Principal Technical Consultant – VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF)

AHEAD; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

401(k)

Paid company holidays

Paid time off

Paid parental and caregiver leave

Job summary

A technology solutions provider in Chicago is seeking a VMware Cloud Foundation Architect with over 15 years of technical experience. The role involves leading the design and deployment of VMware Cloud solutions, mentoring junior staff, and integrating third-party platforms. The ideal candidate will hold VMware Cloud Foundation Architect Certification and have hands-on experience with lifecycle management and workload migrations. We offer a competitive salary range of $180,000 - $210,000 along with comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 15 years of technical experience with VMware and supporting technologies.
• Strong experience with VCF lifecycle management, automation, and workload migration.
• Hands-on experience deploying, upgrading, and managing VCF.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture, design, and deployment of VMware Cloud Foundation solutions.
• Integrate VCF with third-party platforms such as storage and networking solutions.
• Provide mentorship to junior technical consultants.

Skills

VMware Cloud Foundation expertise

Architectural design

Cloud solutions integration

Troubleshooting skills

Client-facing communication

Education

VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 Architect Certification

Industry certifications (VCAP, VCDX)

Tools

VMware Cloud Foundation

Elastic VMware Services (EVS)

Azure VMware Solution (AVS)

Job description

AHEAD builds platforms for digital business. By weaving together advances in cloud infrastructure, automation and analytics, and software delivery, we help enterprises deliver on the promise of digital transformation.

At AHEAD, we prioritize creating a culture of belonging, where all perspectives and voices are represented, valued, respected, and heard. We create spaces to empower everyone to speak up, make change, and drive the culture at AHEAD.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and do not discriminate based on an individual's race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law, whether actual or perceived.

We embrace all candidates that will contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives at AHEAD.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture, design, and deployment of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) solutions across all pillars of the VCF platform; vSAN, NSX, Operations, Automation, and VKS. (VCF v9.0+ experience required)
• Oversee architecture, deployment, and configuration of the VCF Fleet, vSphere, vCenter, vSAN, NSX, Operations (Network, Logs), Automation, and VKS within VCF environments.
• Work with customers to define business and technical requirements for VCF-based private and hybrid cloud solutions.
• Architecture, design and implement global, multi-site, enterprise architectures, workload mobility, and disaster recovery strategies.
• Primary architectural lead for technical discussions, workshops, and knowledge transfer sessions for clients and internal teams.
• Integrate VCF with third‑party platforms such as storage, networking, and security solutions.
• Develop and deliver technical documentation, design documents, and best practices for VCF deployments.
• Mentor junior technical consultants and provide guidance on troubleshooting and optimization.
• Participate in pre‑sales engagements, helping scope and position VCF solutions for clients.
• Ensure adherence to industry standards, security policies, and compliance requirements.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 15 years of technical experience with VMware and supporting technologies.
• VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 Architect Certification (Exam 2V0-13.25) required.
• VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 Administrator Certification (Exam 2V0-17.25) highly desired.
• Specialty VCF VCAP‑level certification highly desired, in either NSX, Operations, Automation, or VKS.
• Extensive architecture, design, and deployment expertise with VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 (VCF), including VCF Global Fleet, vSphere, NSX, vSAN, and Aria Suite.
• Strong experience with VCF lifecycle management, automation, and workload migration.
• Hands‑on experience deploying, upgrading, and managing VCF on various hardware platforms and HCI solutions. Experience with Elastic VMware Services (EVS) on AWS or Azure VMware Solution (AVS) highly desirable.
• Strong understanding of software‑defined networking (SDN), security policies, and enterprise storage.
• Experience integrating VCF with third‑party tools such as backup, monitoring, and automation solutions.
• Excellent troubleshooting, analytical, and problem‑solving skills.
• Strong written and verbal client‑facing communication and presentation abilities.
• Industry certifications such as VCAP, VCDX, or equivalent VMware certifications are highly desirable.
• Willingness to travel at least 10% as needed.

Expectations

• Recognized subject matter expert in VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 (VCF).
• Contribute to the development of best practices, automation scripts, and deployment methodologies.
• Act as a trusted advisor to customers, helping define long‑term private cloud strategies.
• Engage in presales activities, including scope definition, solution positioning, and proposal development.
• Identify and drive new business opportunities related to VMware Cloud solutions.
• Participate in industry conferences and contribute thought leadership in VCF and hybrid cloud.
• Provide guidance on strategic IT transformation initiatives, aligning VCF implementations with business goals.
• Lead complex workshops and client engagements, articulating the value of VCF and associated technologies.

$180,000 - $210,000 a year

The compensation range indicated in this posting reflects the On‑Target Earnings (“OTE”) for this role, which includes a base salary and any applicable target bonus amount. This OTE range may vary based on the candidate’s relevant experience, qualifications, and geographic location.

Why AHEAD

Through our daily work and internal groups like Moving Women AHEAD and RISE AHEAD, we value and benefit from diversity of people, ideas, experience, and everything in between.

We fuel growth by stacking our office with top‑notch technologies in a multi‑million‑dollar lab, by encouraging cross department training and development, sponsoring certifications and credentials for continued learning.

USA Employment Benefits include:

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

401(k)

Paid company holidays

Paid time off

Paid parental and caregiver leave

Plus more! See benefits https://www.aheadbenefits.com/ for additional details.

Use of AI

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, assessing responses, or to capture recordings and create transcriptions or summaries during interviews. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.

If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please refer to the Candidate Privacy Notice or contact us at [e-mail].

You may opt‑out of the review or analysis of your application and resume by AI tools by using the General Application. Please include the role you wish to apply for in the Additional Information field. You may also choose to opt‑out of recording and transcription at any time, including after joining an interview. Candidates will not be penalized for choosing to opt‑out.