Awais Sheikh

Senior Data & Database Consultant with 15+ years of experience in database administration, data architecture, IAM, and enterprise security. Proven track record in managing clustered environments, optimizing performance, and supporting secure access management solutions including IBM Security Access Manager (ISAM). Skilled in SQL, Python, LDAP, SSO, and NoSQL Databases.

Senior Consultant — Database & Infrastructure at ELM Company (2015-04 – 2026-05)

• Own end-to-end administration of 50+ clustered DB2 LUW production databases supporting mission-critical workloads within a 24/7 on-call rotation maintained continuously for over 10 years.
• Led Sev 1/Sev 2 incident response for production outages caused by data center power failures, storage subsystem failures, and network disruptions — driving rapid triage, service restoration, major incident bridge participation, and RCA with preventive actions.
• Implemented HADR and TSAMP-based automated failover across 35+ database clusters, strengthening failover readiness and disaster recovery execution against strict recovery objectives.
• Improved query performance up to 2x through SQL optimization, locking/concurrency troubleshooting, and buffer pool tuning across DB2 DPF environments; performed ongoing capacity and growth forecasting.
• Directed backup, restore, and recoverability assurance programs — including restore testing and remediation of backup/restore issues — to maintain audit-ready recovery evidence.
• Automated database health checks and monitoring with Python and Shell scripting, cutting manual run effort from hours to under a minute and standardizing repetitive operational tasks across access, provisioning, and patching.
• Used DBeaver, Toad, Foglight, Splunk, and AppDynamics daily for administration and diagnostics, isolating database vs. application vs. infrastructure issues.
• Implemented DB2 Native Encryption across production databases and configured DB2 SQL Replication for real-time synchronization across distributed environments, strengthening data-at-rest security and compliance.

Technical Consultant — Database & Security at Royal Cyber Inc. (2012-06 – 2015-04)

• Monitored and enhanced database security controls using automation and alerting systems, improving threat detection and response times
• Deployed and administered IBM Tivoli Access Manager (TAMeB) WebSEAL junctions enabling secure authentication and authorization across enterprise applications
• Designed and implemented SSO and web security solutions using reverse proxy architecture, improving user access efficiency and system security
• Configured IBM Federated Identity Manager (TFIM) to support identity federation and secure access across platforms
• Installed and maintained Tivoli Identity Manager (TIM), streamlining identity provisioning and access workflows
• Supported enterprise infrastructure leveraging LDAP, SSO, IAM, and compliance frameworks, improving system governance and audit readiness
• Delivered technical support for WebSphere-based portal environments, ensuring secure and stable application performance

Associate Engineer at Systems Limited (2011-02 – 2012-06)

• Analyzed and implemented IT infrastructure solutions, improving system efficiency and alignment with business requirements
• Performed system backups and recovery operations, ensuring data availability and compliance with organizational policies
• Identified and resolved network bottlenecks, enhancing system performance and reliability
• Assessed and mitigated security risks across hardware, software, and data environments
• Provided technical support to end-users, resolving system and network issues efficiently
• Examined and reported security incidents, contributing to a safer and more compliant IT environment

Master of Science in Project Management – COMSATS University (2020)

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science – University of Karachi (2010)