System Engineer

Start: ASAP | 📍 Remote | ⏱ Part-time to Full-time | 🕙 Working hours: 10:00–20:00 (GMT+3)
Contract: Long-term, Independent Contractor
Fluent English Required

About the Client – TradeTheNews.com
TradeTheNews.com is a private financial intelligence community trusted by professional traders and institutional investors. The platform delivers real-time analyst audio squawks, headline feeds, and interactive Q&A with analysts — 24 hours a day.
We are known for our speed and ability to filter out market noise, enabling clients to focus on their core activity — trading. Our global team includes former hedge fund analysts, proprietary and institutional traders, and specialists in equities, FX, futures, fixed income, and credit.

About the Role
We are looking for a Senior Microsoft/Linux/Virtualization Engineer with over 10 years of hands-on experience to manage and support enterprise-grade IT infrastructure for a high-availability financial services platform. This is a long-term remote contract role with potential to grow from part-time to full-time.
You will play a key role in maintaining Microsoft systems, VMware environments, and supporting a global team that depends on low-latency, mission-critical infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and support Microsoft-based IT infrastructure.
• Administer and troubleshoot virtualization environments (primarily VMware).
• Provide advanced technical support to both IT and non-IT users.
• Collaborate with software development teams for optimal resource planning and incident resolution.
• Maintain clear and up-to-date documentation on configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting steps.

Required Qualifications
🔹 Microsoft Infrastructure

• Deep expertise in Active Directory, including AD Forest migration, GPO, DNS, DHCP, DFS, WSUS.
• Hands-on experience with Windows Server and Windows endpoint administration.
• Strong background in Exchange 2016 and newer, including administration and support.
• Experience with Microsoft SQL Server 2008+ administration.
• Familiarity with patch management, antivirus systems, desktop standards, and hardware imaging.

🔹 Virtualization (VMware)

• Proven experience with VMware vSphere, ESXi 6.x+, and Horizon View 7.x+ (VDI).
• Solid understanding of virtualization infrastructure design and performance tuning.
• Strong skills in golden image maintenance, application layering, GPO-based user profile management.
• Experience diagnosing VDI issues (e.g. performance bottlenecks, CPU % ready, access errors).
• Knowledge of SAN/VSAN storage systems.

🔹 Linux Systems (Nice to Have)

• Experience with Ubuntu, CentOS, or RedHat.
• System performance tuning, monitoring tools, and scripting.
• Familiarity with Docker and Kubernetes container platforms.

🔹 Other Tools & Technologies

• Strong understanding of networking: VLANs, netmasks, ACLs, DHCP, DNS, routing.
• Experience with Zabbix, Kibana, or similar monitoring systems.
• Proficiency with Veeam backup and recovery solutions.
• Basic to advanced scripting skills (PowerShell, Ansible) for automation.

Preferred Certifications

• Microsoft Expert-level (MCSE or equivalent)
• VMware Certified Professional (VCP-DCV and/or VCP-DTM)
• Cisco CCNP or equivalent networking certification

Contract & Work Setup
Type: Independent contractor (you must be registered as self-employed in your country).
Work mode: Fully remote.
Schedule: 10:00–20:00 GMT+3.
Commitment: Part-time to Full-time, long-term