Infrastructure & Virtualization Engineer -L3

Title: Infrastructure & Virtualization Engineer - L3

Location: Houston, TX - Onsite

We are seeking an experienced L3 Infrastructure & Virtualization Engineer to provide advanced operational support, administration, troubleshooting, and project delivery for enterprise Windows and VMware environments. The role will be responsible for managing complex infrastructure issues, leading upgrades and migrations, and ensuring high availability, performance, and security of the datacentre environment.

Key Responsibilities:

VMware & VCF Administration

• Administer and support VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0 environments.
• Manage and maintain VMware vCenter Server and ESXi hosts.
• Perform cluster management, resource optimization, and capacity planning.
• Troubleshoot complex virtualization issues related to compute, storage, networking, and VM performance.
• Execute VMware lifecycle management activities, including patching and upgrades.
• Support vMotion, Storage vMotion, DRS, HA, and distributed switch configurations.
• Implement VMware best practices for performance, security, and availability.

Windows Server Administration

• Manage and support Windows Server environments (2016, 2019, 2022).
• Perform advanced troubleshooting of OS, services, AD integration, DNS, DHCP, and GPO-related issues.
• Manage server provisioning, decommissioning, patching, and hardening activities.
• Ensure compliance with security and operational standards.

SCCM / MECM Administration

• Administer Microsoft SCCM/MECM infrastructure.
• Manage software deployment, patch management, OS deployment, and compliance reporting.
• Troubleshoot SCCM client, distribution point, and deployment issues.
• Create deployment packages, task sequences, and automation workflows.

Upgrade & Migration Projects

• Lead and execute infrastructure upgrade and migration projects.
• Plan and perform:

• VMware vCenter upgrades.
• ESXi upgrades and lifecycle management.
• VCF platform upgrades.
• Windows Server migrations.
• SCCM/MECM upgrades and migrations.

• Develop migration runbooks, rollback plans, and implementation documentation.
• Conduct pre-upgrade assessments and post-implementation validations.

Incident & Problem Management

• Act as L3 escalation point for critical incidents and major outages.
• Perform root cause analysis (RCA) and implement permanent fixes.
• Participate in major incident bridges and provide technical leadership.
• Work closely with OEM vendors and support teams for issue resolution.

Documentation & Process Improvement

• Create and maintain technical documentation, SOPs, and knowledge articles.
• Develop automation and operational improvement initiatives.
• Provide technical mentoring and guidance to L1/L2 engineers.
• Participate in regular audits, reviews, and capacity-planning exercises.

Required Technical Skills

VMware Technologies

• VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0
• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware ESXi
• VMware HA, DRS, vMotion, Storage vMotion
• vSphere Lifecycle Manager
• Distributed Virtual Switches (vDS)

Windows Technologies

• Windows Server 2016/2019/2022
• Active Directory
• DNS, DHCP
• Group Policy Management
• Windows Patching & Hardening

SCCM / MECM

• Infrastructure Administration
• OS Deployment (OSD)
• Software Distribution
• Patch Management
• Compliance Management

Upgrade & Migration

• Datacenter Modernization
• Platform Upgrades
• Server Migration
• Virtualization Migration
• Infrastructure Transformation Projects

Preferred Skills

• PowerShell Scripting and Automation
• VMware Aria Suite
• Azure or Hybrid Cloud Exposure
• ITIL Framework Knowledge
• Monitoring Tools (vROps, SCOM, SolarWinds, etc.)
• Backup Technologies (Veeam, Commvault, NetBackup)

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
• VMware VCP/VCAP certification preferred.
• Microsoft certifications preferred.
• ITIL Foundation certification preferred.

Key Competencies

• Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills.
• Ability to manage critical incidents under pressure.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills.
• Experience working in enterprise and global support environments.
• Strong stakeholder management and leadership abilities.

Expected Deliverables

• Stable and highly available virtual infrastructure.
• Successful execution of upgrade and migration projects.
• Timely resolution of critical incidents.
• Process improvements and automation recommendations.
• Accurate technical documentation and knowledge transfer to support teams.