Data Center Engineer

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Data Center Engineer to support enterprise infrastructure initiatives in Bethesda, MD. This role is ideal for a senior-level virtualization and compute engineer with deep expertise in VMware ecosystems and Cisco UCS platforms. The engineer will lead architecture, migration, and optimization efforts across mission-critical environments, with a focus on VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), infrastructure automation, and high-availability design.

Candidates must be eligible to obtain a Public Trust clearance.

Responsibilities of the Data Center Engineer:

• Design, deploy, and manage VMware vSphere and VMware vCenter environments across enterprise infrastructure

• Lead migration of ESXi workloads into VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) with minimal downtime and data integrity assurance

• Configure and optimize ESXi hosts, clusters, and virtual machines within VCF environments

• Administer and maintain VCF components including vSphere, vSAN, NSX, and vRealize Suite

• Implement, configure, and support Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) hardware including fabric interconnects and chassis

• Develop and manage UCS service profiles and policies via UCS Manager

• Integrate and maintain enterprise storage solutions (SAN/NAS, vSAN, iSCSI, NFS) within VMware clusters

• Perform firmware upgrades, system patching, and lifecycle management across VMware and UCS environments

• Automate infrastructure operations using PowerCLI, Python, or Ansible to reduce manual overhead

• Create detailed implementation documentation, architecture diagrams, and operational runbooks

• Monitor performance, capacity, and system health; proactively resolve hardware, software, and configuration issues

Qualifications of the Data Center Engineer:

• 5+ years of hands-on experience with VMware vSphere and vCenter in enterprise environments

• Demonstrated experience deploying and managing VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF)

• Strong expertise with Cisco UCS hardware, server provisioning, and UCS Manager

• Experience integrating and managing VMware storage technologies including vSAN, iSCSI, and NFS

• Proficiency in cluster design, resource optimization, HA/DR configuration, and storage policy management

• Experience scripting and automating infrastructure tasks using PowerCLI, Python, or similar tools

• Solid understanding of system monitoring, backup strategies, and disaster recovery planning in virtualized environments

• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance

Preferred Qualifications:

• VMware Certified Professional (VCP) certification

• Experience with NSX, vRealize Suite, or hybrid cloud architectures

• Experience with enterprise storage platforms such as Pure Storage or NetApp

• Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code tools such as Ansible or Terraform

Compensation & Benefits:

• $130,000 - $160,000 (DOE)

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

• 401(k) with company contribution

• Paid time off and company holidays

• Full-time onsite role in Bethesda, MD

• Occasional travel may be required based on project needs

This job opens for applicants on 2/26/26 and will be accepting applicants for 30 days.

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VMware, VMware Cloud Foundation, Cisco UCS, vSphere, vCenter, ESXi, vSAN, NSX, vRealize, SAN, NAS, iSCSI, NFS, UCS Manager, PowerCLI, Ansible, Python, Terraform, hybrid cloud, infrastructure engineer, data center engineer, virtualization engineer, enterprise IT, Bethesda Maryland jobs