Virtualization Platform Engineer

Company Description

Join us and make YOUR mark on the World!

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has turned bold ideas into world-changing impact advancing science and technology to strengthen U.S. security and promote global stability. 

Our mission spans four critical national security areas nuclear deterrence, threat preparedness, energy security, and multi-domain defense empowering teams to take on the toughest challenges of today and tomorrow. With a culture built on innovation and operational excellence, LLNL is a place where your expertise can make a real impact.

Job Description

We have an opening for a Virtualization Platform Engineer to design, implement, and manage the virtualization infrastructure that supports enterprise applications and services for the NNSA’s business services and programmatic missions. This role is part of the Enterprise Infrastructure Services (EIS) Division within the Computing Directorate, supporting the NNSA Program.

This position requires full-time on-site presence due to the nature of the work.

This position will be filled at either level based on knowledge and related experience as assessed by the hiring team. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if hired at the higher level. 

You will 

• Design, implement, and support highly available VMware virtual Infrastructures to support enterprise IT service delivery across private cloud environments.
• Configure and maintain VMware clusters, including vCenter, ESXi hosts, and vSAN, using established standards for scalability, resilience, and security.
• Automate and manage service orchestration, monitoring, configuration management, security, and patch management for VMware virtual servers and associated infrastructure.
• Collaborate with customers, IT managers, developers, system administrators, database administrators, and security specialists to deliver VMware-based virtualization solutions that support business and programmatic needs.
• Support the lifecycle management of VMware systems architectures by performing risk analysis, capacity planning, architecture design, development, quality assurance, documentation, standards enforcement, implementation, upgrades, security compliance, vulnerability remediation, and performance monitoring.
• Perform day-to-day maintenance and operational support for multiple VMware virtual infrastructure platforms, ensuring functionality across development, test, production, and disaster recovery environments.
• Configure VMware resources to support ongoing and new development and operational requirements, including patching, upgrades, and resource allocation.
• Provide technical recommendations and guidance on VMware vSphere configuration and setup within established architecture and security requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Additional job responsibilities, at the SES.3 level 

• Independently manage multiple advanced tasks and competing stakeholder priorities in parallel, ensuring deadlines are met while effectively leveraging team members’ skills.
• Apply advanced technical expertise to solve complex problems and develop innovative solutions, exercising sound judgment when selecting methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria.
• Develop and implement tools and procedures that support advanced automation efforts and develop cross-platform/environment monitoring solutions.
• Lead the deployment, integration, and lifecycle management of cloud management platforms, such as VMware Cloud Director/VMware Aria Suite, and VMware Cloud Foundation, including the automation, orchestration, monitoring, and ongoing management of private cloud resources.

Qualifications

• Ability to obtain and maintain a US DOE Q-level security clearance which requires U.S. Citizenship. 
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Business Administration with a concentration in Computer/Management Information Systems, or related field, or the equivalent combination of education and related experience.
• Comprehensive experience installing, configuring, administering, and supporting VMware platforms, including vCenter, ESXi, vSAN, NSX, Aria, KMS, and storage encryption.
• Broad experience managing VMware clusters and resources, including DRS/HA, host and guest configuration, compute, storage, networking, VDS/VSS, VM templates, health monitoring, and performance optimization.
• Comprehensive experience designing, migrating, upgrading, and lifecycle-managing VMware environments, including vMotion, Storage vMotion, capacity planning, architecture, patching, and disaster recovery.
• Proficient experience automating VMware operations using PowerCLI, PowerShell, Python, Ansible, and Infrastructure as Code approaches for orchestration, configuration management, monitoring, and service delivery.
• Broad knowledge and experience implementing VMware security, including authentication, role-based access control, certificates, hardening, vulnerability remediation, and compliance with NIST, DISA, SCAP, and STIG requirements.
• Comprehensive knowledge of VMware compute, storage, and network architectures, including SAN, NFS, iSCSI, vSAN, VDS, and VSS, across development, test, production, and disaster recovery environments.
• Proficient verbal and written communication skills necessary to effectively collaborate in a team environment and explain, present and document technical information to management and customers.

Additional qualifications at the SES.3 level 

• Advanced knowledge and significant experience architecting and optimizing complex VMware environments, including vCenter, ESXi, vSAN, NSX, Aria, compute, storage, networking, clustering, high availability, disaster recovery, and multi-environment operations.
• Advanced application and development experience creating automation and Infrastructure as Code solutions with PowerCLI, PowerShell, Python, Ansible, and related tools to orchestrate provisioning, configuration management, monitoring, patching, upgrades, and lifecycle operations.
• Advanced knowledge and significant experience applying cybersecurity principles to VMware and supporting operating systems, including identity and access management, certificates, encryption, security baselines, vulnerability remediation, and compliance with NIST, DISA, SCAP, and STIG requirements.

Qualifications We Desire

• Hands-on experience ingesting virtualization logs into Splunk or a similar SIEM environment.
• Proven experience working in compliance-driven, secure environments, and managing large-scale enterprise COTS application implementations.
• Relevant professional certifications or training, such as VMware Certified Professional (VCP),  or Red Hat Certified Specialist in Virtualization.

Pay Range

$146,340 - $185,544 Yearly at the SES.2 level

$175,530 - $222,564 Yearly at the SES.3 level

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting; pay will not be below any applicable local minimum wage.  An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.

Additional Information

#LI-Onsite

Position Information

This is a Career Indefinite position, open to Lab employees and external candidates.

Why Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory?

• Included in 2026 Best Places to Work by Glassdoor!
• Flexible Benefits Package
• 401(k)
• Relocation Assistance
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Flexible schedules (*depending on project needs)
• Our values - visit https://www.llnl.gov/inclusion/our-values

Security Clearance

This position requires a Department of Energy (DOE) Q-level clearance.  If you are selected, we will initiate a Federal background investigation to determine if you meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information or matter. Also, all L or Q cleared employees are subject to random drug testing.  Q-level clearance requires U.S. citizenship. 

Pre-Employment Drug Test

External applicant(s) selected for this position must pass a post-offer, pre-employment drug test. This includes testing for use of marijuana as Federal Law applies to us as a Federal Contractor.

Wireless and Medical Devices

Per the Department of Energy (DOE), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory must meet certain restrictions with the use and/or possession of mobile devices in Limited Areas. Depending on your job duties, you may be required to work in a Limited Area where you are not permitted to have a personal and/or laboratory mobile device in your possession.  This includes, but not limited to cell phones, tablets, fitness devices, wireless headphones, and other Bluetooth/wireless enabled devices.  

If you use a medical device, which pairs with a mobile device, you must still follow the rules concerning the mobile device in individual sections within Limited Areas.  Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities require separate approval. Hearing aids without wireless capabilities or wireless that has been disabled are allowed in Limited Areas, Secure Space and Transit/Buffer Space within buildings.

How to identify fake job advertisements

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To learn more about recruitment scams: https://www.llnl.gov/sites/www/files/2023-05/LLNL-Job-Fraud-Statement-Updated-4.26.23.pdf

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer that is committed to providing all with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, protected veteran status, age, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

Reasonable Accommodation

Our goal is to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates applying and interviewing at the Laboratory.  If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please use our online form to submit a request. 

California Privacy Notice

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