# Zach Howard
**Systems Administrator | IT Infrastructure & Networking**

Oshawa, Ontario, Canada · zachdhoward@proton.me · github.com/zdhoward · tools.zachtech.ca

## Summary
Engineer with experience spanning software quality, automation, developer tooling, IT infrastructure, and backend systems, plus a self-directed Linux, container and networking background.
More than a decade of hands-on work across IT, custom development, QA and DevOps for multiple companies and studios (freelance since 2013).

## Skills
- Infrastructure: Linux, Docker, Docker Compose, reverse proxies, networking, DNS, VPNs, monitoring with Grafana and Prometheus, Cloudflare, Tailscale, Authentik
- Scripting: Bash and PowerShell scripting
- Languages & Tools: Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL, REST APIs, Git, GitHub
- Testing & Quality: Test automation, end-to-end, regression and integration testing, test planning and strategy, release validation, defect investigation

## Experience

### Owner / IT Consultant, ZachTech | March 2026 – present
Oshawa, ON area
- Founded ZachTech, a local IT services business, and am building its client base.

### QC Lead, Eterio Realities | March 2025 – March 2026
Victoria, BC
- Worked directly with developers to integrate testing and quality practices throughout development.
- Developed internal tooling using Claude Code to improve product knowledge access and debugging workflows.
- Coordinated QA testing activities with a team of 1-2 testers and assisted with QA hiring and onboarding.

### Associate Quality Designer, Electronic Arts | March 2024 – June 2024
Vancouver, BC
- Triaged defects, investigated issues with software engineers, and communicated technical findings across teams, including coordinating QA requests with Central QA.

### QA Specialist, embedded at Electronic Arts, Keywords Studios | April 2020 – March 2024
Vancouver, BC
- Validated changes to internal build systems and developer workflows and created testing strategies for complex engineering systems.
- Wrote documentation, pioneered remote (work-from-home) technical support for the team, and helped onboard others while Central QA established official procedures.
- Embedded QA on the Frostbite Build Tools team, working directly with software engineers on internal developer tools and workflows used across AAA game projects.

### IT Coordinator, Mountain West Studios | September 2018 – April 2020
Vancouver, BC
- Managed network planning, maintenance and recovery processes and supported internal technical operations.
- Developed backend systems for automated video rendering and delivery, and automation for business workflows.

### Systems Administrator & IT Specialist, Saved By Technology (now Long & McQuade Pro) | January 2016 – August 2018
Toronto, ON
- Served as the company's computer specialist: repairs and support, including helping people with disabilities obtain computers through the company's ADP program.
- Developed internal software tools and utilities for sales and operational workflows.
- Fully in charge of the company's Amazon sales channel.

### Earlier roles
- Technical Analyst / Server Specialist at Aireus POS (2015): 24/7 emergency database contact for 400+ restaurants, QA testing and deployments.
- Freelance since 2013: server deployment, database migrations, and custom Max/MSP audio tools for musicians.

## Projects
- Designed and run a self-hosted homelab on two Unraid servers: about 40 Docker Compose-managed services, including Authentik SSO (with Postgres and Redis), Nginx Proxy Manager, Cloudflare tunnel and dynamic DNS, and Grafana and Prometheus monitoring.
- Home network on UniFi gear connecting two Unraid servers, a Raspberry Pi OS host, and other single-board computers and IoT devices.
- Built AIUsageMonitor (open source, v1.14.1): an ESP32 touchscreen desktop display with C++/Arduino firmware, fed over USB serial by a Python collector, showing AI subscription quotas and live system telemetry. (https://github.com/zdhoward/AIUsageMonitor)
- Design and run multi-agent AI development workflows with Claude Code and Codex, assigning models to tasks by strength and managing context to keep output reliable.

## Education
- Seneca College — Computer Programming & Analysis, 2011 – 2014