Windows Architect

iSystems Ltd; Islamabad; On-site; PKR 3,000,000 - 5,400,000; Full time

Job summary

iSystems Ltd in Islamabad is seeking a Senior Windows Architect to design, standardize, and engineer enterprise-wide Windows platform solutions for large-scale environments. You will focus on automated Windows capabilities and collaborate across on-premises, hybrid, cloud, and container ecosystems.

The role covers Windows OS builds, security standards, SIEM integration, and 24x7 on-call support, with extensive SOC/DevOps coordination. Strong PowerShell and automation skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 12+ years of experience working with Enterprise Windows environments.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in a Senior Windows Administrator role and 5 years of experience in a Windows Engineering role within complex, large-scale environments.

Responsibilities

• Design, standardize, and develop enterprise-wide Windows platform solutions for large-scale environments.
• Drive the creation and maintenance of automated Windows build solutions, including SCCM.
• Create and maintain bare-metal server, virtual server, and container Golden Images along with profiles for specific use cases.
• Engineer Windows OS builds across VMware and OpenShift environments, including Windows virtual hosts and Windows containers.
• Develop and maintain Windows operating system standards across enterprise environments.
• Manage and optimize Windows Server operating systems, with strong knowledge of versions from Windows Server 2008 onwards.
• Design, implement, and manage Active Directory, DNS, and GPOs, including integration with Entra ID where required.
• Define Windows Server standards and security frameworks in collaboration with relevant stakeholder and security teams.
• Perform operating system performance tuning, including kernel, TCP/network optimization, CPU, memory, I/O, and networking analysis.
• Develop and maintain OS and hardware monitoring, configuration management, and automated rollback capabilities.
• Monitor enterprise server infrastructure, including Dell and HPE hardware, and develop automated firmware patching solutions.
• Integrate Windows monitoring and logging solutions with enterprise-wide monitoring platforms and SIEM technologies.
• Develop automation solutions using PowerShell and other automation tools to support engineering and BAU teams.
• Explore and implement AI-based solutions to improve Windows engineering and operational processes.
• Develop and implement future operating system versions, monitoring standards, configuration standards, and OS tuning for specific workloads such as MSSQL Server.
• Drive standardization, automation, and coding-first practices across the Windows ecosystem.
• Act as a Level 3 escalation point for critical Windows incidents and support root cause analysis.
• Investigate and troubleshoot complex Windows issues related to CPU, memory, I/O, networking, and kernel performance.
• Collaborate with Windows BAU, infrastructure, DevOps, Enterprise Architecture, Information Security teams to define enterprise standards and future-state solutions.
• Work with DevOps teams to establish standards for container images and with security teams to define and implement OS hardening.
• Establish and enforce Windows platform policies and controls in line with best practices and international standards.
• Engage with technology vendors and service partners to support platform improvements and drive relevant technology roadmaps.
• Participate in 24x7 on-call support for critical incidents where required.

Skills

Windows Server expertise

PowerShell scripting

Automation engineering

CI/CD pipelines

Kubernetes (cloud)

DevOps experience

SCCM knowledge

Stakeholder management

Troubleshooting and RCA

Networking/DNS/IP/TCP

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field

Tools

SCCM

PXE

OpenShift

VMware

Kubernetes

Ansible

PowerShell

CI/CD pipelines

Job description

The Senior Windows Architect is responsible for designing, standardizing, and engineering enterprise-wide Windows platform solutions for large-scale and mission-critical environments. The role focuses on developing reusable, automated Windows capabilities that can be consumed by Windows System Administration and infrastructure teams, rather than day-to-day BAU administration. The role works across on-premises, hybrid, cloud, virtualization, and container environments to ensure the Windows estate is resilient, scalable, secure, optimized, and aligned with enterprise standards.

Responsibilities

• Design, standardize, and develop enterprise-wide Windows platform solutions for large-scale environments
• Drive the creation and maintenance of automated Windows build solutions, including Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)
• Create and maintain bare-metal server, virtual server, and container Golden Images along with profiles for specific use cases
• Engineer Windows OS builds across VMware and Red Hat OpenShift environments, including Windows virtual hosts and Windows containers
• Develop and maintain Windows operating system standards across enterprise environments
• Manage and optimize Windows Server operating systems, with strong knowledge of versions from Windows Server 2008 onwards
• Design, implement, and manage Active Directory, DNS, and Group Policy Objects (GPOs), including integration with Entra ID where required
• Define Windows Server standards and security frameworks in collaboration with relevant stakeholder and security teams
• Perform operating system performance tuning, including kernel, TCP/network optimization, CPU, memory, I/O, and networking analysis
• Develop and maintain OS and hardware monitoring, configuration management, and automated rollback capabilities
• Monitor enterprise server infrastructure, including Dell and HPE hardware, and develop automated firmware patching solutions
• Integrate Windows monitoring and logging solutions with enterprise-wide monitoring platforms and SIEM technologies
• Develop automation solutions using PowerShell and other automation tools to support engineering and BAU teams
• Explore and implement AI-based solutions to improve Windows engineering and operational processes
• Develop and implement future operating system versions, monitoring standards, configuration standards, and OS tuning for specific workloads such as MSSQL Server
• Drive standardization, automation, and coding-first practices across the Windows ecosystem
• Act as a Level 3 escalation point for critical Windows incidents and support root cause analysis
• Investigate and troubleshoot complex Windows issues related to CPU, memory, I/O, networking, and kernel performance
• Collaborate with Windows BAU, infrastructure, DevOps, Enterprise Architecture, and Information Security teams to define enterprise standards and future-state solutions
• Work with DevOps teams to establish standards for container images and with security teams to define and implement OS hardening
• Establish and enforce Windows platform policies and controls in line with best practices and international standards
• Engage with technology vendors and service partners to support platform improvements and drive relevant technology roadmaps
• Participate in 24x7 on-call support for critical incidents where required

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent experience
• 12+ years of experience working with Enterprise Windows environments
• Minimum 5 years of experience in a Senior Windows Administrator role and 5 years of experience in a Windows Engineering role within complex, large-scale environments
• Deep understanding of Windows Server operating systems, including Windows Server 2008 and later versions
• Hands‑on experience with SCCM and automated installation using PXE, DHCP, and Redfish
• Strong knowledge of DNS, NFS, NTP, SNMP, SMTP, Active Directory, TCP, and Ethernet
• Experience with Packer, DevOps technologies, CI/CD pipelines, container registries, and Ansible
• Strong experience in Windows OS fault finding, troubleshooting, and performance tuning
• Hands‑on experience creating and managing standard OS and container images across on‑premises VMware, OpenShift, and cloud environments
• Experience with Windows virtualization and container platforms, including VMware and Red Hat OpenShift
• Strong understanding of Windows security hardening, configuration standards, and enterprise platform controls
• Experience with monitoring, logging, SIEM integration, and enterprise observability platforms
• Strong PowerShell scripting and automation capabilities
• Experience with Kubernetes in cloud environments
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and root cause analysis skills
• Ability to work effectively across Infrastructure, Application, DevOps, Enterprise Architecture, Information Security, and vendor teams
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Microsoft AZ-800: Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure
• Microsoft AZ-801: Configuring Windows Server Hybrid Advanced Services
• AWS or Azure cloud certifications
• Experience working within highly regulated, complex, and mission‑critical banking environments
• Experience with enterprise monitoring and observability platforms such as Splunk, ELK, and AppDynamics