VMware Virtualization Infrastructure Engineer

Job Introduction

Serco has made significant contributions at EUMETSAT in Darmstadt, supporting a diverse range of meteorological satellite missions and projects. Serco provides essential engineering, technical, and management services, playing a crucial role in the operation and maintenance of satellite ground segments. Its expertise in satellite control, data processing, and system integration has earned the company accolades, including “Excellence in Service” awards from EUMETSAT. Serco’s dedicated efforts ensure the reliable dissemination of vital weather and climate data, underscoring its commitment to innovation and excellence in the field of meteorological satellite operations.

We are looking for a VMware Virtualization Infrastructure Engineer to design, deploy, and operate a production VMware vSphere virtualisation infrastructure supporting mission-critical meteorological satellite systems. The successful candidate will ensure 24/7 cluster stability, performance optimisation, and high availability, while managing compute resource allocation, storage connectivity, and virtual networking.

Key Responsibilities

Routine Operations

• Monitor the virtualisation infrastructure and identify hardware, software, and performance issues.
• Perform initial investigations and act as the primary point of contact for VMware vSphere-related operational matters.
• Participate in daily mission operations coordination meetings and anomaly review boards.
• Maintain VMware vSphere configuration baselines, system inventories, and configuration management documentation.
• Operate and administer enterprise server platforms and blade chassis systems running VMware vSphere.
• Monitor infrastructure health through the analysis of system logs and operational telemetry.
• Administer Ethernet and Fibre Channel (FC) switching infrastructure supporting the virtualisation platform.

Preventive Maintenance

• Plan and execute VMware vSphere upgrades and reconfigurations, ensuring compatibility and minimal operational impact.
• Install, configure, and optimise VMware vSphere, COTS software, and virtual infrastructure.
• Administer VMware vSphere infrastructure components, including cluster architecture and storage connectivity.
• Develop and maintain automation scripts and procedures using tools such as Ansible, Chef, Puppet, and Terraform.
• Create and maintain technical documentation for VMware vSphere upgrades and cluster configuration changes.

Corrective Actions

• Ensure VMware vSphere environments can be restored following hardware or software failures.
• Define, maintain, and verify backup and recovery procedures for virtual machines and cluster configurations.
• Conduct disaster recovery testing and failover validation.
• Liaise with hardware vendors and VMware support providers.
• Diagnose and resolve hardware, software, and performance issues.
• Provide stand-by and on-call support to ensure operational continuity.

Optimisation & Engineering

• Identify recurring virtualisation tasks and implement automation solutions.
• Support the evolution of the VMware vSphere platform, including cluster optimisation and high-availability enhancements.
• Collaborate on Kubernetes integration with VMware vSphere and persistent storage platforms.
• Support hybrid cloud architectures integrating VMware with OpenStack.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex virtualisation issues and service outages.
• Develop and maintain VMware vSphere documentation and operational procedures.

Skills and Experience

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related discipline.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience.
• Expert-level experience in VMware vSphere administration and cluster management.
• Experience with enterprise server platforms, including Cisco UCS, Dell, HPE ProLiant, and Lenovo systems.
• Experience administering storage technologies, including SAN environments, Ceph, and GPFS.
• Knowledge of backup and disaster recovery procedures.
• Knowledge of infrastructure security hardening.
• Good understanding of TCP/IP networking and network infrastructure.
• Knowledge of Kubernetes and persistent storage concepts (CSI).
• Experience using Ansible, Chef, or Puppet for infrastructure automation.
• Experience using Terraform for Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
• Experience with Git version control.
• Knowledge of ITIL service management principles.
• Experience with Vault or Conjur for secrets management.
• Experience integrating VMware with OpenStack and/or public cloud platforms.
• Experience working in 24/7 operational environments.
• Professional proficiency in written and spoken English.

Desirable

• Experience with advanced container networking technologies, including Cilium and eBPF.
• Experience with RKE2 and Rancher.
• Experience administering and integrating OpenStack environments.
• Familiarity with Agile methodologies and Jira.
• Experience in the aerospace or satellite industry.

Package Description

• Relocation allowance (flight to Germany, airport transport, one month paid accommodation).
• Hybrid working model for flexibility. 
• 30% discount on the Deutschland ticket for easy travel.
• Subsidised Wellpass – access to 12,500+ fitness and wellness options across Germany.
• Pension and health schemes.
• Corporate Benefits discounts
• 30 days of holiday for balance and exploration.