Yan Gamarnik
Senior Systems Engineer and Technical Team Lead
Montgomery Village,MD
Summary
Senior Systems Engineer and Technical Team Lead with 30+ years of experience designing, securing, and modernizing enterprise IT infrastructure in federal, scientific, and regulated environments. Proven leader of high-performing engineering teams, specializing in virtualization, hybrid cloud, Active Directory, security hardening, and compliance-driven operations. Recognized with multiple government awards for technical excellence, risk reduction, and mission-critical delivery.
Technical leader with proven track record in managing and guiding technical teams to achieve project milestones and deliver high-quality results. Expertise in software development, project management, and team collaboration ensures reliable performance and adaptability to changing needs. Known for prioritizing team cohesion and leveraging technical skills to drive success.
Overview
34
34
years of professional experience
4
4
Certificates
1
1
Language
Work History
Technical Team Lead
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Bethesda, MD
01.2020 - Current
- Lead a 9-engineer infrastructure team supporting mission-critical research systems
- Directed large-scale VxRail and Cohesity migration, significantly improving performance, resiliency, and operational efficiency
- Reduced enterprise security risk by 30% through implementation of a comprehensive vulnerability management program
- Oversee daily operations for Active Directory, Windows Server, Nutanix, and virtualization platforms
- Recipient of multiple federal awards for leadership, technical execution, and project delivery
- Demonstrated strong leadership qualities by taking ownership of challenging projects, leading teams through adversity, and successfully navigating complex situations.
- Improved customer satisfaction rates through proactive communication of project updates and addressing concerns promptly.
Senior Systems Administrator
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Silver Spring, Maryland
01.2016 - 01.2020
- Domain Administrator responsible for GPOs, DNS, PKI, and certificate services
- Administered Hyper-V and Nutanix clusters supporting high-availability workloads
- Built and maintained Windows 10 and Server 2016/2019 deployment images
- Implemented security hardening, backup, and disaster recovery across on-prem and Azure environments
- Resolved issues and escalated problems with knowledgeable support and quality service.
Systems Engineer
NOAA – National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
Silver Spring, Maryland
01.2011 - 01.2016
- Designed and deployed a unified Active Directory forest for 14 regional offices
- Virtualized production servers using VMware, reducing hardware footprint and costs
- Enforced CIS-aligned security baselines for Windows workstations and servers enterprise-wide
Systems Engineer
Sunrise Senior Living
Tysons Corner, Virginia
01.2010 - 01.2011
- Engineered VMware-based virtualization infrastructure
- Administered Citrix Presentation Server for secure enterprise application delivery
- Developed custom software solutions for various business needs, resulting in improved productivity.
Advanced Systems Analyst / Team Lead
EDS (HP Enterprise Services)
Rockville, MD
01.2000 - 01.2010
- Led an 8-person Tier II–III engineering team supporting enterprise infrastructure
- Directed large-scale Windows 2000 and Active Directory migrations
- Designed and implemented secure VPN solutions for remote enterprise access
- Created detailed documentation for both internal reference and client-facing presentations, improving communication between stakeholders.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop innovative solutions for business challenges.
- Provided expert technical support, reducing system downtime and minimizing disruptions to daily operations.
IT Support Technician
Aspen Systems Corporation (Lockheed Martin)
Rockville, MD
01.1992 - 01.2000
- Delivered hands-on hardware, software, and network support
- Installed, configured, and maintained Windows systems and peripherals
- Supported end-users while helping build foundational enterprise IT infrastructure
Education
Master of Science - Sociology And History
08-1991
Skills
Virtualization & Cloud: VMware, VxRail, Nutanix, Hyper-V, Azure
Systems & Identity: Windows Server (2000–2019), Active Directory (Domain Admin), IIS
Storage & Backup: Cohesity, Qumulo, VEEAM, NetBackup, Pure Storage
Security & Compliance: Vulnerability Management, CIS Benchmarks, GPO Hardening
Automation & Tools: PowerShell, SCCM, SCOM, Citrix, DNS, DHCP, TCP/IP
Technical architecture
Performance optimization
System design
Certification
Nutanix Certified Administrator (NCA)
Timeline
Technical Team Lead - National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
01.2020 - Current
Senior Systems Administrator - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
01.2016 - 01.2020
Systems Engineer - NOAA – National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
01.2011 - 01.2016
Systems Engineer - Sunrise Senior Living
01.2010 - 01.2011
Advanced Systems Analyst / Team Lead - EDS (HP Enterprise Services)
01.2000 - 01.2010
IT Support Technician - Aspen Systems Corporation (Lockheed Martin)
01.1992 - 01.2000
Azerbaijan State Niversity - Master of Science, Sociology And History
Languages
Russian
Native or Bilingual