ZAID ALBAKER

Cloud Architect | Azure

Building enterprise cloud platforms with automation, governance, and measurable outcomes.

25+ years in infrastructure and cloud engineering. I design and deliver landing zones, migrations, and operations frameworks across regulated enterprise environments.

0

Years Experience

0

Major Migrations

0

Build Effort Reduction %

0

Cloud Platforms

resource "cloud_architect" "zaid" {
  name       = "Zaid Albaker"
  role       = "Senior Cloud Engineer"
  cloud      = ["Azure", "OCI"]
  iac        = ["Terraform", "Bicep", "PowerShell"]
  speciality = "Enterprise modernization"
}

output "availability" {
  value = "Open to enterprise architecture roles"
}

Technical Expertise

Skills & Technologies

Multi-cloud architecture with deep specialization in enterprise migration, IaC, and operations reliability.

Azure Cloud

Landing Zones, Hub-Spoke, AVD, Citrix DaaS, Azure Policy, Identity and governance.

Infrastructure as Code

Terraform modules, Bicep, PowerShell automation, CI/CD pipelines, release quality gates.

Security and Compliance

Enterprise access control, policy-as-code, DR strategy, operational guardrails.

Multi-Cloud

Azure, OCI, VMware, Hyper-V, Kubernetes, vCenter, ESXi.

AI-Assisted Delivery

GitHub Copilot and Cursor workflows for faster IaC development and repeatable migrations.

Observability and Ops

Veeam, monitoring integrations, incident response automation, and runbook-driven support.

Portfolio

Featured Projects

Real infrastructure delivery across automation, migration, and enterprise transformation programs.

Citrix DaaS Environment Migration & Landing Zone Re-Architecture

Designed and executed a full Citrix DaaS environment migration and re-architecture aligned with Azure landing zone best practices. Built a modular export framework to capture and replicate configurations across resource groups, enabling controlled and repeatable migration.

Provisioned a new Azure subscription with dedicated resource groups for application and networking layers, then deployed infrastructure using Bicep and PowerShell automation for rapid and consistent provisioning.

Migrated golden images, Citrix Cloud connectors, and FAS servers. Recreated machine catalogs and delivery groups, deployed new VDI instances, and executed phased onboarding while placing legacy VDIs into maintenance mode to force controlled transition.

Azure | Citrix DaaS | Bicep | PowerShell | Landing Zones | VDI Migration | Automation | Cloud Architecture

Citrix DaaS to Azure Virtual Desktop Migration

Designed and executed migration from Citrix DaaS to Azure Virtual Desktop using a structured, phased migration strategy. Delivered landing zones, pilot rollouts, production cutover, and post-migration optimization with automation pipelines.

AVD | Citrix DaaS | Azure | PowerShell | Migration Strategy

Enterprise AVD & Citrix Platform Architecture

Architected a cloud-native digital workspace platform with automated provisioning, identity integration, and secure access controls. Enabled high availability, scalability, and centralized management for enterprise desktop delivery.

Azure | AVD | Citrix | Identity | Automation

Golden Image Automation Factory

Built a fully automated image factory using Terraform and PowerShell, reducing deployment effort by about 70% and enforcing consistent production standards. Enabled rapid, repeatable provisioning across multiple environments.

Terraform | PowerShell | CI/CD | Image Automation

AI-Assisted Migration & Deployment Modules

Developed reusable AI-assisted infrastructure modules and validation pipelines to accelerate deployments and reduce operational risk. Integrated modern tools and IaC frameworks for faster, more reliable delivery.

AI Automation | Copilot | IaC | DevOps

Azure & Citrix Automation Dashboard

Engineered a centralized PowerShell automation dashboard to manage Azure VM lifecycle, snapshots, and Citrix DaaS publishing. Enabled secure, button-driven operations for infrastructure teams.

PowerShell | Azure Automation | Citrix | Operations

Open Full Project Write-up

Enterprise Infrastructure Modernization

Delivered modernization across networking, virtualization, storage, and backup systems in hybrid enterprise environments, focused on resilience, performance, and security.

