VMware Engineer

Key Responsibilities:

• VMware Infrastructure Support & Engineering:
• Lead and manage the design, implementation, and maintenance of VMware vSphere environments, including ESXi hosts, vCenter, and other VMware products.
• Serve as the primary technical expert on VMware virtualization technologies, including server, storage, and network virtualization solutions.
• Architect and design VMware-based virtualized infrastructures, ensuring scalability, security, and high availability to meet DHS mission requirements.
• Manage and optimize VMware clusters, virtual machines (VMs), and related virtual infrastructure components.
• Vendor & Product Support:
• Act as the primary point of contact for VMware and other vendor solutions, providing expert-level engineering support and troubleshooting assistance.
• Perform direct reach back into vendor research, development, and technical support teams to resolve complex issues and ensure the effectiveness of designs in production environments.
• Work closely with vendors to evaluate and implement new VMware technologies and features to improve overall system performance and efficiency.
• Storage Engineering & Virtualization:
• Design, implement, and manage enterprise storage solutions in conjunction with VMware virtualized environments, ensuring optimal performance and scalability.
• Provide dedicated support for storage engineering, including configuration, provisioning, and optimization of storage resources in virtualized environments.
• Support the integration of VMware-based storage solutions with existing on-premises and cloud-based infrastructures.
• Solution Development & Customization:
• Collaborate with other technical teams to develop and integrate custom solutions that enhance the capabilities of VMware environments and storage systems.
• Perform solution development work related to VMware products, including automating processes, creating scripts, and configuring infrastructure as code (IaC).
• Assist with continuous improvement initiatives, driving efficiencies in the virtualized environment.
• Troubleshooting & Optimization:
• Provide advanced troubleshooting for complex technical issues related to VMware virtualization, storage, and network solutions.
• Perform root cause analysis (RCA) of technical incidents, and recommend improvements to prevent recurrence.
• Monitor and analyze VMware performance metrics, optimizing resource utilization and ensuring the reliability of the virtualized infrastructure.
• Documentation & Reporting:
• Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation for VMware virtualized environments, including architecture diagrams, operational procedures, and troubleshooting guides.
• Produce regular status reports, system performance metrics, and capacity planning assessments for senior management and DHS stakeholders.
• Security & Compliance:
• Ensure that VMware solutions comply with DHS security policies, industry standards, and relevant regulations.
• Work with security teams to assess vulnerabilities and implement appropriate security measures for VMware environments and storage systems.
• Training & Knowledge Sharing:
• Mentor junior engineers and provide training on VMware technologies, best practices, and new solutions.
• Share knowledge of advanced VMware technologies with internal teams to ensure proficiency across the department.

Qualifications:

• Education:
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience:
• 8+ years of experience in VMware engineering, with a deep understanding of VMware vSphere, ESXi, vCenter, and related VMware products.
• Extensive experience in designing, implementing, and managing enterprise VMware virtualized environments in complex IT infrastructures.
• Hands-on experience with storage solutions integrated with VMware environments, including SAN, NAS, and software-defined storage.
• Proven experience providing technical support and engineering solutions for VMware and related products, collaborating with vendor support teams to resolve critical issues.
• Skills & Competencies:
• Strong proficiency with VMware technologies (vSphere, vCenter, ESXi, vSAN, vRealize, etc.).
• Expertise in storage systems and virtualization, with a solid understanding of storage protocols (iSCSI, NFS, FC, etc.) and virtual storage solutions.
• Familiarity with automation tools, such as PowerCLI, Ansible, or Terraform, to automate VMware and storage configurations.
• Experience with cloud-based virtualization technologies and hybrid cloud environments.
• In-depth knowledge of networking, server hardware, and storage architecture in virtualized environments.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to resolve complex technical issues in high-pressure environments.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical issues to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Certifications (Preferred):
• VMware Certified Professional (VCP) or VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP).
• Certifications in related technologies (e.g., storage, networking, security).
• ITIL Foundation or related IT service management certifications.

Security Clearance: