VMWare Engineer

Job#: 3055935
Job Description:
Senior VMware / Horizon Engineer
Virtualization, VDI, and Platform Lifecycle
R2Next Design, Build, Migrate, and Operate Program | Annapolis Junction / Linthicum Heights, MD | On site | No clearance required
Our client is standing up a new, self-sufficient IT environment for an engineering, research, and microelectronics manufacturing organization of roughly 800 users across sites in Annapolis Junction and Linthicum Heights, Maryland.

The environment has no direct internet access, is fully virtualized on VMware, and is being built largely from existing Cisco, Dell, and HPE infrastructure as the organization transitions off a government-operated network, with a target of having the new program network operational by year-end and additional business and manufacturing integration work following over the next two years. Every part of this environment runs on virtual infrastructure, and VMware expertise is the client's biggest gap.

The Senior VMware / Horizon Engineer owns the design, build, and stabilization of the vSphere and Horizon 8 platforms that roughly 800 users, including engineers on specialized lab endpoints, will depend on. The role also advises on platform lifecycle and licensing decisions as current licenses and hardware approach renewal in 2027.

Key Responsibilities vSphere Platform
Design and build vSphere clusters on transferred Dell and HPE hardware, including ESXi, vCenter, HA, DRS, vMotion, resource pools, and distributed switching. Plan capacity for up to 800 users with headroom, using pilot-wave measurements to refine host, storage, and VDI density. Integrate storage and backup, validate restores before migration, and build templates and content libraries for repeatable server builds. Harden ESXi and vCenter using VMware security configuration guidance and DISA STIGs; implement role-based access and central logging.

Manage patching and upgrades through offline depots and the controlled ingress process, since the environment has no direct internet access. Horizon 8 VDI
Design and build the Horizon 8 environment, including paired connection servers, desktop pools, instant clones, and App Volumes or Dynamic Environment Manager as appropriate. Build and maintain golden images, and tune them for engineering and CAD-type workloads, including GPU or vGPU where needed.

Re-point thin and zero clients to the new environment, migrate user profiles, and validate engineering applications and license-server access with each migration wave. Monitor session performance and user experience, and resolve logon, display protocol, and application issues during hypercare. Lifecycle, Automation, and Advisory
Automate provisioning and configuration with PowerCLI, templates, and version-controlled scripts. Assess platform health, end-of-life timelines, and licensing ahead of the 2027 renewal, and provide options and cost inputs for platform and refresh decisions.

Produce as-builts, runbooks, SOPs, and Horizon recommendations on architecture, scaling, and future management. Mentor systems administrators and client staff to build in-house virtualization skills before the move to managed operations. Technical Environment
Category
Environment
Virtualization
VMware vSphere, ESXi, vCenter, HA, DRS, vMotion, distributed switching, content libraries. VDI
VMware Horizon 8 (now Omnissa Horizon), instant clones, golden images, thin and zero clients, specialized lab endpoints.

Infrastructure
Dell servers, HP/HPE high-performance computing, enterprise storage, backup and recovery, Cisco network fabric. Identity
Active Directory, PKI, tiered administrative access. Security
No direct internet access, offline update depots, hardened baselines, centralized logging, NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3. Required Qualifications
8+ years of VMware engineering, including design and build of production vSphere environments.
5+ years of hands-on Horizon (7 or 8) design and administration, including connection servers, instant clones, golden images, and profile management.

Experience supporting VDI at scale, ideally hundreds to thousands of users, including thin or zero clients. Strong PowerCLI and PowerShell scripting. Working knowledge of storage, backup, Windows Server, Active Directory, and virtual networking. Experience in isolated, air-gapped, CUI, or other restricted environments, including offline patching. U.S. person, due to export-controlled data in the environment.

Preferred Qualifications
GPU or vGPU VDI for engineering and CAD workloads. Experience with VMware NSX, Aria Operations (vRealize), or Site Recovery Manager. Experience with VMware migrations or platform evaluations, including licensing changes and alternative hypervisors. Experience applying DISA STIGs to ESXi, vCenter, and Horizon. VCP-DCV and VCP-DTM (Desktop/Horizon), VCAP, or VCDX certifications. What Will Make You Successful
Ownership of the platform end to end, from build through stable operations. A teaching mindset, since part of success is leaving the client team stronger in VMware.

Calm, methodical troubleshooting during migration waves when users are watching. Work Location and Conditions
Primarily on site in Annapolis Junction and Linthicum Heights, Maryland, where hands-on work with racks, endpoints, and lab equipment takes place. No security clearance is required; candidates must be U.S. persons because the environment holds export-controlled information. Occasional after-hours support may be needed for cutover windows. The initial engagement runs through March 2027 as part of a multi-phase, multi-year program.

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