VMWare Lead

Axiom Software Solutions Limited; Plymouth; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading IT solutions provider in Plymouth is seeking a Hybrid Compute Lead to manage and optimize hybrid IT environments that include Windows servers, VMware, and cloud platforms like AWS and Azure. The successful candidate will provide technical leadership and collaborate with various teams to support infrastructure design and automation. An ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in enterprise IT infrastructure roles.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in enterprise IT infrastructure roles.
• Proven experience in on-premises and public cloud environments.
• Strong leadership and mentoring abilities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee design, deployment, and maintenance of hybrid IT infrastructure.
• Manage and optimize enterprise backup and disaster recovery systems.
• Implement security measures to protect systems and data.

Skills

Expertise in Windows Server

Expertise in Linux (RHEL, Ubuntu, CentOS)

Proficiency in VMware vSphere/ESXi

Scripting skills (PowerShell, Python, Bash)

Strong problem-solving skills

Excellent communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or IT

Tools

AWS

Azure

Ansible

Terraform

Job description

Overview

Hybrid Compute Lead is a senior IT professional who manages, maintains, secures, and optimizes hybrid IT environments combining Windows servers, VMware virtualization, Linux systems, storage and cloud platforms like AWS and Azure. This lead role often involves technical leadership, mentoring, and strategic contributions to infrastructure design and automation.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the design, deployment, configuration, and maintenance of server infrastructure (Windows Server and Linux, such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Ubuntu, CentOS), virtualization (VMware vSphere/ESXi, vCenter), cloud platforms (AWS, Azure), and storage solutions (SAN/NAS).
• Provide expert-level administration, configuration, troubleshooting, and support for all infrastructure components, including hardware and software upgrades, patching, and security compliance.
• Manage the virtualization infrastructure, including platform services, associated ecosystem components, and virtual machine management.
• Administer and troubleshoot VMware environments (ESXi, vSphere, vCenter, vMotion, DRS, HA), ensuring optimal performance and resource utilization.
• Deploy, configure, and manage workloads in cloud platforms like AWS or Azure, including cloud networking, storage, backup, and security controls.
• Support hybrid cloud strategies, cloud adoption/migration efforts, and platform modernization initiatives.
• Configure and maintain SAN (Fiber Channel, iSCSI), NAS, and software-defined storage (SDS) solutions (Dell Technologies, NetApp, Pure Storage, VMware vSAN).
• Manage and optimize enterprise backup and disaster recovery systems.
• Understand and troubleshoot TCP/IP, VLANs, DNS, DHCP, firewalls, routing, and cloud networking constructs (VPCs, subnets, gateways).
• Implement and maintain security measures to protect systems and data, including network security, system hardening, identity and access management, and vulnerability assessments.
• Identify repetitive tasks and develop automation solutions using scripting languages like PowerShell, Python, or Bash, and configuration management tools like Ansible or Terraform.
• Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to manage and provision cloud and virtual environments.
• Implement robust monitoring and alerting strategies to ensure system availability, redundancy, and performance.
• Troubleshoot complex issues, perform root cause analysis, and proactively identify and resolve performance bottlenecks.
• Collaborate with IT operations, DevOps, application, security, and business teams to gather requirements and deliver solutions.
• Translate business needs into technical requirements and provide clear documentation and implementation guidance.
• Lead and mentor junior technical team members, sharing best practices and architectural patterns.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation for infrastructure designs, implementation processes, operational procedures, and knowledge base articles.

Qualifications and skills

• • Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• • Experience:
• o Significant experience (often 10+ years or more) in enterprise IT infrastructure roles.
• o Proven experience designing, deploying, and managing infrastructure in both on-premises and public cloud environments.
• o Experience leading or participating in infrastructure projects (migrations, upgrades, new deployments).
• • Technical Skills:
• o Deep expertise in Windows Server and Linux (RHEL, Ubuntu, CentOS) operating systems.
• o Strong understanding of directory services (Active Directory, Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments environments).
• o Expertise in VMware vSphere/ESXi, vCenter, vMotion, DRS, HA, and other virtualization technologies.
• o Hands-on experience with public cloud platforms like AWS or Azure.
• o Strong knowledge of SAN/NAS platforms (Dell EMC, HPE, NetApp, Pure Storage).
• o Proficiency in scripting and automation tools (PowerShell, Python, Bash, Ansible, Terraform).
• o Familiarity with monitoring and alerting tools (e.g., SolarWinds, Zabbix).
• • Soft Skills:
• o Strong problem-solving, analytical, and troubleshooting skills.
• o Excellent communication and collaboration skills (verbal and written).
• o Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks efficiently.
• o Leadership, mentoring, and team-building skills.
• o Passion for continuous learning and staying updated with emerging technologies