Job Requirements
Linthicum, MD
Clearance Unspecified Polygraph not specified
Mid Level Career (5+ yrs experience)
$140,000 - $165,000
Job Description
Senior VMware / Horizon Engineer - Virtualization, VDI, and Platform Lifecycle
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.
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.
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.
Everforth Apex uses a virtual recruiter as part of the application process. Click here for more details. By applying for this job, you agree to receive calls, AI-generated calls, text messages, or emails from Everforth Apex and its affiliates, and contracted partners. Frequency varies for text messages. Message and data rates may apply. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. You can reply STOP to cancel and HELP for help. You can access our privacy policy at https://www.apexsystems.com/privacy-policy
Everforth Apex Benefits Overview: Everforth Apex offers a range of supplemental benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and other insurance plans that offer an optional layer of financial protection. We offer an ESPP (employee stock purchase program) and a 401K program which allows you to contribute typically within 30 days of starting, with a company match after 12 months of tenure. Everforth Apex also offers a HSA (Health Savings Account on the HDHP plan), a SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with up to 8 free counseling sessions, a corporate discount savings program and other discounts. In terms of professional development, Everforth Apex hosts an on-demand training program, provides access to certification prep and a library of technical and leadership courses/books/seminars once you have 6+ months of tenure, and certification discounts and other perks to associations that include CompTIA and IIBA. Everforth Apex has a dedicated customer service team for our Consultants that can address questions around benefits and other resources, as well as a certified Career Coach. You can access a full list of our benefits, programs, support teams and resources within our ‘Welcome Packet’ as well, which an Everforth Apex team member can provide.
Everforth Apex Systems is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, genetic information, registered domestic partner status, marital status, disability, status as a crime victim, protected veteran status, political affiliation, union membership, or any other characteristic protected by law. Everforth Apex will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law.
If you require an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act to participate in an interview with a virtual recruiter or to use our website for a search or application, please contact our Benefits Department at accommodations@apexsystems.com or 804-523-8228. Please note that this contact information is strictly to be used for medical ADA accommodations and that no other inquiries will be answered.
UnitedHealthcare creates and publishes the Transparency in Coverage Machine-Readable Files on behalf of Everforth Apex Systems.
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.
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.
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.
Everforth Apex uses a virtual recruiter as part of the application process. Click here for more details. By applying for this job, you agree to receive calls, AI-generated calls, text messages, or emails from Everforth Apex and its affiliates, and contracted partners. Frequency varies for text messages. Message and data rates may apply. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. You can reply STOP to cancel and HELP for help. You can access our privacy policy at https://www.apexsystems.com/privacy-policy
Everforth Apex Benefits Overview: Everforth Apex offers a range of supplemental benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and other insurance plans that offer an optional layer of financial protection. We offer an ESPP (employee stock purchase program) and a 401K program which allows you to contribute typically within 30 days of starting, with a company match after 12 months of tenure. Everforth Apex also offers a HSA (Health Savings Account on the HDHP plan), a SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with up to 8 free counseling sessions, a corporate discount savings program and other discounts. In terms of professional development, Everforth Apex hosts an on-demand training program, provides access to certification prep and a library of technical and leadership courses/books/seminars once you have 6+ months of tenure, and certification discounts and other perks to associations that include CompTIA and IIBA. Everforth Apex has a dedicated customer service team for our Consultants that can address questions around benefits and other resources, as well as a certified Career Coach. You can access a full list of our benefits, programs, support teams and resources within our ‘Welcome Packet’ as well, which an Everforth Apex team member can provide.
Everforth Apex Systems is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, genetic information, registered domestic partner status, marital status, disability, status as a crime victim, protected veteran status, political affiliation, union membership, or any other characteristic protected by law. Everforth Apex will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law.
If you require an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act to participate in an interview with a virtual recruiter or to use our website for a search or application, please contact our Benefits Department at accommodations@apexsystems.com or 804-523-8228. Please note that this contact information is strictly to be used for medical ADA accommodations and that no other inquiries will be answered.
UnitedHealthcare creates and publishes the Transparency in Coverage Machine-Readable Files on behalf of Everforth Apex Systems.
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