Nathan Ash

Automation Lead | Service Desk Manager

📍 Melbourne, VIC | 📧 [email protected] | 🔗 LinkedIn | 🐙 GitHub

Professional Summary

Results-driven Automation Lead with 13+ years in IT infrastructure, from hands-on systems engineering to leading deployment and service desk teams. Proven track record delivering large-scale hardware rollouts, server migrations, and automation initiatives that reduce manual effort by 90%+. Strong foundation in networking (CCNA), Windows/Linux server administration, and modern cloud technologies. Passionate about documentation, mentoring junior engineers, and building repeatable processes that scale.

Professional Experience

Automation Lead | Service Desk Manager

The Grid | July 2026 - Present

  • Lead automation and service desk delivery for an MSP, covering ticket triage, SLA outcomes, and client delivery
  • Build PowerShell tooling and automation to strip manual effort out of repetitive service desk work
  • Own and standardise the SOE and deployment pipelines so endpoints move from bare metal to production-ready reliably
  • Mentor the team on scripting standards and documentation, providing technical leadership through repeatable systems
  • Administer the Datto RMM, Autotask, and IT Glue stack that runs day-to-day operations

Technologies: Datto RMM, Autotask, IT Glue, PowerShell, Python, Intune, Entra ID

Technical Services Manager - DIDS Team Lead

Megabus Software (LEO Software Group) | August 2021 - July 2026

  • Lead the Deployment & Infrastructure Delivery Services (DIDS) team, coordinating national hardware refreshes, Windows upgrades, and endpoint deployments across Australia and overseas
  • Managing 2,800+ endpoints across Australia and New Zealand - full lifecycle from procurement coordination through to production handover
  • Designed and built complete SOE (Standard Operating Environment) from the ground up - fully automated PC provisioning from bare metal to production-ready, zero-touch deployment
  • Engineered fully automated Windows 11 upgrade pipeline - prerequisite checks, out-of-hours upgrade scheduling, and post-upgrade validation; deployed across hundreds of endpoints with minimal user disruption
  • Drive automation initiatives using PowerShell; built custom decommission and provisioning tooling that eliminates hours of manual work per device
  • Manage end-to-end server migrations including Windows Server 2019 to 2025, Active Directory domain upgrades, DHCP/DNS migrations, and FSMO role transfers
  • Project management for large-scale infrastructure implementations - documentation, checklists, vendor coordination, and timeline management

Technologies: Windows Server, Active Directory, Hyper-V, VMware, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Office 365, Exchange, PowerShell, RMM (Datto, NinjaRMM)

Systems Engineer (Sole Trader)

Voonix ITS | 2006 - 2021

  • Operated independent IT consultancy providing break-fix support, infrastructure design, and managed services to SMBs
  • Web hosting & server administration: Managed WHMCS/cPanel environments for 10+ years; expert-level Linux CLI
  • Delivered full-stack troubleshooting: DNS, email, TLS/SSL, permissions, Apache configurations
  • Built documentation-first culture - all client environments fully documented

Technologies: Linux, cPanel/WHM, Apache, MySQL, DNS, SSH, pfSense, VPN

Junior Network Administrator (Traineeship)

Network Neighborhood | 2012 - 2013

  • Supported 1,000+ users across multiple school campuses in south-eastern Melbourne
  • Hands-on with Cisco infrastructure: WLAN controllers, ASAs, IDS/IPS, firewalls, switches
  • Key contributor to eduSTAR.NET migration project

Technologies: Cisco (Catalyst, ASA, WLC), Active Directory, Windows Server

Technical Skills

Infrastructure & Systems

  • Windows Server (2012-2025), Active Directory, Group Policy, DHCP, DNS, FSMO
  • Hyper-V, VMware ESXi
  • Linux (CentOS, Ubuntu LTS, Debian)

Networking & Security

  • Cisco (Catalyst, Meraki, ASA), VLANs, routing, switching
  • Firewalls (pfSense, OPNsense, ASA), VPNs (WireGuard, OpenVPN)

Cloud & Modern Tech

  • Microsoft 365 / Exchange Online administration
  • Azure & Entra ID (developing)
  • Docker, containers
  • Autotask (PSA), IT Glue (documentation)

Automation & Scripting

  • PowerShell (advanced) - deployment automation, SOE builds, infrastructure tooling
  • Python - scripting, automation, API integrations
  • SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MS SQL)

Education

Advanced Diploma of Computer Systems Engineering Specialising in Network Security Chisholm Institute | 2012 - 2013 | High Distinction

Certifications

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

What I Bring

  • Leadership: Experience managing teams, mentoring juniors, and driving projects from planning to completion
  • Automation mindset: If I do it twice, I script it
  • Documentation obsessed: Every environment I touch gets documented
  • Calm under pressure: Years of break-fix taught me to troubleshoot methodically when things are on fire
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