Must-have (mandatory)
Tier 1 — Expert level; a prerequisite for the role.
- Microsoft Active Directory: GPO, replication, DNS integration, permissions, auditing, and troubleshooting.
- Networking: DNS, DHCP, firewalls, and VPN — must be able to debug issues, not just configure services following a manual.
- Google Workspace: Administration, groups, security policies, 2FA, and basic DLP (Data Loss Prevention).
Tier 2 — Solid, practical proficiency.
- IaC (Infrastructure as Code): Terraform, Ansible.
- Monitoring and alerting: Zabbix, Prometheus, Grafana.
- Scripting: Python, Bash, PowerShell.
- MDM (Mobile Device Management): Intune, Mosyle, Addigy, or Jamf.
- Azure and AWS: IaaS, IAM/roles, networking, and basic cost management (not requiring a full-scale DevOps architect role).
- GitLab: Administration, runners, and CI/CD for infrastructure tasks.
- Keycloak: Realms, clients, SSO (via SAML/OIDC), AD/LDAP integration, and federation.
- 802.1X / RADIUS authentication for Wi-Fi, integrated with AD or Keycloak.
Tier 3 — Advanced user proficiency.
Experience and Skills
- 2+ years of team leadership (managing 3+ engineers) — specifically in a management capacity, not just as a "senior" team member.
- 5+ years in IT infrastructure or system administration.
- Experience with established incident and problem management processes (moving beyond manual "firefighting").
- Experience managing infrastructure changes from initial concept to production deployment.
Soft Skills
- Ownership: Takes full responsibility for a problem, including aspects that may fall outside their formal scope.
- Prioritization under pressure: Able to distinguish between what is truly "urgent" and what is merely "loud." Communication with non-specialists: explains things in simple terms and knows how to say "no" while providing a rationale.
- Proactivity: brings forward suggestions rather than a list of complaints.
- Developing others: delegates tasks instead of doing everything for the team himself.