VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) L3 Operations Engineer

Role Overview: The L3 VCF Operations Engineer is a subject matter expert responsible for the
advanced operational management, in-depth troubleshooting, and strategic optimization of the VMware Cloud Foundation private cloud infrastructure. This role is a critical escalation point for
complex technical issues, requiring deep expertise across the entire VCF stack (vSphere, vSAN, NSX-T) and its integrations. The L3 engineer is expected to not only resolve problems
but also to drive systemic improvements and mentor junior team members.
Key Responsibilities
Advanced Troubleshooting and Incident Response:
Serve as the final escalation point for all critical and complex VCF incidents and problems, including performance bottlenecks, networking failures, and storage integrity issues.
Perform in-depth root cause analysis (RCA) for major incidents and outages, developing and implementing long-term solutions to prevent recurrence.
Diagnose and resolve complex issues related to vSAN performance, vSphere resource contention, and NSX-T logical routing and firewall misconfigurations.
Platform Health and Optimization:
Proactively monitor the VCF environment using advanced analytics tools like vRealize Operations (Aria Operations) to identify potential issues before they impact services.
Conduct regular health checks and performance tuning of the VCF infrastructure, including optimizing host configurations, vSAN policies, and NSX-T rules.
Manage and execute the full lifecycle of the VCF environment, including advanced patching, upgrades, and component replacements using SDDC Manager.
Architectural and Strategic Input:
Collaborate with architecture and engineering teams to provide operational feedback and contribute to the design of new VCF deployments and expansions.
Assess and recommend new technologies, tools, and processes to enhance the efficiency, reliability, and security of the VCF platform.
Drive automation initiatives by developing complex scripts and workflows using PowerCLI, Python, and IaC tools like Terraform to eliminate manual tasks and reduce human error.
Security and Compliance:
Architect and implement security policies and controls within NSX-T to ensure micro-segmentation, compliance, and threat prevention.
Participate in security audits and vulnerability management, implementing remediation strategies for identified risks.
Ensure all VCF operations adhere to regulatory and corporate compliance standards.
Mentorship and Knowledge Transfer:
Act as a mentor and technical leader for L1 and L2 support engineers, providing guidance on best practices and complex problem-solving.
Create and maintain detailed technical documentation, knowledge base articles, and runbooks for common and complex operational procedures.
Lead knowledge transfer sessions and training for team members to upskill the entire operations team.
Required Qualifications
Experience:
Minimum of 7+ years of progressive experience in IT infrastructure, with a strong focus on VMware virtualization.
At least 3-5 years of dedicated hands-on experience with VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) in a large-scale, enterprise environment.
Proven experience in an L3 or expert-level support role, with a track record of resolving complex, production-impacting issues.
Technical Skills:
Expert-level knowledge of the entire VCF stack: vSphere, vSAN, NSX-T, and SDDC Manager.
Mastery of automation and scripting using PowerCLI and Python. Experience with configuration management and IaC tools like Terraform or Ansible is highly valued.
Deep understanding of core networking concepts (L2/L3, BGP, OSPF) and security principles as they apply to a software-defined data center.
Proficiency with enterprise-level monitoring and log analysis tools such as Aria Operations, Aria Logs, and Splunk.
Experience with disaster recovery, business continuity planning, and backup solutions (e.g., Veeam, Zerto).
Certifications:
VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP) or VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX) is highly preferred.
VMware Certified Professional (VCP) in Data Center Virtualization (DCV) and Network Virtualization (NV) are considered minimum requirements.
ITIL Foundation or other service management certifications are a plus.

Work arrangement
Yes