Senior Network & Infrastructure Engineer

FAROOQ IQBAL

SENIOR NETWORK & INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEER

https://www.linkedin.com/in/farooq-iqbal-7502b827/ PROFILE

Senior Network & Infrastructure

Engineer with 15+ years of experience

designing, implementing, and supporting

enterprise IT infrastructure, network

security, and data center environments.

Skilled in LAN/WAN, MPLS, routing and

switching, Palo Alto, Fortinet, Cisco,

Windows Server, Active Directory,

Microsoft 365, Azure, VMware, and

disaster recovery. Experienced in

delivering secure, highly available

infrastructure, leading infrastructure

migration and modernization projects,

and supporting ITIL-based operations

across complex enterprise environments.

CONTACT

+973-********

******.*****@*******.***

LANGUAGES

• English - Fluent

• Urdu - Native

Nationality: Pakistan

Current Location: Bahrain

Marital Status: Single

Notice Period: 30 Days

EDUCATION

University of Karachi

1997-1999

Master of Computer Science

University of Karachi

1993-1996

Bachelor of Commerce

WORK EXPERIENCE

Etisalcom Bahrain Company W.L.L. (Network Engineer) January 2011–Present

• Designed, implemented, and administered secure enterprise LAN/WAN/MPLS infrastructures across multiple customer sites and data center environments, ensuring high availability and business continuity.

• Configured and managed 200+ Cisco, Huawei, Juniper, Palo Alto, and Fortinet network devices, ensuring high availability and optimal performance.

• Administered network security solutions including firewalls, IDS, NAT, VPNs, ACLs, and network segmentation in compliance with security and audit requirements.

• Monitored network performance, performed proactive capacity planning, and optimized service availability in line with defined SLAs.

• Provided 2nd and 3rd level support, resolving complex network incidents and restoring critical services within agreed SLA targets.

• Led firewall migration, multi-site deployment, and data center expansion projects with minimal service disruption, following ITIL change management processes.

• Developed and maintained technical documentation, including network diagrams, configurations, operational procedures, and disaster recovery documentation.

• Collaborated with internal stakeholders, service desk teams, SOC, vendors, and service providers to support daily operations and deliver infrastructure projects.

• Supported disaster recovery, business continuity, and ITIL-based service management, ensuring secure and resilient network operations.

• Mentored junior engineers and provided technical guidance on network security, firewall administration, and operational best practices. Technical Skills:

• Network Infrastructure: Enterprise LAN/WAN, MPLS, TCP/IP, VLAN, VPN, DNS, DHCP, and High Availability

• Routing & Switching: Cisco, Huawei, OSPF, BGP, RIP, Layer 2/Layer 3 Switching, ACLs

• Network Security: Palo Alto, Fortinet, Juniper, Huawei, Cisco ASA, IDS/IPS, NAT, Network Segmentation

• Cloud & Virtualization: Microsoft Azure, VMware, Hyper-V

• Systems Administration: Windows Server, Active Directory, Microsoft 365, Exchange

• Wireless & Load Balancing: Enterprise WLAN, Wi-Fi, F5 Load Balancers

• Monitoring & Performance: SolarWinds, PRTG, Cacti, MRTG, SNMP, NetFlow, Capacity Planning

• Business Continuity: Disaster Recovery, Backup & Recovery, Business Continuity Planning

• IT Service Management: ITIL, Incident, Problem, Change & Configuration Management

• Project Delivery: Infrastructure Migrations, Data Center Deployments, Vendor & Stakeholder Management, Technical Documentation

Bosch Pharmaceuticals Pakistan (Systems & Network Administrator) June 2008–December 2010

• Administered Windows Server, Linux, and SQL Server environments, ensuring system availability, security, and reliable performance.

• Managed Active Directory, user accounts, group policies, and server maintenance to support daily business operations.

• Supported and maintained 100+ endpoints, delivering technical support, software deployment, patch management, and regular backup and recovery operations.

• Configured and maintained LAN/WAN infrastructure, VPN connectivity, switches, routers, DNS, DHCP, and network security controls.

• Monitored system and network performance, troubleshooting hardware, software, and connectivity issues to minimize downtime.

• Implemented security policies, access controls, and system updates to maintain a secure and compliant IT environment.

Chippa Textiles Pakistan (IT Manager)

July 2006–June 2008

• Managed and maintained Windows Server, SQL Server, LAN/WAN infrastructure, and enterprise backup solutions to ensure reliable IT operations.

• Administered network infrastructure, including switches, routers, TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, and VPN connectivity, supporting business-critical services.

• Led day-to-day IT operations, including infrastructure maintenance, hardware deployment, software installation, and end-user support across the organization.

• Coordinated with external vendors and service providers for IT procurement, maintenance, and infrastructure upgrades.

• Implemented preventive maintenance, system monitoring, and backup procedures to improve system availability and business continuity.

• Maintained technical documentation and provided technical guidance to support efficient IT operations. CERTIFICATIONS:

Palo Alto Networks

• Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE) Cisco

• Cisco Certified Network Professional Enterprise (CCNP) (In Progress) Juniper Networks

• JNCIA-SEC (Security)

• JNCIA-DevOps

Huawei

• HCIP – Routing & Switching

• HCIA – Data Communication

• HCIA – WLAN

• HCIA – Security

• HCIA – Access

• HCIE – Cloud Computing (Written)

Fortinet

• Fortinet Certified Associate (FCA) – Cybersecurity Alibaba Cloud

• Alibaba Cloud Associate (ACA) – Cloud Computing

KEY PROJECTS:

Enterprise Firewall Migration

• Led the migration of enterprise firewall infrastructure, ensuring minimal downtime and successful implementation through ITIL change management.

Data Center Infrastructure Expansion

• Supported data center expansion, including rack installation, structured cabling, Cisco network equipment deployment, and infrastructure migration.

Multi-site Network Deployment

• Designed and deployed secure LAN/WAN connectivity, Cisco switching, wireless infrastructure, and VoIP services across multiple customer locations.

Contact this candidate