Resume

Brian Cole
IT Systems Administrator
CORE COMPETENCIES

Windows Server Administration, Linux Support, Microsoft 365 Administration, Entra ID / Active Directory, Hybrid Identity, AWS-Connected Systems, Virtualization, VMware, XCP-NG, Xen, Endpoint & Device Support, Backup / Recovery Operations, PowerShell Automation, Root-Cause Troubleshooting, Incident Response, Change Management, Maintenance Windows, Process Documentation, Knowledge Base Ownership, Vendor Coordination, Operational Reliability

HYBRID INFRASTRUCTURE & CLOUD FOCUS

Systems & Infrastructure: Windows Server, Linux, virtualization, endpoint services, backup operations, patching, firmware updates, and infrastructure reliability.

Identity & Cloud-Connected Services: Microsoft Entra ID, Active Directory, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, AWS-connected systems, and hybrid identity operations.

Reliability & Improvement: Root-cause troubleshooting, maintenance windows, change coordination, PowerShell automation, documentation, knowledge base ownership, and service continuity.

LEADERSHIP & OPERATIONS FOCUS

Operations Leadership: Help desk queue oversight, Tier I/II guidance, escalation ownership, incident response, on-call support, vendor coordination, and process improvement.

Enterprise Systems: Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Active Directory, Google Workspace, endpoint support, virtualization, Windows Server, Linux, SaaS platforms, and cloud-connected services.

Process Improvement: PowerShell automation, onboarding consistency, documentation, SOPs, maintenance windows, knowledge base ownership, and root-cause problem solving.

Senior systems administrator with 25+ years of experience supporting hybrid enterprise environments across Windows Server, Linux, Microsoft 365, Entra ID / Active Directory, virtualization, cloud-connected services, endpoints, backups, documentation, and high-availability operations. Proven record maintaining reliable infrastructure, resolving escalated system and user issues, supporting distributed environments, coordinating maintenance windows and technical changes, and improving operational consistency through PowerShell automation, root-cause troubleshooting, knowledge base ownership, and practical modernization. Experienced partnering with IT leadership and business users to implement stable, supportable systems that reduce operational risk.

U.S. Citizen | Eligible to pass background check

IT Operations Manager / Senior Systems Administrator
Staypineapple Hospitality, Kirkland, WA
I.T. Systems Administrator11/2023-Present

·  Support IT operations for a 24/7 distributed environment across 10 hotels and corporate headquarters, including servers, virtualization, identity platforms, endpoints, cloud services, documentation, and user support.

·  Serve as senior escalation point for infrastructure, endpoint, identity, networking, and system-level issues across a distributed hotel and corporate environment, minimizing downtime and maintaining service continuity.

·  Planned and helped define transition from on-prem Active Directory to Microsoft Entra ID, establishing a modern identity environment aligned to business requirements.

·  Manage hybrid identity and access for 250+ enterprise users across Microsoft Entra ID and Google Workspace, improving onboarding consistency and supporting least-privilege access.

·  Automated user provisioning and recurring administrative tasks with PowerShell, reducing manual workload by 30% and improving consistency for repeatable support processes.

·  Led system changes and VM consolidation with a focus on stability, documentation, and reduced operational risk; reduced hardware requirements by 25% while maintaining 99.99% uptime.

·  Diagnose root causes for infrastructure, networking, endpoint, and cloud-connected service issues, coordinating changes and escalations to restore service and prevent repeat problems.

·  Led migration to a centralized knowledge base, improving technical documentation, operational handoffs, and repeatable support procedures.

·  Provide after-hours/on-call support for a 24/7 operating environment, responding to infrastructure and business-continuity issues when needed.

Wargaming.net, Bellevue, WA
I.T. Systems Administrator9/2018-10/2023

·  Supported continuous operations for 12 servers, network services, and 200+ desktops for in-office and remote workers across U.S. studio environments.

·  Supported endpoint and systems operations using SCCM, Active Directory, Teams, Remote Desktop, VMware, and HP iLO across distributed environments.

·  Maintained VMware hosts and guest systems, including patching, firmware updates, hardware reliability, and day-to-day operational support.

·  Ensured Veeam backup procedures operated successfully and produced reliable backups for business-critical systems.

·  Provided after-hours escalation support for studio infrastructure, including datacenter server failure investigation, HP iLO access, VMware systems, Veeam backups, and production-impacting incidents.

·  Standardized inventory processes adopted across four studios, improving asset visibility and operational consistency.

·  Coordinated office moves, technical changes, and maintenance windows with 100% equipment availability for end users during transition periods.

Silicon Designs, Inc., Kirkland, WA
Systems Administrator / IT Support2015-2018

·  Supported bare-metal server, workstation, application, security, web, DNS, and network services for a manufacturing environment.

·  Maintained internal documentation, ticketing, and change-management processes to improve support consistency and reduce operational risk.

·  Developed and supported a PHP-based maintenance system inside WordPress to support legacy manufacturing workflows.

Rice University, Houston, TX
Systems Administrator / Workflow Analyst2010-2015

·  Administered virtualized Windows Server environments supporting OnBase and Microsoft SQL-backed document workflow systems.

·  Migrated 12+ departments from paper-based processes to digital archival workflows, including discovery, testing, training, and support.

·  Created knowledge base documentation and user training materials to improve service delivery and repeatable support.

University of Houston Hilton College, Houston, TX
IT Systems Administrator1998-2010

·  Designed and supported VMware ESX virtualization environment, modernizing legacy bare-metal server operations.

·  Supported desktops, servers, mobile devices, POS systems, labs, and customer-facing systems across an academic hospitality environment.

Education
B.S. Hotel & Restaurant Managment
University of Houston2000