About Christopher Rothmeier
After 13 years in IT infrastructure — including 9 years as an independent consultant — I'm transitioning from running my own business to joining an internal IT team. Why the change? In short, consulting gave me breadth, but now I'm seeking depth. I've loved helping many clients achieve their goals, but I'm ready to focus on one organization's success and see projects through long-term.
Why the Transition?
As a consultant, I gained exposure to a wide range of industries, challenges, and technologies. I designed Azure and VMware hybrid clouds, tightened cybersecurity for healthcare providers, led Office 365 migrations, and more. It was incredibly rewarding, but projects would wrap up and I'd move on. I want to be part of a dedicated team, building and refining systems over years rather than handing them off. Beyond that, I'm craving the camaraderie and shared mission you get as an in-house engineer. (I understand some might wonder if I'd feel "overqualified" or restless in a permanent role — truthfully, I'm excited to roll up my sleeves on day-to-day operations and contribute long-term. This transition is about finding a stable home where I can make a deeper impact, not a temporary stopgap between contracts.)
What I Bring
- Hands-on expertise: 13+ years architecting and managing Microsoft-centric environments (Active Directory, Exchange, Microsoft 365, Azure) and VMware virtualization at enterprise scale.
- Proven results: Achieved significant improvements for clients (e.g. ~30% average cost savings via cloud optimizations, 99.9% uptime on critical systems, 98%+ security compliance in regulated industries).
- Project leadership: Successfully led complex initiatives like data center consolidations, cloud migrations, and cybersecurity audits — from planning and design through execution and support.
- Business-minded communication: Adept at translating technical concepts into business value. I've presented to executives, written IT policies, and trained staff, ensuring technology projects meet organizational goals.
- Continuous learning: Passionate about keeping skills sharp. I even maintain a full homelab with a mini data center (10GbE network, Kubernetes cluster, GPU servers) to test new technologies and best practices before deploying them in production.
What I'm Seeking
I'm looking for a Senior Systems Administrator / Infrastructure Engineer position in a stable, growth-minded organization (Philadelphia-area or remote). My ideal environment values security-first architecture, long-term planning, and continuous improvement. I want to collaborate with a team, share the knowledge I've gained, and tackle challenging projects where I can contribute hands-on every day. In return, you'll get a veteran engineer who's ready to hit the ground running and committed to your company's mission for the long haul.
Thank you for reading my story. If you think my background might be a fit for your team, I'd love to chat!
