Daniel Grammatica
Head of Engineering
About
I am a senior infrastructure and security technologist with extensive experience designing, securing and standardising complex environments across multiple organisations. My work focuses on cloud, identity, networking and security architecture, with a strong emphasis on reducing operational risk through good design rather than reactive firefighting.
Outside of work, I’m an active climber and mountaineer. Time spent climbing and in the mountains provides a strong counterbalance to technical work and reinforces the same principles I value professionally: preparation, judgement and calm decision-making under pressure.
Work Experience
April 2025 – Present
Head of Engineering (Principal Technical Role)
I’m a hands-on engineering leader in the MSP space, responsible for technical architecture, security posture, and delivery quality across diverse client environments. My work sits at the intersection of engineering, risk, and margin standardising platforms, reducing repeat incidents, and ensuring technology decisions scale commercially as well as technically. I’m passionate about building engineering functions that are calm, predictable, and defensible where good architecture replaces heroics.
Highlights
- Act as principal technical authority for infrastructure, cloud and security architecture across multiple client environments
- Own architectural standards for Microsoft 365, identity, networking and security posture across multi-tenant estates
- Lead design decisions for tenant consolidations, network re-architecture and platform standardisation initiatives
- Conduct security reviews, risk assessments and technical audits, producing board-level and audit-committee-ready reports
- Reduce incident volume through architectural remediation, platform standardisation and security-by-design approaches
- Provide technical mentorship and design guidance to engineers without formal line management responsibility
- Advises leadership and clients on technical risk, resilience and long-term architecture strategy
June 2017 – April 2025
Engineering Manager
I've naturally progressed to this role having been a mentor to the engineering team, whilst advising the sales team ensuring expectations are met first time. At Smart Solutions we pride ourselves in offering honest business solutions and support. Part of my role is upholding this reputation ensuring customer satisfaction. We have a strong proven loyal customer base. Amongst many, a major highlight has been heading up Peterborough United FC's systems. Not only providing day to day support, overhauling their IT and Telecoms infrastructure, also match day support having the privilege to see them through to the Championship.
Highlights
- Helping develop Junior engineers skillsets and seeing them grow into the industry achieving their qualifications
- Maintaining a stong customer base developing business relationships
- Getting nominated for Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) Project of the Year following our efforts to get Peterborough United FC match ready in five weeks (https://sdcawards.com/vote)
March 2016 – May 2017
IT Support & Systems Analyst
I joined the Raspberry Pi Foundation during a sustained period of growth, within a year we went from roughly 20 employees to 120+. This was an initial contract of three months with the aim to deploy a cloud infrastructure and improve local infrastructure in Cambridge and London. This contract was then extended to complete further projects.
Highlights
- Migrating the foundations existing hosted exchange and file storage to the Google suite of applications.
- Working with different teams to identify workflows and establish IT systems to help automate and remove mundane processes.
- Identifying the needs of different teams and trialling different CRM's before implementing the most suitable system.
- Helping with the security requirements to enable ground to space communication with our two Raspberry Pi's on the International Space Station.
- Networking with leading professionals at a variety of events, most notably our birthday party celebration at the Houses of Parliament.
- Spending a week at the family orientated music festival Camp Bestival teaching children how to code in Scratch and Python.
October 2015 – March 2016
IT Systems Engineer
At Smart Technologies I supported over 45 clients with 235 Servers and 1000+ Workstations alongside my colleagues. Moving to the Private Sector was an interesting step knowing there wasn't much adoption for OpenSource systems within Small/Medium Business Applications.
Highlights
- Exposure to proprietary systems, SLA's, their commercial uses and vendor contracts that come with.
- Building my PowerShell skills developing fixes and scripting solutions for clients.
- Managing Cloud Based systems, Office365, Spam filtering, Remote Management etc.
- Migrating clients to hosted solutions ensuring a smooth changeover, without any loss of data or business productivity.
- Working with a vast range of Hardware/Software products. Applying previous knowledge to new systems, discovering the fundamentals are the same. For example Firewall's being a Linux Box running IP Tables alongside a GUI.
- Developing my customer focus and team working skills, ensuring the client is satisfied with the end product and level of support.
March 2011 – October 2015
Systems Administrator & Performing Arts Technician
I started at Bourne Grammar School as an IT Technician after proving myself as a student IT assistant. My main responsibility was providing support for 1800 pupils and 100 staff. As I worked up to Systems Administrator I've built new systems and optimised many others, improving the end-user experience and enabling the School to use their finances for other departments.
