📄 Download PDF Resume

Professional Summary

Senior Systems Engineer and IT leader with 20+ years of experience designing, securing, and optimizing enterprise infrastructure across on-premises and hybrid cloud environments. Proven expertise in Azure, Microsoft 365, virtualization, network engineering, and security compliance. Track record of reducing costs, improving uptime to 99.9%+, and leading successful cloud migrations. Adept at aligning technology strategy with organizational goals in healthcare, nonprofit, and government settings. Security+ and AZ-104 certifications in progress.

Core Competencies

DomainSkills
Cloud & InfrastructureMicrosoft Azure, Azure AD (Entra ID), Microsoft 365, Exchange Online, Intune, Hyper-V, VMware, System Center, Azure Monitor, Cloud Migrations
NetworkingSwitching, Routing, SD-WAN, DNS, DHCP, SonicWall, Firewalls, VPN, Wi-Fi, Network Segmentation, Network Architecture
Security & ComplianceEndpoint Security, MFA, Identity Management, Security Hardening, WAF, Risk Mitigation, Policy Development, HIPAA/Compliance Audits
Systems & AutomationWindows Server, Linux, PowerShell, PRTG Monitoring, SaaS Integrations, DR/BCP Planning, Hardware Architecture
LeadershipIT Strategy, Team Leadership, Vendor Management, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Large-Scale Deployments, Staff Training

Certifications

  • Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
  • CompTIA Security+ — In Progress (Expected Feb 2026)
  • Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) — In Progress (Expected May 2026)

Key Achievements

  • Reduced IT expenditures by 18% through strategic vendor, hardware, and software contract negotiations.
  • Delivered 15+ Azure cloud deployments achieving 99.9% uptime and cutting maintenance cycles by 30%.
  • Authored and enforced IT policies across 500+ endpoints via Intune/Azure AD — achieved 100% compliance and reduced audit findings by 40%.
  • Engineered DR/BCP strategy enabling full organizational recovery within 24 hours.
  • Accelerated cloud application delivery by 22% through optimized deployment pipelines and resource utilization.
  • Automated service operations improving SLA performance by 28% and reduced incident resolution time by 25%.

Notable Initiatives

Enterprise IT Policy & Compliance Overhaul

12-Month Initiative | Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore

  • Designed and deployed a comprehensive IT policy framework across 500+ endpoints using Microsoft Intune and Azure AD, covering security baselines, acceptable use, and device compliance standards.
  • Achieved 100% endpoint compliance within the project timeline and reduced external audit findings by 40%, significantly lowering organizational risk and improving regulatory standing.

Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Overhaul

2024–2025 | Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore

  • Assessed existing continuity gaps and engineered a full DR/BCP strategy from the ground up, incorporating redundant systems, automated backup workflows, and documented recovery procedures.
  • Achieved full organizational recovery capability within a 24-hour window — a critical requirement for a healthcare-adjacent nonprofit operating across multiple sites in Delaware and Maryland.

Azure Cloud Migration & Infrastructure Standardization

18-Month Initiative | Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore

  • Led end-to-end migration of legacy on-premises infrastructure and key clinical/administrative applications to Azure, delivering 15+ successful deployments with zero major service interruptions.
  • Standardized virtualized environments and established repeatable deployment patterns, reducing maintenance overhead by 30% and sustaining 99.9%+ uptime across all migrated workloads.
  • Reduced operational costs by 18% through strategic vendor negotiations and rightsizing of cloud resources during and after migration.

Experience

Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore

New Castle, DE | 2011 – 2025

Director of Information Technology (Mar 2025 – Jun 2025) Promoted based on demonstrated infrastructure leadership and cybersecurity initiative outcomes.

  • Spearheaded cloud and cybersecurity initiatives that raised the organization’s compliance score by 5% and strengthened data protection posture.
  • Designed and executed a BCP/DR strategy enabling full organizational recovery within 24 hours, significantly reducing operational risk.
  • Delivered enterprise-wide technology training program improving digital adoption and operational efficiency by 5–10%.

Senior Systems Engineer (Feb 2023 – Apr 2025) Promoted based on performance, expanding scope of infrastructure responsibilities and leadership.

  • Led Azure cloud migrations and standardized virtualized deployments, improving scalability and reducing maintenance cycles by 30%.
  • Integrated advanced security protocols across hybrid environments, reducing vulnerabilities and aligning with compliance benchmarks.
  • Delivered 15+ Azure system deployments maintaining 99.9%+ uptime and achieving 99.95% availability on enterprise PowerShell/Azure deployments.
  • Managed 20+ servers and cloud workloads, achieving 25% faster incident resolution while exceeding all operational KPIs.
  • Reduced IT expenditures by 18% through strategic vendor negotiations and contract optimization.
  • Authored IT policies for 500+ endpoints via Intune/Azure AD, achieving 100% compliance and reducing audit findings by 40%.
  • Improved cloud application delivery speed by 22% through pipeline optimization and resource tuning.
  • Enhanced infrastructure observability by modernizing monitoring and alerting systems, strengthening uptime and incident response.

Systems Engineer (Feb 2021 – Jan 2023) Promoted from Network Administrator based on demonstrated technical growth and leadership readiness.

  • Automated service operations and workflows, improving SLA performance by 28%.
  • Designed DR/backup workflows that reduced potential downtime by 45%.
  • Deployed MFA and endpoint security solutions, boosting compliance scores by 20 points.
  • Built Hyper-V clusters supporting 300+ users, reducing infrastructure latency by 30%.
  • Migrated clinical SaaS applications across 5 sites with 99.9% uptime throughout transition.

Network Administrator (Dec 2011 – Feb 2021)

  • Led full Microsoft 365 migration, improving continuity, collaboration, and productivity across the organization.
  • Strengthened firewall and endpoint protection infrastructure enterprise-wide.
  • Achieved 99.95% network uptime through automated PRTG monitoring and proactive alerting.
  • Managed 150+ monthly network support tickets with a 30% improvement in SLA compliance.

Delaware.Net, Inc.

Network Engineer Dover, DE | Mar 2008 – Dec 2011

  • Optimized network and server performance, boosting data center efficiency by 10%.
  • Implemented VMware and Hyper-V virtualization, reducing resource consumption by 22%.
  • Enhanced infrastructure reliability, reducing unplanned downtime by 15%.

Education

High School Diploma — Supplemented by 20+ years of continuous professional development, hands-on technical training, and industry certifications.

Contact: jhathcock@gmail.com | (302) 985-7169 | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jameshathcock