Position Overview MetroSys is seeking an experienced Patch Management & Automation Consultant to support a regional credit union organization in assessing, improving, and modernizing its enterprise patch management program. The consultant will evaluate the client's existing patching processes, technology, policies, and compliance posture, with a primary focus on Microsoft SCCM / Microsoft Configuration Manager. The environment is predominantly Microsoft-based but also includes Linux systems and infrastructure supporting banking and security operations. This is not strictly an SCCM administration position. The consultant will be expected to take a broader look at the organization's patch and vulnerability management lifecycle, identify gaps and manual processes, recommend best practices, and determine where automation and AI-assisted capabilities can improve efficiency, visibility, compliance, and risk reduction. The initial engagement is expected to last approximately three months, with the potential for an extended engagement and/or permanent employment based on project needs. Key Responsibilities • Perform a comprehensive assessment of the organization's existing patch management program, including processes, policies, tools, workflows, reporting, and governance. • Review the current SCCM / Microsoft Configuration Manager environment and evaluate its configuration, collections, deployment rings, maintenance windows, Software Update Groups, ADRs, compliance reporting, and overall effectiveness. • Assess patching processes across a primarily Microsoft environment, while also reviewing requirements and processes for Linux and other supported infrastructure. • Review the existing asset and system inventory and determine whether all applicable infrastructure is properly incorporated into patch management and compliance reporting. • Identify gaps in patch coverage, automation, testing, deployment, exception management, remediation, and reporting. • Evaluate opportunities to automate manual patch-management activities, including patch identification, prioritization, testing, approvals, deployments, compliance validation, remediation, and reporting. • Identify practical opportunities to incorporate AI and AI-assisted operations into the patch and vulnerability management lifecycle without introducing unnecessary security or operational risk. • Develop recommendations for improving patch prioritization based on vulnerability severity, exploitability, business criticality, and infrastructure risk. • Review patching practices for systems supporting banking, security, and regulated workloads, considering applicable PCI and financial-services security requirements. • Establish or improve patching standards, deployment rings, maintenance windows, emergency/zero-day patching procedures, rollback procedures, and exception-management processes. • Develop dashboards, reports, and measurable KPIs for patch compliance, outstanding vulnerabilities, failed deployments, exceptions, and remediation timelines. • Work with infrastructure, security, compliance, and business stakeholders to ensure patch-management processes align with organizational requirements. • Recommend a future-state patch-management architecture and create a prioritized roadmap for remediation, automation, and modernization. • Where appropriate, assist with implementing approved improvements during the initial engagement rather than limiting the project to assessment and recommendations. • Provide documentation and knowledge transfer to internal IT and security teams. Expected Initial Engagement During the initial three-month engagement, the consultant will be expected to deliver: • Current-State Assessment: Document the existing patch-management environment, processes, technologies, risks, and gaps. • SCCM Health & Configuration Review: Evaluate the current SCCM patching architecture and identify configuration and operational improvements. • Patch Coverage Assessment: Validate coverage across Microsoft, Linux, cloud, infrastructure, and other applicable systems. • Risk & Compliance Gap Analysis: Identify patching practices that may create security, operational, PCI, or financial-services compliance concerns. • Automation & AI Assessment: Identify manual activities that can be safely automated and practical areas where AI-assisted capabilities could provide value. • Future-State Roadmap: Develop prioritized recommendations for improving patch management, including quick wins and longer-term initiatives. • Implementation Support: Begin implementing approved improvements, automation, reporting, and process changes as time permits. • Documentation & Knowledge Transfer: Establish repeatable processes that can be managed by the internal team after the engagement. Required Qualifications • 5+ years of experience supporting enterprise infrastructure, patch management, endpoint management, vulnerability management, or related disciplines. • Strong hands-on experience with Microsoft SCCM / Microsoft Configuration Manager and enterprise software update management. • Experience designing and managing patch deployment strategies, including testing groups, deployment rings, maintenance windows, automated deployment rules, and production rollouts. • Strong understanding of Windows Server and Microsoft enterprise environments. • Working knowledge of Linux patching and lifecycle management. • Experience assessing existing IT environments and developing actionable remediation and modernization plans. • Experience with scripting and automation technologies such as PowerShell, APIs, Power Automate, Azure Automation, or similar tools. • Understanding of vulnerability management and risk-based patch prioritization. • Experience producing patch-compliance reporting, dashboards, KPIs, and audit evidence. • Strong understanding of change management, testing, rollback, exception management, and emergency patching procedures. • Ability to communicate effectively with infrastructure engineers, security teams, compliance personnel, and IT leadership. Preferred Qualifications • Previous experience within a credit union, bank, financial institution, or other highly regulated environment. • Understanding of PCI DSS and financial-services security and compliance requirements. • Familiarity with Microsoft cloud technologies such as Azure, Intune, Entra ID, Azure Automation, and Microsoft security platforms. • Experience integrating SCCM with vulnerability-management, ITSM, security, or reporting platforms. • Experience implementing automation within infrastructure or security operations. • Familiarity with AI-assisted IT operations, Microsoft Copilot capabilities, or the application of AI to vulnerability and patch-management workflows. • Experience developing patch-management SOPs, governance standards, and audit-ready documentation. • Consulting experience and the ability to independently lead discovery sessions, assessments, recommendations, and implementation activities.