Job Description
Position Overview: The Data Center/Cloud Architect Cisco UCSX / VMware is responsible for designing, implementing, maintaining, and optimizing enterprise-grade data center and hybrid cloud environments with a strong focus on Cisco UCSX, VMware vSphere 7/8/9, Microsoft Azure, and enterprise storage platforms (NetApp, Pure. Dell, HPE).
This role ensures the high availability, performance, scalability, and security of the organization s hybrid infrastructure supporting mission-critical business systems. The engineer will be a subject matter expert for VMware upgrades, NetApp/Pure/Dell/HPE storage capacity and performance, and automation/scripting for operational insight and efficiency.
Key Responsibilities: Infrastructure Design & Implementation - Design, deploy, and maintain data center solutions leveraging Cisco UCSX blade and rack servers, including Intersight, fabric interconnects, and service profiles.
- Architect and implement VMware vSphere 7/8/9 clusters (compute, storage, and network) to support high availability and performance.
- Design and maintain hybrid cloud architectures integrating on-premises infrastructure with Microsoft Azure (IaaS/PaaS) and related hybrid services.
- Engineer and support enterprise storage platforms with an emphasis on NetApp (ONTAP) and Dell storage arrays, including SAN/NAS designs and data protection strategies.
Operations, Upgrades & Maintenance - Monitor and maintain server, virtualization, and storage infrastructure to ensure uptime, performance, and SLA adherence.
- Plan, test, and execute VMware vSphere/vCenter upgrades, including compatibility checks, rollback planning, and post-upgrade validation.
- Apply firmware, driver, and software updates across Cisco UCSX, VMware, and NetApp/Dell storage environments.
- Manage backups, replication, and snapshot configurations to ensure data protection, retention compliance, and business continuity.
- Troubleshoot complex issues across compute, storage, virtualization, and network layers in a hybrid on-prem/Azure environment.
Storage Capacity, Performance & Optimization - Analyze and forecast NetApp and Dell storage capacity, utilization trends, and growth to support proactive planning and budgeting.
- Monitor and tune storage performance (IOPS, latency, throughput) and recommend configuration or architectural changes to meet workload requirements.
- Develop and maintain reporting on storage health, capacity, and performance for technical and management stakeholders.
Cloud & Virtualization - Integrate on-premises VMware and storage environments with Azure using services such as Azure Arc, ExpressRoute, VPN, and hybrid identity.
- Manage and optimize VMware clusters, including resource pools, vMotion, DRS, HA, and lifecycle management.
- Assist with workload migrations between on-premises and Azure, and between virtualized and physical environments as needed.
Automation, Scripting & Observability - Leverage tools such as PowerShell, vRealize, Azure Automation, or Terraform to streamline deployments and configuration management.
- Create and refine dashboards and reports to provide visibility into infrastructure health, utilization, and trends for both technical teams and leadership.
Security, Compliance & Collaboration - Implement and maintain security best practices for compute, storage, virtualization, and cloud infrastructure in alignment with organizational policies and frameworks.
- Collaborate with security/cybersecurity teams to ensure patch compliance, vulnerability remediation, and audit readiness.
- Provide technical guidance, documentation, and knowledge transfer to operations staff and peer teams.
Required Qualifications: - Bachelor s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
- 7+ years of experience supporting enterprise data center environments in a hybrid on-prem/cloud setting.
- Strong, hands-on expertise with Cisco UCSX Intersight, fabric interconnects, service profiles, and firmware management.
- Advanced administration experience with VMware vSphere, vCenter, and ESXi, and upgrade/migration planning.
- Proven experience managing NetApp (ONTAP) and Dell enterprise storage (SAN/NAS), including capacity planning and performance tuning.
- Experience supporting and integrating with Microsoft Azure (IaaS/PaaS) in a hybrid cloud model.
- Solid understanding of backup, replication, and disaster recovery concepts and tools.
- Proficiency with scripting and automation (e.g., PowerShell, PowerCLI, Python; Terraform or similar is a plus) to collect data, automate tasks, and improve operational efficiency.
- Familiarity with networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, VLANs, routing, load balancing) as they relate to virtualized and storage environments.
Preferred Qualifications: - Relevant certifications such as Cisco CCNP Data Center, VMware VCP-DCV (or higher), Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate / Solutions Architect, NetApp Certified Data Administrator (NCDA) or equivalent storage certification
- Experience with enterprise backup and DR solutions (e.g., Veeam, Commvault, Rubrik, Azure Site Recovery).
- Experience with monitoring and observability tools (e.g., vRealize Operations, SolarWinds, NetApp monitoring tools, Azure Monitor).
- Working knowledge of containerization platforms (Kubernetes, Docker) in relation to storage and virtualization is a plus.
Soft Skills: - Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, especially in complex, multi-vendor environments.
- Excellent communication and documentation skills, including the ability to convey technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively across infrastructure, application, security, and vendor teams.
- Strong customer service mindset, attention to detail, and ownership of outcomes for mission-critical systems.
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