VMware VCF Architect

Title: VMware VCF Architect
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Duration: 1 Year Contract

Job Overview

We are seeking an experienced Automation & Controls – Automation Architect with strong expertise in VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), infrastructure automation, and software-driven engineering operations.

The ideal candidate will combine deep VMware ecosystem knowledge with a strong automation and developer mindset. This role requires hands-on experience automating end-to-end VCF lab deployments, infrastructure provisioning, CI/CD pipelines for test automation, and vSAN storage performance testing, including test creation, report generation, and analysis of captured data.

The candidate should also have practical experience with VCF Automation, automation blueprints, self-service catalogs, workflow orchestration, and integrations with VMware infrastructure and external enterprise systems.

The successful candidate will work closely with architecture and engineering teams to identify manual operational bottlenecks and develop scalable, reliable automation solutions.

Key Responsibilities

1. VMware VCF Architecture & Infrastructure Automation

• Design, implement, and automate end-to-end VMware Cloud Foundation lab build, deployment, configuration, and upgrade processes.

• Apply strong knowledge of VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2+ and practical exposure to VCF 9 environments.

• Automate day-to-day engineering operations, reducing manual effort and improving deployment consistency.

• Work across vSphere, NSX, vSAN, and related VMware infrastructure components.

• Translate existing manual deployment, upgrade, and testing procedures into repeatable automation workflows.

2. VCF Automation & Blueprint Development

• Deploy and configure VCF Automation in VCF 9 environments.

• Develop automation blueprints and cloud templates for VM provisioning and infrastructure lifecycle management.

• Configure cloud accounts, cloud zones, resource mappings, endpoint integrations, and authentication.

• Build self-service catalogs, service requests, custom forms, approval workflows, and governance policies.

• Implement role-based access control (RBAC), entitlements, and resource allocation policies.

• Develop VMware Orchestrator (vRO) workflows and Automation Assembler (ABX) actions where applicable.

3. Scripting & Engineering Automation

• Develop robust automation scripts using Python and/or PowerShell.

• Use YAML/JSON templates and REST APIs to automate VMware operations and integrate infrastructure services.

• Automate infrastructure provisioning, configuration, validation, testing, and reporting.

• Develop reusable scripts, modules, and workflows that support scalable engineering operations.

• Troubleshoot automation failures and improve script reliability, maintainability, and performance.

4. CI/CD & Test Automation

• Design and implement CI/CD pipelines for infrastructure and test automation using tools such as Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, or GitHub Actions.

• Automate test execution, validation, and reporting for VMware infrastructure deployments and upgrades.

• Integrate automation scripts and test suites into engineering workflows.

• Enable repeatable testing processes, automated result collection, and continuous validation of infrastructure changes.

5. vSAN Performance Testing & Analysis

• Automate VMware vSAN storage performance testing workflows.

• Develop and execute automated test scenarios to evaluate storage performance and reliability.

• Automate test data collection, report generation, and analysis of performance metrics.

• Identify performance bottlenecks, analyze test results, and provide actionable engineering insights.

• Improve the repeatability and efficiency of storage testing and validation processes.

6. Platform Integrations & Hybrid Cloud

• Integrate VCF Automation with VCF Operations, vSphere, NSX, vSAN, and supporting VMware components.

• Integrate automation workflows with external CI/CD systems, CMDBs, ITSM platforms, APIs, and webhooks.

• Implement custom integrations using REST APIs and related automation mechanisms.

• Work with infrastructure-as-code and configuration-management tools such as Terraform and Ansible.

• Support hybrid cloud provisioning and integrations involving VMware, AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform.

7. Troubleshooting, Documentation & Delivery

• Diagnose blueprint, workflow, API, integration, provisioning, and pipeline failures.

• Perform root cause analysis using logs, test results, and infrastructure metrics.

• Optimize automation workflows, provisioning performance, and resource utilization.

• Prepare technical documentation, architecture-aligned build procedures, runbooks, automation standards, and operational handover materials.

• Collaborate with architects, engineering teams, and project managers to deliver solutions aligned with design standards.

• Conduct customer-facing knowledge-transfer sessions and support Day-2 operational readiness.

Required Skills & Experience

• 8+ years of overall VMware/infrastructure experience, with substantial hands-on experience in automation and engineering operations.

• Strong working knowledge of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), preferably VCF 5.2+, with exposure to VCF 9.

• Hands-on experience with VMware vSphere, NSX, and vSAN.

• Practical experience with VCF Automation and/or vRealize Automation (vRA).

• Strong scripting skills in Python and/or PowerShell.

• Experience automating VMware lab builds, deployments, upgrades, testing, or infrastructure lifecycle operations.

• Experience building CI/CD pipelines and automating infrastructure or performance testing.

• Knowledge of vSAN performance testing, test data collection, report generation, and performance analysis.

• Experience with VMware Orchestrator, YAML/JSON templates, REST APIs, and workflow automation.

• Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform and Ansible.

• Experience integrating infrastructure automation with external enterprise systems.

• Understanding of hybrid cloud provisioning and DevOps practices.

• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, documentation, and communication skills.

• Previous customer-facing consulting or professional services experience is preferred.

Preferred Certifications

• VMware Certified Professional – VMware Cloud Foundation Administrator (2V0-17.25).

• VMware Cloud Foundation Architect (2V0-13.25).