Information Technology Infrastructure Specialist

PURPOSE To administer, secure and monitor Avalon Pharma's enterprise IT infrastructure, including firewalls, LAN/WLAN and WAN/MPLS networks, servers, virtualization, backup and disaster recovery, Microsoft 365 and identity services. The role acts on security alerts in coordination with the SOC, maintains high availability of IT services across Head Office and plant sites, and ensures all infrastructure is operated in line with Digital Technology (DT) standards, GxP/SFDA data-integrity requirements and NCA ECC cybersecurity controls. RESPONSIBILITIES Network Security (Fortinet) • Administer FortiGate firewalls, including security policies, NAT, VIPs, routing, IPsec/SSL VPN and access controls. • Monitor firewall health, traffic and security events, and troubleshoot connectivity issues. • Perform quarterly firewall rule reviews, remove unused or risky rules, and apply hardening baselines. • Secure connectivity between data centers, plants, branches and cloud environments. Security Operations & Access Control • Triage and investigate alerts escalated by the SOC and from the SIEM across network, endpoint, server and cloud environments. • Coordinate containment, remediation and escalation with the SOC, vCISO and system owners. • Administer Privileged Access Management (PAM), including privileged account onboarding, session controls and access reviews. • Track and close vulnerability findings within agreed timelines. • Contribute to continuous improvement of alert handling and incident-response procedures. WAN & MPLS Connectivity • Manage MPLS and internet links between Head Office, plants and warehouses. • Coordinate with telecom providers on incidents, changes and SLA performance. • Monitor link availability and bandwidth and maintain failover connectivity. Huawei LAN & Wireless Infrastructure • Administer Huawei NCE-Campus, network switches, wireless controllers and access points. • Configure SSIDs, 802.1X/RADIUS authentication, VLANs and access policies. • Monitor device health and network performance and troubleshoot LAN/WLAN issues. Virtualization & Data Center Infrastructure • Administer VMware vCenter/ESXi, including VM provisioning, resource allocation, high availability and performance. • Maintain data center hardware, power, cooling and rack infrastructure. • Support capacity planning, hardware lifecycle, warranties and vendor support contracts. Windows & Linux Server Administration • Administer Windows Server and Linux environments across production and non-production. • Manage Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS and DHCP. • Perform monthly patching, security hardening and server monitoring. • Support application and database servers, including GxP-validated systems. Backup & Disaster Recovery • Administer Veeam Backup & Replication, including backup jobs, repositories, retention policies and backup health. • Administer Synology NAS infrastructure used for storage and backup operations. • Perform backup verification, restore tests and recovery operations. • Support the IT Disaster Recovery plan and participate in scheduled DR tests. Microsoft 365 & Identity Management • Administer Microsoft 365 services (Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive). • Manage Microsoft Entra ID identities, groups, MFA, Conditional Access and application SSO integration. • Support Microsoft 365 security and compliance settings, and resolve user access issues. Job Requirements Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering or a related field. Experience: 5–7 years' experience in IT infrastructure and network operations, including at least 3 years hands-on with firewalls and network security. Certifications: Required: Fortinet NSE 4 or equivalent. Preferred: VMware VCP-DCV, Veeam VMCE, Microsoft SC-300, Huawei HCIA/HCIP Datacom, CompTIA Security+, ITIL 4 Foundation. Skills and Knowledge • Fortinet FortiGate firewall administration, VPN and network security • SIEM alert analysis, SOC coordination, incident response and PAM • Routing, switching, MPLS/WAN and Huawei NCE-Campus LAN/WLAN • VMware vCenter/ESXi, Windows Server, Active Directory and Linux administration • Veeam Backup & Replication, Synology NAS and disaster recovery • Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Entra ID (MFA, Conditional Access, SSO) • Working knowledge of GxP, SFDA data-integrity and NCA ECC requirements • PowerShell or Bash scripting (preferred) • Very good English language skills; Arabic is an advantage

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering or a related field. Experience: 5–7 years' experience in IT infrastructure and network operations, including at least 3 years hands-on with firewalls and network security. Certifications: Required: Fortinet NSE 4 or equivalent. Preferred: VMware VCP-DCV, Veeam VMCE, Microsoft SC-300, Huawei HCIA/HCIP Datacom, CompTIA Security+, ITIL 4 Foundation.