Server Virtualization Platform Operations Engineer

BioSpace; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 65,000 - 152,000; Full time

Job summary

Lilly IT is seeking multiple Server Virtualization Platform Operations Engineers to manage VMware ESX-based IaaS across on-premises and Azure. You will improve reliability, automate tasks with AI tools, and mentor regional teams in a multi-datacenter setting.

The role requires a strong background in virtualization, networking, and enterprise-scale operations, with onsite work in Indianapolis and occasional travel.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, or related field.
• 4+ years of experience as a VMware ESX / Platform Engineer.
• Authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis; Lilly will not sponsor.

Responsibilities

• Maintain stability of VMware ESX-based IaaS across on-prem and Azure.
• Automate ops tasks and improve availability using AI-enabled tools.
• Mentor global Lilly operations SMEs and support multi-datacenter environments.

Skills

VMware ESX

Platform Engineer

AI automation

Python

Azure VMware Service

Networking (VLANs)

VMware vDS

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IT

Tools

Claude Code

Codex

Job description

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, self-less work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.

Join us in revolutionizing Infrastructure Operations with AI and Automation!

The Cloud and Connectivity organization is actively looking for a VMware ESX Platform Operations Engineer to join them. Do you like to solve challenges and have an interest in large scale impact? Would you like the ability to impact global public and private cloud infrastructure operations through AI and Automation, including applying modern AI-powered coding and automation tools to accelerate engineering workflows?

What You’ll Be Doing

We are seeking multiple Server Virtualization Platform Operations Engineers with experience supporting and managing enterprise VMware ESX-based Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) capabilities, both on-premises and in Microsoft Azure. The ideal candidate will play a critical role in maintaining system stability, automating operational tasks, and ensuring high availability for critical workloads, including leveraging modern AI automation tools (e.g., Claude Code, Codex, or similar) to improve efficiency and streamline engineering workflows. If you have a solid background in VMware administration, server virtualization, and thrive in multifaceted enterprise environments, this position offers an excellent chance to advance your career. You'll be involved in maintaining critical infrastructure components, supporting multi-datacenter operations, and implementing solutions that improve availability and reliability. This role will work with the most critical infrastructure supporting all Lilly Manufacturing and research sites in multi-datacenter stretch clusters. Our goal is to improve the availability of infrastructure and reliability through repeatable patterns, new architectural designs, improvements in observability to prevent outages to help increase value across the organization. The role will also provide mentorship and direction to our global Lilly operations SMEs and other platform infrastructure operations SME to deliver the daily operations associated with this area.

How You’ll Succeed

• Be Bold – You will drive Infrastructure Operations to never have to fix the same problem twice through adoption of AI OPS, Event Driven Automation, and robust Observability.
• Be Fast - You will accelerate initiatives in areas such as: Infrastructure AI OPS automation, cloud IaaS management, and cloud infrastructure as code to enable critical business projects.
• Be Proactive - You will have groundbreaking chances to transform our operations processes using proactive, predictive, and automated AI & Observability capabilities.
• Be Your Best - You will bring a high learning agility and Infrastructure operations / engineer skills to help us enable the Lilly Technology strategy, identifying tech opportunities, and accelerate our AI OPS journey.

What You Should Bring

• Technical expertise and leadership to turn ideas and concepts into solutions.
• Linux, Windows, VMware vSphere, Dell SAN storage or Cloud certifications are a bonus, or we are willing to help you develop.
• Technical leadership supporting enterprise grade infrastructure solutions and leading the deployment at multiple global locations.
• Strong hands-on experience with automated infrastructure availability and resiliency (VMWare/vSphere/Storage replication) at enterprise scale along with virtualized Windows or Linux OS platforms.
• Experience leveraging AI-driven automation tools (e.g., Claude Code, Codex, or similar) to streamline engineering workflows, improve efficiency, or support infrastructure operations.
• Knowledge and experience with modern VMware ESX, Azure VMware Service, IaaS cloud services (EC2, Azure Compute), or languages and tools such as Python, JSON, YAML, ARM, Git is a bonus.
• Ability to optimize, configure, and maintain private cloud infrastructure capabilities to help build, configure, and maintain systems.
• Consistent track record of high quality, agile focused, team-based solution delivery.
• Excellent analytical, problem solving and communication skills, working across global and diverse teams.
• Deep understanding of networking concepts like VLANs and trunking.
• Prior experience configuring and leading VMware networking components, including Distributed Switches (vDS), to ensure efficient and secure network communication.
• Experience with Zerto and VMware HCX technologies is a plus.
• Experience leading operations of a global large-scale ESX infrastructure service.

Additional Information

• Onsite role located in Indianapolis, IN (relocation required).
• Expected Shift Hours: 11:30 am – 8:30pm US Eastern Standard Time (EST) / 12:30-9:30pm US Eastern Daylight-Saving Time (EDT)
• Shift rotations: Monday to Friday / Thursday to Monday
• Less than 5% travel.

Your Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, or related technical field.
• 4+ years of experience as a VMware ESX / Platform Engineer
• Demonstrated experience or exposure to AI-enabled automation tools (e.g., Claude Code, Codex, or similar), with the ability to apply them in engineering or operational contexts.
• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role, including but not limited to F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, or L-1

Organization Overview

Lilly IT builds and maintains capabilities using cutting edge technologies like most prominent tech companies. What differentiates Lilly IT is that we redefine what’s possible through tech to advance our purpose – creating medicines that make life better for people around the world, like data driven drug discovery and connected clinical trials. We hire the best technology professionals from a variety of backgrounds, so they can bring an assortment of knowledge, skills, and diverse thinking to deliver innovative solutions in every area of our business.

Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form (https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request a accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.

Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia (AMECA), Black Employees at Lilly (BE@Lilly), Chinese Culture Network (CCN), EnAble, Evolve, Lilly Indian Network (LIN), Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), Pride (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN) and Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL).

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $64,500 - $151,800.

Full‑time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well‑being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities). Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.

#WeAreLilly