Martin McCarthy - Systems Engineer / IT Manager

Professional Summary

Results-driven Systems Engineer with proven management capabilities, skilled in modernising IT environments through automation, cost reduction, and security uplift. Expert in Microsoft 365, Intune, Entra ID, cloud infrastructure, and RMM tooling. Demonstrated success in covering Service Desk Manager responsibilities, achieving 94% SLA compliance. Track record of delivering £25,000+ annual cost savings and reducing operational overhead by 25%. Strong focus on scalable solutions that improve operational efficiency and support business growth across SMBs. Seeking to transition into IT management to leverage technical expertise and demonstrated leadership abilities.

Key Achievements

            • Service Desk Manager Coverage: Successfully covered Service Desk Manager role,
            exceeding SLA targets (94% compliance).

            • £25,000+ Annual Cost Savings: Cut annual IT costs by over £25,000 through strategic vendor negotiations while maintaining service
            quality.

            • 25% Operational Efficiency Gain: Reduced ticket backlog by 25% through automation, team optimization, and targeted PowerShell scripts.

            • 1,000+ Endpoint Migration: Led the migration of over 1,000
                endpoints to a new RMM platform in under one week with minimal downtime.

            • Standardised Environments: Standardised Intune/M365 environments, cutting laptop
            setup time to 15 minutes.
        

Professional Experience

Systems Engineer | Tech Support Group Ltd, London

May 2023 – Present

Owns key infrastructure and security initiatives for an MSP supporting SMBs, demonstrating management capabilities through Service Desk Manager coverage and team leadership. Drives adoption of scalable, automated solutions across Microsoft 365, Intune, SentinelOne, and RMM platforms to reduce risk, improve SLAs, and lower costs.

Management Impact: Covered Service Desk Manager role, exceeding SLA targets (achieved 94% compliance).

Cost Leadership: Cut annual IT costs by £25,000+ through strategic vendor negotiations while maintaining service quality.

Team Leadership: Led migration of 1,000+ endpoints to RMM platform in under one week with minimal downtime.

Process Improvement: Reduced ticket backlog by 25% through automation, team optimization, and targeted PowerShell scripts.

Standardised Intune/M365 environments, cutting laptop setup time to 15 minutes.

Automated M365 compliance checks & tenant management (using CIPP), improving security scores and developing standardised security workflows supporting client Cyber Essentials certifications.

Managed SentinelOne configuration and incident response across the client base, enhancing endpoint protection.

Deployed Azure-based support tools (e.g., using Docker), reducing manual helpdesk tasks.

Delivered Level 2 and 3 support, resolving critical infrastructure, networking, and cloud issues.

IT Support Engineer | Tech Support Group Ltd, London

May 2022 – May 2023

Progressed into a client-facing technical role, building foundational leadership skills through project ownership, mentoring, supporting cloud migrations, endpoint security, and VoIP systems. Contributed to the development of internal documentation and tools used across the support team.

Achieved 92% first-time resolution rate, boosting customer satisfaction.

Prevented breaches via rapid incident response using Defender for Endpoint & Hawk.

Configured & managed 3CX VoIP systems, ensuring reliable communication, and supported M365 migrations.

Created detailed technical documentation adopted team-wide.

Trainee Project Manager / Assistive Technology Support | Lewisham Council

Sept 2020 – May 2022

Project management apprenticeship developing stakeholder coordination skills in an education environment. Embedded within a specialist education team supporting students with accessibility needs, focusing on assisting teachers in delivering technology-led support.

Designed tailored assistive technology programs, increasing user adoption & satisfaction.

Coordinated multi-site technology deployments, including configuring laptops, tablets & software for accessibility use, and supported teachers with training materials & tech setup.

Gained experience in project coordination, stakeholder communication, and council IT policies.

Notable Projects

Client Onboarding & Compliance (40-user deployment)

Independently managed the end-to-end setup for a new 40-user client. This involved deploying the entire IT environment from scratch, including infrastructure, user accounts, security policies, and ensuring adherence to specific industry regulations (water sector standards).

Security Transformation Project

Overhauled the cybersecurity posture for a key asset management client. Assessed existing vulnerabilities and implemented a comprehensive, multi-layered security strategy, significantly enhancing their defences against threats and bringing them in line with best practices.

Key Skills

Microsoft & Cloud

Microsoft 365 (E3/E5/Premium) Administration & Optimization • Advanced Endpoint Management (Microsoft Intune) • Azure AD/Entra ID Integration & Management • Cloud Platforms (Azure, AWS)

Management & Leadership

Service Desk Management • SLA Compliance • Vendor Negotiation • Process Improvement • Team Leadership • Stakeholder Communication

Security & Systems

Cybersecurity Compliance (MFA, Cyber Essentials) • Network Infrastructure (DNS, DHCP, VPNs) • Linux Administration • SentinelOne Management

Technical & Professional

PowerShell & Bash Scripting • Remote Monitoring & Management (RMM) Platforms • 3CX VoIP System Management • CIPP

Certifications & Education

Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals (2023)

3CX Advanced Certification (2023)

Cisco Introduction to Cybersecurity (2018)

BTEC Level 3 IT (Software Development)
Lewisham College (2018)

GCSEs (Maths, English, Science, IT, Photography)
Hatcham College (2015)