Principal Systems Engineer - VMware Cloud Foundation (Remote)

This is a remote role open for multiple markets across the United States.

Serves as the senior technical leader for VMware Cloud Foundation. Responsible for architecture, engineering, automation, lifecycle management, operational excellence, and adoption of the enterprise private cloud platform. Provides strategic direction for vSphere, vSAN, NSX, Aria Suite, SDDC operations, infrastructure automation, resiliency, and platform modernization.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Cloud Architecture Strategy – Define and implement the overall cloud architecture and strategy, ensuring alignment with business goals and technology roadmaps.
Technical Leadership and Innovation – Serve as the primary technical advisor for cloud infrastructure projects, guiding best practices in design, scalability, resilience, and performance. Identify and evaluate emerging cloud technologies and trends, recommending their application within the organization to drive efficiency and innovation.
Project Oversight - Lead end-to-end cloud projects, from concept through deployment, by coordinating with engineering, DevOps, security, and operations teams.
Optimization and Cost Management – Develop strategies for efficient cloud resource management, cost optimization, and performance enhancement, ensuring financial accountability.
Documentation and Knowledge Sharing – Establish, review and maintain high-quality documentation, architectural diagrams, and operational standards for cloud infrastructure.
Support - Provide technical mentorship to cloud engineers at all levels, fostering an environment of continuous learning and technical growth. Provide 24/7 on-call support to ensure the availability and reliability of cloud infrastructure.

Position Specific Skills:

Cloud Services (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP)
Infrastructure as Code (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation)
Policy as Code & Governance
Programming & Advanced Automation (e.g., JavaScript, Python)
Container Orchestration (e.g., Kubernetes)
Monitoring and Observability
Operating Systems (Windows, Linux)
Advanced Cloud and Network Security
Cloud Architecture Expertise
Developer Enablement
Agile and DevOps Methodologies
Security and Compliance Leadership

Qualifications:

Bachelor's Degree and 10 years' experience OR High School Diploma or GED/Equivalent and 14 years' experience in Technical Hands-On Leader of Cloud Teams
Preferred Education:Bachelor’s or master’s degree
Preferred Area of Study:Cloud
Preferred Area of Experience:Multi-Cloud
Preferred Licenses or Certifications:AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional - IO;Azure Solutions Architect Expert - IO;HashiCorp Certified: Terraform - IO;Terraform Authoring and Operations Professional - IO;AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional - IO;Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) - IO;Azure DevOps Engineer Expert - IO

Preferred Experience

5+ years leading enterprise virtualization or private cloud initiatives; experience with VMware Cloud Foundation, software-defined data centers, infrastructure automation, disaster recovery, and operational governance. 

Must-Have Skills 

VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF); vSphere; vSAN; NSX; Aria Suite; Software Defined Data Center (SDDC); Infrastructure as Code; Automation; Private Cloud Architecture; Disaster Recovery; Capacity Planning; Performance Engineering; Enterprise Storage and Networking. 

Preferred Skills 

Hybrid Cloud Platforms; Kubernetes; Public Cloud Integration; Policy-as-Code; AIOps; Platform Observability; Financial Services Infrastructure; Security & Compliance Frameworks. 

VCF Platform Expertise 

Lifecycle Manager, workload domains, cluster design, private cloud service delivery, self-service infrastructure, platform monitoring, platform upgrades, operational resilience, and integration with enterprise ITSM, security, and observability ecosystems. 

This job posting is expected to remain active for 45 days from the initial posting date listed above. If it is necessary to extend this deadline, the posting will remain active as appropriate. Job postings may come down early due to business need or a high volume of applicants.

The base pay for this position is generally between $170,000 and $199,000. Actual starting base pay will be determined based on skills, experience, location, and other non-discriminatory factors permitted by law. For some roles, total compensation may also include variable incentives, bonuses, benefits, and/or other awards as outlined in the offer of employment.

Benefits are an integral part of total rewards and First Citizens Bank is committed to providing a competitive, thoughtfully designed and quality benefits program to meet the needs of our associates. More information can be found at https://jobs.firstcitizens.com/benefits.