Lead Server Engineer

Professional Recruitment Network; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Professional Recruitment Network seeks an experienced Lead Server Engineer to provide technical leadership across enterprise server infrastructure. The role covers design, implementation, optimisation and support for on-prem and cloud environments, ensuring secure, resilient operations.

The candidate will lead server initiatives, deliver Tier 3 support, mentor the team and coordinate with stakeholders and service providers to align with business goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in IT, Computer Science or related field preferred.
• 3+ years' experience supporting Microsoft 365 and enterprise server environments.
• VMware/Proxmox certification is essential; AWS certification/Profile advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, maintain and optimise enterprise server infrastructure across physical, virtual and cloud environments.
• Provide Tier 3 support for complex incidents and root-cause analysis.
• Mentor infrastructure team and collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders and external providers.
• Lead security, disaster recovery planning and compliance programs across on-prem and cloud.
• Drive automation using PowerShell and other infrastructure management tools.

Skills

VMware/Proxmox

Active Directory

Azure AD

PowerShell

Hybrid infrastructure

SaaS applications

Cloud networking

Security & compliance

AWS Certification

Project Management

SQL Server

SAP exposure

Microsoft 365

Education

Bachelor's Degree in IT/CS or related field

Tools

Veeam

ITIL

Sophos

Mimecast

Rapid7

Datto

KnowBe4

Job description

Our client, a leading FMCG organisation, is recruiting for an experienced Lead Server Engineer to provide technical leadership across its enterprise server infrastructure. This senior role is responsible for the design, implementation, optimisation and support of both on-premises and cloud environments, ensuring secure, resilient and high-performing infrastructure that supports the business.

The successful candidate will lead server infrastructure initiatives, provide Tier 3 technical support, drive infrastructure strategy and modernisation projects, and act as the highest point of escalation for complex server-related incidents. This role also provides mentorship to the infrastructure team while working closely with internal stakeholders and external service providers

Key Responsibilities:

Server Infrastructure

• Design, implement, maintain and optimise enterprise server infrastructure across physical, virtual and cloud environments
• Manage Windows Server environments, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy and identity services
• Oversee storage platforms (SAN/NAS), backup solutions, disaster recovery environments and business continuity planning
• Lead server lifecycle management, infrastructure upgrades, hardware refreshes and capacity planning
• Develop and maintain server standards, installation procedures and technical documentation
• Manage and optimise Microsoft Azure and hybrid cloud environments
• Support workload migrations, hybrid identity solutions and cloud-based infrastructure services
• Drive automation initiatives using PowerShell and other infrastructure management tools
• Design and implement Azure IaaS and PaaS solutions while ensuring optimal performance and cost efficiency

Security & Compliance

• Maintain server security through patch management, vulnerability remediation and system hardening
• Implement and enforce security frameworks, policies and compliance standards
• Support disaster recovery planning, data protection strategies and regular security assessment
• Manage certificate services, privileged access controls and server security baselines

Operations & Leadership

• Provide Tier 3 support for complex infrastructure incidents and perform root cause analysis
• Lead infrastructure projects, migrations and technology improvement initiatives
• Mentor and provide technical leadership to the server infrastructure team
• Collaborate with networking, cybersecurity, application and vendor teams to deliver reliable infrastructure services
• Ensure service levels, availability, backup and recovery objectives are consistently achieved

Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree in IT, Computer Science or related field (preferred)
• VMware/Proxmox Professional certification (essential)
• Veeam, ITIL, Sophos, Mimecast, Rapid7, Datto and KnowBe4 experience
• AWS Certification and Project Management qualification advantageous
• Minimum 3 years' experience supporting Microsoft 365 and enterprise server environments
• Strong experience with Active Directory, Azure AD, PowerShell scripting, SaaS applications and hybrid infrastructure
• Experience with Azure IaaS/PaaS, storage platforms, backup technologies, disaster recovery and enterprise security
• Exposure to SAP infrastructure, SQL Server and cloud networking technologies such as ExpressRoute and Site-to-Site VPN would be advantageous
• Excellent communication, documentation, problem-solving and stakeholder management skills