Highlights
- Setting up an Openstack private cloud to enable students to experiment with Linux and web servers.
- Using Cobbler and Fabric to PXE boot and configure a subnet of PC's with a Windows/Linux dual boot.
- Rebuilding the Schools network improving reliability and implementing VLANS. Along with a Fortinet firewall, web filtering and nginx reverse proxy to save on IPv4 address'.
- Implemented BYOD for 1800 users using Meru wireless networking, combined with port ACL's for security.
- Building an Asterisk PBX to replace our dated Siemens analogue PBX, saving the School on expensive phone lines and support contracts.
Volunteer
Angle Climbing Wall
June 2024 – Present
Route Setter
Designing, installing, and maintaining climbing routes that are safe, varied, and appropriate for different ability levels.
Peterborough Mountaineering Club
October 2021 – December 2025
Child Protection Officer
Acts as the club’s designated safeguarding lead, ensuring policies and procedures align with the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) guidance.
Peterborough Mountaineering Club
December 2023 – December 2025
Membership Secretary
Managing membership records, renewals, and new joiners, acting as the primary point of contact for membership administration. Overseeing the club's British Mountaineering Council (BMC) affiliation and insurance, issuing information packs and member communications.
Peterborough Mountaineering Club
December 2018 – December 2021
TakeIn Editor
Curating, editing, and producing the club magazine, coordinating contributions from members and committee roles.
Peterborough Mountaineering Club
December 2018 – Present
Webmaster
Maintaining and updating the club website, ensuring information is accurate, accessible, and up to date. Supports committee communication by managing online content, documents, and member facing resources.
Peterborough Climbing Wall
September 2016 – January 2021
Supervisor and Route Setter
As a volunteer supervisor at the climbing wall I took part in a rota to open the centre, manage new registrations, check people in and ensure every one taking part were climbing safetly. Outside of opening hours as part of the route setting team I would set new routes and ensure a good range of grades were set.
Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue
March 2017 – March 2018
Search Technician
Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue (CamSAR) is the Lowland Rescue unit covering our county, often also assisting sister teams in the wider region. We are a specialist team, called upon by Police in the search for vulnerable missing people: a child, an elderly person living with dementia or even someone who is considering taking their own life. We are on call 24/7/365.
Highlights
- Locating a missing person allowing family and friends closure.
- Building on my skillset with specialist training. Including ALSAR First Aid, Health & Safety, Casualty Evacuation, Operations Control and more.
Bourne & District Roundtable 896
October 2014 – April 2017
Hon. Treasurer
Roundtable is about having a good time, networking and helping the local community. As well as our Music Festival, we invite the pensioners in Bourne to a Christmas Dinner. Along with a Fireworks night raising funds for the local primary school. During my time as Treasurer I had to manage the Charity and House accounts and submit them to the auditor at the end of the financial year
Highlights
- Organising a Music & Beer festival annually for the local community, raising on average £20k for charity.
- Attending social events. Raft race, Segwaying, Shooting and drinking!
Stamford Shakespeare Company
Technical
I love pushing faders! I help out with lots of local events (mostly charitable) either providing Equipment or Engineering. I'm predominantly a noise boy and enjoy mixing sound.
Highlights
- 5AM Full English after an overnight de-rig
Contact
Peterborough, Cambridgeshire UK
Email me
Education
-
2005 2010
Bourne Grammar School
Secondary School
Courses- 9 GCSE's including Maths, English, Science, IT
- 1 GCE AS - Computing
Skills
Systems Administration
Advanced
Windows
Windows Servers
Linux (Mostly Debian based)
Firewalls/Security
Networking
Scripting (Python/Powershell/Bash)
Documenting
LEMP/LAMP Stacks
Cloud Services (Azure/365/AWS/DO)
Web Development
Comfortable
HTML
CSS
Markdown
Frameworks
CMS
Photoshop/InDesign
Live Events
Advanced
Event management
Sound
Lighting
Stage
Rigging
Health & Safety
Interests
Online Rights
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Open Rights Group
Raising awareness
Great Outdoors
Bouldering
Rock Climbing
Scrambling
Kayaking
Wild Camping
Skydiving
Cycling
Road Cycling
Mountain Biking
References
Daniel has quickly established himself as able to learn and apply new skills and knowledge. His recent work on setting up a Linux AD integrated environment was impressive.
Daniel has matured into a very responsible, hard working and honest young man, someone I am proud to call a true friend.