Windows Architect

Systems Limited; Lahore; On-site; PKR 4,200,000 - 7,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Systems Limited seeks a Senior Windows Architect to design and standardize enterprise-wide Windows platform solutions across on-prem, hybrid, and cloud environments. The role focuses on reusable, automated capabilities for Windows OS builds, AD, DNS, GPOs, and security with enterprise standards.

You will partner with BAU, DevOps, Security, and Infra teams to drive automation (PowerShell), CI/CD pipelines, and modern image management (SCCM, Packer).

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in CS/IT.
• 12+ years in Enterprise Windows environments.
• 5+ years in Senior Windows Admin and Windows Engineering roles.
• Deep knowledge of Windows Server 2008+ and AD.
• Experience with SCCM and automated OS deployment.
• Strong PowerShell scripting and automation.
• Experience with VMware, OpenShift, and containers.
• Familiarity with security hardening and enterprise controls.
• Experience with monitoring, SIEM, and observability platforms.

Responsibilities

• Design, standardize, and develop enterprise-wide Windows platform solutions.
• Create automated Windows build solutions including SCCM.
• Develop and maintain OS and container images and profiles.
• Engineer Windows OS builds across VMware and OpenShift envs.
• Define Windows Server standards and security frameworks.
• Performance tuning for OS, kernel, and network components.
• Implement monitoring, logging, and SIEM integrations.
• Develop automation using PowerShell and other tools.
• Collaborate with BAU, DevOps, Security and Infra teams.
• Provide Level 3 escalation support for critical incidents.

Skills

Windows OS

SCCM

PowerShell

Automation

CI/CD

OpenShift

VMware

Active Directory

Networking

Security hardening

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science/IT or related field

Tools

Packer

Ansible

Kubernetes

Terraform

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