VMware | Active Directory | FortiGate | Veeam | Hybrid Cloud

Veeam Backup & DR Cluster (HA & Recovery Assurance)

Designed and deployed a highly available Veeam backup and disaster recovery platform for centralized enterprise data protection. Implemented backup, replication, and offsite copy strategies with SureBackup validation and automated restore testing.

Built PowerShell automation for job management, monitoring, and policy enforcement, integrated with cloud backup repositories.

Veeam | HA Design | DR Strategy | SureBackup | PowerShell | Cloud Backup

Veeam Microsoft 365 Migration & Cloud Re-Architecture

Migrated Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 from a legacy subscription to a modern Azure-based architecture. Developed Terraform and PowerShell modules for resource groups, networking, and subnet provisioning, then automated platform deployment.

Executed migration of Exchange, SharePoint, and OneDrive backup workloads with minimal disruption and stronger governance.

Azure | Terraform | PowerShell | Veeam O365 | Networking | IaC | Automation

Cisco Meraki Enterprise WiFi Deployment

Designed, configured, and deployed Cisco Meraki wireless infrastructure across 2 warehouses and 5 office locations. Implemented segmented SSIDs and security rules for corporate, guest, and operational traffic.

Optimized wireless coverage and performance for high-density environments with ongoing cloud-based monitoring.

Cisco Meraki | WiFi Design | SSID | Network Security | Multi-Site

FortiGate VPN & Endpoint Security Management

Designed and maintained FortiGate VPN infrastructure for secure enterprise remote access. Managed endpoints with FortiClient EMS, enforcing policy, compliance, and centralized control of remote devices.

Maintained high availability, monitoring, and secure connectivity for enterprise users.

FortiGate | VPN | FortiClient EMS | Endpoint Security

Microsoft Intune Endpoint Management & Migration

Designed and implemented Microsoft Intune for centralized endpoint management and security. Migrated 350+ mobile devices from MobileIron to Intune with minimal disruption.

Implemented compliance policies, configuration profiles, and Conditional Access for stronger security posture.

Intune | Endpoint Manager | MobileIron Migration | Security Policies

SHIRAZ Azure Enterprise Deployment

Delivered an Azure transformation program across multi-site warehouse operations, modernizing infrastructure and enabling secure, scalable cloud workloads.

Deployed Windows Server, SQL platforms, endpoint fleets, and industrial device integrations using automated infrastructure and operational runbooks.

Azure | Hub-Spoke | Terraform | Bicep | DR | Runbooks

Lucas Voice Picking System Modernization

Led an Azure deployment and modernization of the Lucas voice picking system, supporting large-scale warehouse automation.

Architected Azure VM and SQL environments, integrated Zebra printing, and secured 50+ voice devices through enterprise gateway services.

Azure VMs | Azure SQL | Device Integration | Operations

Career History

Work Experience

2022 - Present

Senior Systems Engineer | Azure Cloud Architect

  • Architected Azure-based Citrix DaaS platform supporting 10,000+ users.
  • Delivered 50+ enterprise applications to 15,000+ users.
  • Built end-to-end automation for migration and release workflows.

2016 - 2022

Senior Network Engineer

  • Managed enterprise Windows, AD, SCCM, VMware, and security operations.
  • Implemented FortiGate and VPN for secure access at scale.

2010 - 2016

Network Administrator

  • Supported multi-client network and server infrastructure.
  • Operated backup, connectivity, and incident response processes.

Credentials

Certifications

Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305)

Microsoft

Verified

Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty (AZ-140)

Microsoft

Verified

Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)

Microsoft

Verified

Citrix Certified Professional - Virtualization

Citrix

Verified

Citrix Certified Associate - Virtualization

Citrix

Verified

Interactive Tool

Cloud Maturity Assessment

Question 1 of 5

How is your cloud infrastructure managed?

Open Source Activity

GitHub

Snapshot

Public Repos

Focus: IaC modules, migration automation, and enterprise runbooks.

Featured Repo

Azure and enterprise migration templates with script-driven deployment operations.

View GitHub Profile

Infrastructure Reliability

Multi-Cloud Status

Status links point to live provider dashboards.

Open to Opportunities

Reach Me Directly

Ask Zaid

Quick prompts:

Ask about experience, projects, certifications, or migration delivery.