Hi all,

I’m working in Operational Technology (Industrial IT) in a 24/7 energy company. It’s my first corporate role after a startup, and I’ve been here for about 3 years.

Role-wise, I’m part of the infrastructure team, but the scope is quite broad:

•   Sysadmin (backups, virtualization, container platforms – \~1000+ servers)

•   Some networking responsibilities

•   Help desk support for business units

•   DCS-related administration

On paper, the job is good:

•   Competitive salary (for MENA region)

•   No formal on-call (8–5), but expected to be reachable if something breaks

•   Supportive managers, flexible deadlines

However, I’m struggling with the working culture, especially around ownership and responsibility.

A typical example:

We had a connectivity issue. Network team initially pushed it back as “your server problem” because they could access the switch remotely. From our side, the server couldn’t reach the switch. After multiple checks and discussions, it turned out a trunk port wasn’t configured correctly on their side.

Situations like this are quite frequent:

•   Tasks being bounced between teams

•   Repeated follow-ups needed (messages, calls, emails)

•   People getting defensive instead of focusing on resolution

From my side, I’ve tried:

•   Documenting issues clearly

•   Following up through multiple channels (Teams, in-person, email)

•   Escalating only when necessary

Despite that, I often end up compensating for gaps in ownership. Even on days off, I’m frequently pulled back into work.

At the same time:

•   I was promoted last year and received a strong bonus

•   Management seems satisfied with my performance

•   Workload fluctuates between “too relaxed” and “overwhelming”

My main concerns:

1.  I feel like I’m doing a lot of reactive / manual work rather than improving systems

2.  Due to production constraints, I can’t automate as much as I’d like

3.  When things are slow, I feel like I’m getting rusty

4.  When things are busy, it’s mostly firefighting, not meaningful improvement

I’m not looking to change jobs right now. The benefits and stability are important to me, and I’m also working on a startup on the side.

What I’m trying to figure out is:

•   How do you stay technically sharp in an environment with low ownership culture?

•   How do you avoid burnout when you’re effectively compensating for systemic gaps?

•   How do you balance “doing the work” vs. “improving the system” in a constrained production environment?

Would appreciate perspectives from people who’ve worked in similar environments.