360 ONE - Server Management Lead

About the job :We are seeking a highly skilled and proactive Server Management Lead to oversee end-to-end operations of data center infrastructure. This role involves ensuring high availability, optimal performance, cost efficiency, and adherence to security standards across our server ecosystem. The candidate will also lead a team of six Level 1 and Level 2 engineers to achieve near-zero downtime while maintaining industry-leading operational excellence.Key Responsibilities :Infrastructure Management :- Design, deploy, and maintain golden images for consistent and secure server provisioning.- Ensure standardized builds and configurations across all environments.- Oversee hardware and OS lifecycle management, including patching and upgrades.Security & Compliance :- Conduct regular Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT).- Remediate identified risks in line with security best practices and compliance requirements.- Enforce access control, audit readiness, and adherence to organizational security policies.Performance & Capacity Planning :- Develop and maintain a capacity planning framework to anticipate and scale resources proactively.- Monitor system performance, troubleshoot bottlenecks, and optimize resource allocation.- Partner with architecture teams to align capacity with business growth.Monitoring & Uptime :- Implement and fine-tune end-to-end monitoring tools (infrastructure, application, and network layers).- Establish escalation procedures and SLAs to maintain 99.99% uptime.- Lead root cause analysis (RCA) for incidents and drive permanent corrective actions.Cost Optimization :- Analyze server utilization trends to identify cost-saving opportunities (rightsizing, consolidation, cloud/hybrid strategies).- Implement automation for provisioning, scaling, and decommissioning resources to reduce waste.- Provide periodic reporting to leadership on cost-performance balance.Leadership & Team Management :- Manage and mentor a team of 6 Level 1 & Level 2 engineers, fostering technical growth and operational discipline.- Define KPIs for performance, ticket resolution, and uptime accountability.- Promote a culture of continuous improvement, automation, and service excellence.Qualifications : - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.- 8-12 years of experience in server management/data center operations, including at least 3 years in a leadership role.- Strong expertise in virtualization, server operating systems (Linux/Windows), storage, and networking fundamentals.- Hands-on experience with monitoring platforms (Site 24 - 7, Patch Manager etc.) and automation tools (Ansible, Puppet, or similar) is added advantage - Proven track record of driving zero-downtime initiatives and cost optimization in enterprise environments.Key Competencies : - Technical Excellence - deep understanding of server operations and best practices.- Leadership - ability to lead and inspire a team, with strong decision-making skills.- Analytical Thinking - capacity planning, problem-solving, and cost analysis.- Resilience & Accountability - ensuring uptime and compliance under pressure.- Communication - ability to work cross-functionally and present technical insights to leadership.Success Metrics : - Consistent achievement of 99.99% uptime across server infrastructure.- Successful closure of all VAPT findings within SLA.- Demonstrated cost reduction in server operations through optimization initiatives.- Improved incident resolution times and reduced recurring issues.- High team engagement and skill growth within the engineering group. (ref:hirist.tech)