Senior Infrastructure Engineer

Location: This role is based in our office located in Hammersmith, London + 1 day remote work per week

Assala Energy is a dynamic Oil and Gas Exploration and Production company committed to the sustainable development of its assets in Gabon. We value a collaborative approach, promote diversity, and prioritize safety and integrity in all our operations.

We are looking for a highly motivated and experienced Senior Infrastructure Engineer to join our global IT team. The successful candidate will play a key role in designing, implementing, maintaining, and supporting our entire IT infrastructure, which supports our business operations across multiple international locations.

This is a practical role requiring a combination of deep technical expertise in Microsoft, VMware, and Cloud technologies, strategic thinking, and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, international setting. The ideal candidate will be a proactive problem-solver, a mentor to junior team members, and a driving force in the ongoing improvement of our IT services.

Key Responsibilities

Infrastructure Management & Support:

• Design, build, and maintain the company's global IT infrastructure, including on-premises HPE/Dell server and storage hardware, co-located data centres, and cloud-based systems.
• Manage and administer our hybrid cloud environment, with a strong focus on Microsoft Azure, Entra ID, and Azure MDM for modern device management.
• Ensure the security of our infrastructure and data by managing on-premises and cloud security controls, and working closely with the Security Operations Centre (SoC) to action vulnerability management and system patching.
• Manage and maintain our Windows and Linux (CentOS, Red Hat, Ubuntu) server estate, as well as core Microsoft services (AD, GPO, DNS, NPS/Radius, CA, SMTP Relay), and our extensive VMware vSphere/vCenter virtualisation platform.
• Administer and optimise our System Centre Configuration Manager (SCCM) hierarchy, including Primary/Secondary sites, Distribution Points, Cloud Management Gateway (CMG), and Azure integration for global software deployment and updates.
• Manage and maintain our VDI environment (VMware Horizon / Citrix / OLVM), ensuring a reliable experience for our global user base.
• Take ownership of the company’s backup and disaster recovery solutions, primarily using Veeam, and manage our tape library infrastructure.
• Provide 3rd line support for complex technical issues, acting as an escalation point for the service desk and junior engineers.
• Plan and execute infrastructure projects, including upgrades, migrations, and new implementations.

Global Operations & Strategy:

• Collaborate with international teams to ensure the seamless delivery of IT services to all global employees.
• Address the challenges of a distributed workforce, utilising technologies like SCCM CMG, and VDI for remote access and device provisioning.
• Navigate the complexities of regional IT regulations and data sovereignty requirements (e.g., GDPR).
• Contribute to the development of the global IT roadmap and strategy, identifying opportunities for innovation and improvement.
• Manage relationships with third-party vendors and service providers across different regions.

Leadership & Mentoring:

• Act as a technical lead and mentor for junior infrastructure engineers, fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and professional development.
• Create and maintain comprehensive documentation for infrastructure, systems, and procedures within our knowledge base to ensure accurate and up-to-date information.
• Lead by example in promoting best practices for IT security, service management (ITIL), and project management.

Requirements

Extensive experience (typically 7+ years) in a senior infrastructure engineering role, preferably within a global or multi-site SME.

Expertise in the Microsoft Stack:

• In-depth knowledge of Active Directory, Group Policy Objects (GPOs), DNS, NPS (Radius), Certificate Authorities (CA), and SMTP relays. o Strong scripting and automation skills using PowerShell.

Cloud Technologies:

• Proven hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure (IaaS & PaaS, E5).
• Strong understanding of Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) for identity and access management.
• Experience with cloud-based device management, including Azure MDM and Windows Autopilot.

System Centre Configuration Manager (SCCM):

• Proficient in managing a complex SCCM environment, including Distribution Points (DPs), and Primary and Secondary sites over slow WAN links.
• Demonstrable experience with Cloud Management Gateway (CMG) configuration and Azure integration.
• Skilled in application packaging and deploying software, updates, and operating systems.
• Ability to troubleshoot and ensure replication between all sites is working as expected.

Virtualisation & VDI:

• Deep technical knowledge of VMware environments, including vSphere, vCenter, and ESXi host management. o Commercial experience with at least one central VDI platform: VMware Horizon, Citrix, or OLVM.

Hardware Experience:

• Hands-on experience with enterprise server and storage hardware from HPE and Dell.
• Experience managing and maintaining physical tape libraries.
• Familiarity with managing a diverse estate of endpoint devices (Laptops/Desktops) from Dell, HPE, and Lenovo. ·

Networking & Monitoring:

• A solid understanding of networking principles (TCP/IP, VLANs) and exposure to routing protocols such as OSPF.
• Experience using monitoring tools, specifically Zabbix.

Security & Asset Management:

• Direct experience with vulnerability management and patch management processes, working with security teams to ensure compliance.
• Proficiency in using asset discovery and management tools such as Lansweeper.

Server Operating Systems & Backups:

• Strong knowledge of various Linux distributions (CentOS, Red Hat, Ubuntu).
• Expertise in managing enterprise backup solutions, specifically Veeam Backup & Replication.

• Experience in ServiceNow administration and/or development would be a significant advantage.
• Relevant industry certifications, such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate,
• VMware Certified Professional (VCP), or other Microsoft 365/Security certifications.
• Familiarity with ITIL & NIST frameworks for service management.
• Experience working in an agile environment