Ignite IT is seeking a Virtualization Engineer to join the U.S. Department of Census's core infrastructure team. In this role, you will be responsible for the design, implementation, and operational management of the critical virtualization platforms that support the nation's most important statistical programs.
What You'll Do
- Design, deploy, configure, and maintain a large-scale VMware vSphere infrastructure across multiple data center clusters.
- Manage vSphere high-availability (HA), Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS), and vMotion configurations.
- Implement and manage disaster recovery (DR) solutions using VMware SRM and vSphere Replication.
- Perform capacity planning, performance monitoring, and resource optimization for all VMware clusters.
- Perform analysis of alternatives for Microsoft Hyper-V, Oracle VM, and Red Hat Virtualization (RHV) platforms, planning for interoperability and stability.
- Serve as a senior escalation point for all virtualization-related incidents, performing root cause analysis and implementing corrective actions.
- Conduct regular patching, updates, and security hardening of all hypervisor hosts and management systems in accordance with federal guidelines.
- Collaborate with storage, networking, and application teams to provision resources and troubleshoot complex, multi-tiered application issues.
- Develop and maintain comprehensive system documentation, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and infrastructure diagrams.
- Automate routine tasks using scripting tools such as PowerShell, PowerCLI, or Ansible.
- Participate in an on-call rotation for 24/7/365 operational support.
What We're Looking For
- Must be a U.S. Citizen.
- Must be able to pass a background investigation to obtain and maintain a Public Trust security clearance.
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field (or 4+ additional years of equivalent experience).
- 7+ years of hands-on experience as a Virtualization Engineer in a large-scale enterprise or data center environment.
- Expert-level (5+ years) proficiency with the VMware vSphere suite (vCenter 6.x/7.x, ESXi, DRS, HA).
- Demonstrated (2+ years) professional proficiency with Microsoft Hyper-V and System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM).
- Strong (2+ years) experience with both Oracle VM (OVM) and Red Hat Virtualization (RHV).
- In-depth knowledge of supporting infrastructure, including: Storage (SAN, NAS, iSCSI, Fibre Channel, vSAN), Networking (TCP/IP, VLANs, virtual switching, network security), and Operating Systems (Windows Server 2016/2019/2022 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux RHEL 7/8).
- Proven ability to work independently and as part of a team to manage complex projects and resolve critical technical issues.
Nice to Have
- Active Public Trust clearance.
- Relevant industry certifications: VMware Certified Professional - Data Center Virtualization (VCP-DCV).
- Experience with scripting and automation (PowerShell, PowerCLI).
- Experience working within a federal government IT environment and familiarity with federal security compliance standards (NIST 800-53, FISMA).
- Experience with cloud migration and hybrid-cloud management (Azure, AWS).
Technical Stack
- Virtualization Platforms: VMware vSphere (ESXi, vCenter), Microsoft Hyper-V, System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM), Oracle VM (OVM), Red Hat Virtualization (RHV)
- Disaster Recovery: VMware SRM, vSphere Replication
- Automation: PowerShell, PowerCLI, Ansible
- Storage: SAN, NAS, iSCSI, Fibre Channel, vSAN
- Operating Systems: Windows Server 2016/2019/2022, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 7/8
Team & Environment
You will be part of the core infrastructure team supporting the U.S. Department of Census.
Benefits & Compensation
- 401(k) with matching and 100% vested
- Health Insurance - 3 plans to select from
- Dental insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Short Term Disability
- Long Term Disability
- AD&D
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Training
- Tuition reimbursement
- Flexible schedule
- Flexible spending account
- Referral program
- Paid Legal Plan
Ignite IT is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, Veteran status, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristic.
