System Administrator It

Ali Farhad Howaida

Arlington, VA ️ ***.*********@*****.*** 571-***-**** LinkedIn

Professional Summary

IT System Administrator with 14+ years of experience securing enterprise infrastructure, managing hybrid IT environments, and delivering mission-critical support. Specialized in Windows Server, Active Directory, AWS Cloud, and cybersecurity with proven success in government and enterprise settings. Strong record of reducing downtime, improving system performance, and leading cross-functional teams.

Core Skills

Windows Server Active Directory Group Policy Networking (LAN/WAN, VPN, VoIP)

AWS Cloud (EC2, S3, RDS, VPC, IAM, Lambda) Docker Kubernetes

ServiceNow ITIL Incident & Problem Management Root Cause Analysis

Cybersecurity Firewall Administration Disaster Recovery System Optimization

Leadership Stakeholder Communication Cross-Functional Collaboration

Professional Experience

Blitz Flooring & Construction Group – Lorton, VA

IT System Administrator 2023 – 2024

Secured and maintained IT systems, servers, and networks ensuring 24/7 uptime.

Enforced cybersecurity protocols to mitigate risks and safeguard sensitive data.

Improved support efficiency by reducing average helpdesk response time by 30%.

Performed system monitoring, backups, and disaster recovery operations.

Afghanistan CEO Office – Kabul, Afghanistan

IT System Administrator & Communications Lead 2014 – 2021

Directed IT infrastructure, networks, and telecom systems for executive operations.

Established IT governance policies ensuring compliance and data integrity.

Coordinated secure communications with NATO, U.S. military, and stakeholders.

Managed IT contracts and vendor relations to align with strategic goals.

Jahan Technology Corporation (JTC), U.S. Army Contractor – Kabul, Afghanistan

IT System Administrator 2007 – 2014

Led a team of 250 technicians across 34 provinces supporting military IT operations.

Managed Active Directory, Group Policies, Windows Servers, and Symantec Firewalls.

Implemented disaster recovery plans, achieving 100% data restoration during outages.

Reduced network downtime by 25% through proactive monitoring and optimization.

Certifications

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA)

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

CompTIA A+

Technical Proficiencies

Platforms: Windows, MacOS, AWS Cloud

Networking: TCP/IP, VPN, SSH, LAN/WAN, VoIP, PKI

Tools: ServiceNow, SharePoint, JIRA, MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Project)

Cloud & DevOps: AWS (EC2, S3, RDS, IAM, Lambda, CloudFormation), Docker, Kubernetes

Education

American University of Afghanistan – Kabul, Afghanistan

B.A. Political Science & Public Administration Minor: ICT 2017

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