentoring Vendor contract management Network security implementation Agile product development Executive-level team management Vendor relationship management Business requirements Opera web browsers Operating systems Visual Basic Enterprise software SQL Azure Project team coordination VPN management Project scheduling IT strategy Database software proficiency Database systems development Implementing cloud migration projects Productivity software IT governance Project budget management - Project budget managed ($1M-$2M) Cybersecurity initiatives Cloud networking Compliance Data management Maintenance (project management phases) SAP Data Services Computer hardware Software implementation Budgeting UNIX Project development phase management Investment planning Managerial strategic planning Project stakeholder communication Risk assessment Network routing Team development Design (project management phases) Technology evaluation (project management tasks) Project risk assessment Compliance audits & assessments Team member evaluation Change management Project leadership Network troubleshooting Business continuity planning Planning (project management phases) Cross-functional team management Decision making Information security auditing Technology team management Help desk Netscape Communicator Regulatory compliance VPN TCP FTP Mozilla (FireFox) Microsoft Exchange MSIE Active Directory AWS Senior leadership SaaS Mobile application development Technical documentation IT strategy planning Wireless networking Network switching AI Database management Strategic planning Web applications Implementing IT solutions - Largest number of clients impacted through IT solution implementation (1-1,000 clients) DHCP TCP/IP User management - Largest daily user count managed (100-1,000 users) Ethernet Cross-functional communication IT disaster recovery planning Endpoint Security Risk management Launching new IT products - New IT products launched (More than 8 products) Cloud migration Vendor management Disaster recovery Equipment troubleshooting LAN ASP Resource allocation (project management tasks) Performance tuning Deployment coordination HTML Symantec Antivirus Corporate Edition and McAfee Virus Scan Enterprise Analysis (software development lifecycle) Microsoft Office Microsoft Outlook Citrix Email IT operations Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) Information security compliance Team building activities Microsoft Excel Stakeholder management Internet/Intranet development/administration Data-driven decision making IIS VP IT project team management - VP IT project team management (11-25 team members) Project management in technology Cybersecurity Azure Data Factory IT help desk implementation Team motivation (leadership skill) Cloud-based systems SaaS platforms IT System administration Web development User acceptance testing Technical troubleshooting support
- Infrastructure architecture
- Cybersecurity governance
- Identity management
- Disaster recovery planning
Certification
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate Present The Azure Administrator implements, manages, and monitors identity, governance, storage, compute, and virtual networks in a cloud environment. The Azure Administrator will provision, size, monitor, and adjust resources as appropriate. Successful Azure Administrators start this role with experience in virtualization, networking, identity, and storage.
- Understanding of on-premises virtualization technologies, including: VMs, virtual networking, and virtual hard disks.
- Understanding of network configurations, including TCP/IP, Domain Name System (DNS), virtual private networks (VPNs), firewalls, and encryption technologies.
- Understanding of Active Directory concepts, including users, groups, and role-based access control.
- Understanding of resilience and disaster recovery, including backup and restore operations.
- Google Discover the Art of Prompting Engineering February 2026 to Present Prompt engineering is the art and science of designing and optimizing prompts to guide AI models, particularly LLMs, towards generating the desired responses. By carefully crafting prompts, you provide the model with context, instructions, and examples that help it understand your intent and respond in a meaningful way. Think of it as providing a roadmap for the AI, steering it towards the specific output you have in mind.
- AIC Certification - Google AI essentials February 2026 to Present
- Maximize Productivity With AI Tools January 2026 to Present Boost productivity with AI by automating repetitive tasks, summarizing long documents, and generating content ideas using tools like ChatGPT, Notion, and Fathom. Key strategies include using AI for scheduling, enhancing writing, analyzing data, and accelerating research, allowing you to focus on high-value, creative work.
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert January 2026 to Present Essential for designing enterprise-scale Azure environments
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) January 2025 to Present Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) affirms your ability to assess risks, implement effective governance, and proactively respond to incidents. With a highlight on emerging technologies such as AI and blockchain, it guarantees your skillset meets evolving security threats and industry requirements. By addressing top-of-mind concerns like data breaches and ransomware attacks, crucial for IT professionals, this certification ensures you are staying ahead of the pace of change.
- VMware Certified Professional January 2024 to Present The VMware Certified Distinguished Expert (VCDX) certification validates advanced skills in designing and architecting VMware solutions
- Dell EMC Backup Recovery Solutions Specialist May 2022 to Present A Dell EMC Backup Recovery Solutions Specialist Designs, implements, and manages data protection strategies using Dell PowerProtect, Data Domain, Avamar, and NetWorker technologies. Certification validates expertise in backup architecture, cloud integration, cyber recovery, and disaster recovery, ensuring business continuity across physical and virtual environments
- CompTIA Security+
- PMP
- Certified Project Manager
- Master of City Planning
- Driver's License
- CompTIA Network+
- PMI Certification
Personal Information
- Title: IT Director
- Driving License: Driver's License
- Work Permit: Authorized to work in the US for any employer
Additional Information
Authorized to work in the US for any employer
Timeline
IT Director
Veterans Transportation Services
05.2009 - Current
Network Administrator
National Dentex Corporation
01.2004 - 12.2009
Technical Manager
Tech Team Works
01.2002 - 12.2005
Bachelor of Science - Business and Computer Science
Massachusetts Institute of Technology