Infrastructure Architect

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI); Mumbai, Hyderabad; On-site; INR 2,800,000 - 4,000,000; Full time

Job summary

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is seeking an experienced IT Infrastructure Solution Architect to lead the design, implementation and optimization of scalable infrastructure for mission-critical financial systems. You will specialize in server virtualization, storage, hybrid cloud, and secure data center architectures.

The role demands hands-on expertise with VMware, OpenStack/OpenShift, SDN, ACI, and modern backup/DR solutions, along with strong leadership to drive complex

Qualifications

• Proven experience designing large-scale IT infrastructure.
• Hands-on expertise in virtualization, storage, and cloud integration.
• Strong knowledge of security and compliance for financial systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead infrastructure architecture and design for data centers and cloud migrations.
• Provide hands-on guidance during critical deployments and capacity planning.
• Ensure security, PCI-DSS, ISO 27001 compliance across projects.
• Collaborate with application, DevOps, cybersecurity, and compliance teams.
• Produce architecture documentation (HLD/LLD) and standards.

Skills

VMware vSphere/ESXi/vCenter

OpenStack

Red Hat OpenShift

KVM

Linux administration

Windows Server

Ansible/Automation

Python/Shell scripting

Networking fundamentals

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science/IT/related field

Tools

NetApp

EMC/PowerMax/Isilon

HPE 3PAR/Nimble

Dell PowerStore

Ceph

Veeam/Commvault/NetBackup

Terraform/IaC

VMware NSX

Job description

Job Summary:

We are seeking an experienced IT Infrastructure Solution Architect to lead the design, implementation and optimization of robust and scalable IT infrastructure solutions. This role demands hands on deep expertise in server virtualization, storage technologies, cloud integration & migration. Understanding of advanced network architectures including ACI, SDN, and SD-WAN is desired. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in management of extreme scale Compute infrastructure in modern data center environments, hybrid cloud adoption, and secure infrastructure design to support mission-critical financial systems.

1. Infrastructure Architecture & Design

• Server Virtualization & Platforms:
  Design server and compute solutions using VMware vSphere/ESXi/vCenter, OpenStack, OpenShift, and KVM. Architect hybrid cloud-ready platforms integrating containers, orchestration, and bare-metal servers.
• Storage Systems:
  Architect and manage storage environments including SAN, NAS, object storage, and software-defined storage. Technologies may include NetApp, EMC/PowerMax/Isilon, HPE 3PAR/Nimble, Dell PowerStore, Ceph, etc.
• Backup & DR Infrastructure:
  Implement enterprise backup, recovery, and disaster recovery (DR) solutions using tools like Commvault, Veeam, Veritas NetBackup, ensuring high availability (HA) and business continuity.
• Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure:
  Design and implement hybrid IT infrastructure that integrates on-premises systems with public clouds (AWS, Azure, GCP) including cloud VPN, Direct Connect, and ExpressRoute.
• Microservices Infrastructure: Design and implement Kubernetes or equivalent based microservices infrastructure and provide consultancy to Software development teams on design imperatives.
• Automation: Knowledge of atleast one programming language from Shell Scripting, Python, Java is a must. Strong Knowledge of Infrastructure automatic provisioning technologies such as Ansible, Chef, Puppet is must to have skill

2. Good understanding of Network Architecture

• Data Center Networking:
  Assist in Architecting and managing data center networks with Cisco ACI, Software Defined Networking (SDN), and network fabric technologies to provide secure, scalable, and automated connectivity.
• SD-WAN & WAN Optimization:
  Collaborate with Network architecture and design/build team to Design and deploy SD-WAN solutions for secure, optimized branch-to-DC/cloud connectivity, using platforms like Cisco Viptela, Fortinet SD-WAN, or Silver Peak.
• Cloud Connectivity:
  Ensure secure and resilient cloud interconnectivity (e.g., VPN/IPSec, MPLS extensions, cloud load balancers) across hybrid environments in consultation with Network architecture/build/design teams.

3. Project Execution & Technical Leadership

• Lead infrastructure design and execution for data center refreshes, cloud migration, branch network upgrades, and infrastructure transformation initiatives. Drive for excellence and timely delivery is the essence of the role.
• Provide hands-on guidance and support during critical deployments, performance tuning, failover simulations, and capacity planning.
• Ensure all infrastructure projects follow security and compliance guidelines, including PCI-DSS, ISO 27001, and internal IT governance.

4. Collaboration & Stakeholder Communication

• Collaborate with application, DevOps, cybersecurity, and compliance teams to align infrastructure to business and regulatory requirements.
• Convert high-level business and application requirements into scalable, robust technical infrastructure designs.
• Produce detailed architecture documentation, HLD/LLDs, SOPs, and knowledge transfer material.

5. Vendor & Technology Management

• Evaluate, select, and manage vendors for server, storage, and cloud integration solutions.
• Engage with OEMs and partners (e.g., Cisco, Dell, NetApp, VMware, Red Hat, HPE, AWS, Microsoft) for technology roadmaps, licensing, and PoCs

Essential Skills & Technologies:

Server & Virtualization (Must have):

• VMware vSphere/ESXi, vCenter, OpenStack, Red Hat OpenShift, KVM, Linux (RHEL/CentOS/Ubuntu), Windows Server, Bare-metal provisioning, Ansible/Automation

Storage Technologies (Must Have):

• SAN/NAS/Object Storage (e.g., NetApp, EMC, Dell PowerStore, HPE, Ceph, GlusterFS),
  Backup & DR: Veeam, Commvault, NetBackup, DR replication tools

Network Technologies (Preferred):

• Cisco ACI, SDN solutions (e.g., VMware NSX, OpenFlow),
  SD-WAN (e.g., Cisco Viptela, Fortinet, Silver Peak),
  Firewalls & Security: FortiGate, Palo Alto, Cisco ASA,
  Cloud Connectivity: Direct Connect, ExpressRoute, VPN, Load Balancers

Cloud Platforms:

• Integration with AWS, Azure, GCP
• Familiarity with Terraform, CloudFormation, Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) preferred

Tools & Monitoring:

• Monitoring & NMS: SolarWinds, Zabbix, Nagios, PRTG,
• Configuration Management: Ansible, Puppet,
• ITSM Tools: ServiceNow, BMC Remedy

Key Competencies:

• Infrastructure Design & Execution: Proven ability to design, implement and maintain large-scale IT infrastructure.
• Problem-Solving & Optimization: Troubleshooting complex performance and availability issues across IT stack.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Excellent coordination across infra, dev, sec, and cloud teams.
• Stakeholder Communication:Clear technical communication with non-technical stakeholders.
• Documentation & Standards: High-quality documentation and adherence to best practices.