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Information Technology · Mid level

Infrastructure Engineer job description

An Infrastructure Engineer builds and maintains the servers, virtualization, storage, network links and backup systems that business applications run on. They install and patch servers, create virtual machines, configure storage and backups, monitor health and fix issues escalated from the helpdesk or monitoring tools. The role reports to the infrastructure manager in mid-sized companies, BPOs, data centres and IT services firms. A good Infrastructure Engineer keeps systems patched and documented, fixes causes rather than symptoms and never skips a change record.

DetailFor this role
DepartmentInformation Technology
LevelMid level
Reports toInfrastructure Manager
Direct reportsNone
Experience3 to 6 years in server, virtualization or data centre support

Infrastructure Engineer job description template

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Job title: Infrastructure Engineer

Department: Information Technology

Reports to: Infrastructure Manager

Location: [City], [office, branch or site]

About the role

An Infrastructure Engineer builds and maintains the servers, virtualization, storage, network links and backup systems that business applications run on. They install and patch servers, create virtual machines, configure storage and backups, monitor health and fix issues escalated from the helpdesk or monitoring tools. The role reports to the infrastructure manager in mid-sized companies, BPOs, data centres and IT services firms. A good Infrastructure Engineer keeps systems patched and documented, fixes causes rather than symptoms and never skips a change record.

Key responsibilities

  • Install and configure physical and virtual Windows and Linux servers to the company's build standards.
  • Create and manage virtual machines, templates and resource pools on VMware or Hyper-V.
  • Allocate storage, manage LUNs and file shares, and track capacity on SAN and NAS systems.
  • Check backup jobs every morning, rerun failures and carry out restores on request.
  • Apply monthly operating system and firmware patches in the approved windows.
  • Watch server health, disk, memory and service alerts, and resolve or escalate them within SLA.
  • Manage Active Directory, DNS, DHCP and group policies for the domain.
  • Raise a change record for every change, and update the CMDB and diagrams afterwards.
  • Work with OEM and AMC engineers on hardware faults, parts replacement and firmware bugs.
  • Support data centre work such as rack installs, cabling, decommissioning and DR tests.

Requirements

  • B.E., B.Tech, B.Sc IT or a diploma in computer engineering
  • Azure Administrator, RHCSA or VCP-DCV certification is an advantage
  • 3 to 6 years in server, virtualization or data centre support

KRAs and KPIs for a Infrastructure Engineer

Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.

Key result areaHow to measure it
Incident resolutionAt least 95 percent of infrastructure tickets resolved within SLA each month
PatchingAssigned servers patched within the monthly patch window, with exceptions documented
Backup successFailed backup jobs rerun or escalated the same day, with daily success above 98 percent
Change disciplineEvery change made under an approved change record, with the CMDB updated within 2 days
Build qualityNew servers pass the build checklist and security baseline before handover
DocumentationRunbooks for every system the engineer owns reviewed each quarter

Skills and tools

Windows Server and Linux administrationVMware vSphere or Hyper-VActive Directory, DNS and DHCPSAN and NAS storage basicsBackup softwareNetworking fundamentalsPowerShell or Bash scriptingITIL incident and change practiceMethodical troubleshootingTeam player

Tools used day to day: VMware vCenter, Windows Server, Red Hat or Ubuntu Linux, Veeam Backup, Active Directory tools, Zabbix or PRTG, ServiceNow or ManageEngine.

Reporting line and career path

Infrastructure ManagerInfrastructureEngineer

Interview questions for a Infrastructure Engineer

  1. A virtual machine is slow even though the host looks fine. Where do you look?
  2. Walk me through restoring a deleted folder from last week's backup.
  3. How do you patch a two-node cluster without downtime?
  4. Users in one branch cannot log in to the domain. What do you check?
  5. What goes into a change record for a server reboot?
  6. How would you automate a daily health check across 100 servers?

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Frequently asked questions

What does an infrastructure engineer do?

An infrastructure engineer builds and maintains the servers, virtualization, storage, backups and core network services that applications run on. They install and patch servers, create virtual machines, manage storage and Active Directory, check backups, respond to alerts and work with hardware vendors, logging and documenting every change.

What is the difference between an infrastructure engineer and a system administrator?

The roles overlap. A system administrator usually manages servers, users and services for an office or company. An infrastructure engineer tends to work at a larger scale, covering virtualization clusters, storage, backups and data centre work as well as servers. Many infrastructure engineers start out as system administrators.

Which certifications help an infrastructure engineer?

Useful certifications include RHCSA for Linux, Microsoft Azure Administrator for Windows and hybrid work, VCP-DCV for VMware and CCNA for networking. Pick one or two that match the platforms you already use. Employers in India also ask about practical exposure to backups, patching and ITIL processes.