At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design of innovative VMware Cloud solutions for clients, ensuring security and resilience.
- Company: Join Softcat, a tech company that values passion, intelligence, and community.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible hours, competitive salary, and a comprehensive benefits package.
- Other info: Embrace diversity and individuality while growing your career with excellent opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by architecting cutting-edge cloud solutions in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: VCF 9 Architect certification and strong VMware architecture experience required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
The Architecture Services department is made of two technical areas: Solutions and Vendor-based presales. The Solutions Architects focus on complex architecture with knowledge ranging more broadly across one or more disciplines, whilst Vendor Architects specialise in providing expertise within specified vendors and provide a deeper level of understanding of those vendors.
As a Datacentre Vendor Architect, you will work as a member of the Architecture Services department to translate a client's technical requirements into innovative, thoughtful, and well-designed solutions either on premise or via a public or private cloud offering. This role is focused on architecting VMware Cloud Foundation 9 (VCF 9) instances and operating models for modern private cloud, covering compute, storage, networking, security, management, and automation.
You will act as a subject matter expert and technical design authority for VCF 9 architectures, guiding customers from discovery through design and into delivery with a clear focus on security, resilience, supportability, and commercial outcomes.
As Senior Architect – VMware, you'll be responsible for:
- Leading customer discovery to capture requirements, constraints, and priorities (e.g. MoSCoW), including stakeholder workshops and options/decision papers.
- Designing and acting as technical authority for VCF 9 architectures (management/workload domains, multi-cluster and multi-site), producing and contributing to High Level Designs aligned to operating model, governance, and compliance.
- Defining upgrade and migration strategies into VCF 9 (and earlier versions), covering risks, dependencies, and cutover planning.
- Architecting VCF 9 networking, security, and storage, including NSX-aligned designs, segmentation, vSAN architectures, and integration with physical networks and external storage where required.
- Designing for modern platform consumption on VCF 9, including Kubernetes-enabled workloads (VKS), multi-tenancy, and tenant/chargeback models.
- Collaborating with cross-discipline specialists to deliver end-to-end solutions (hardware, backup/DR, observability, public cloud integrations).
We'd love you to have:
- VCF 9 Architect certification (VCP VCF 9 Architect).
- VCAP specialization aligned to VCF 9 in at least one area: Networking (NSX), Storage, or VKS.
- Earlier certifications including VCAPs (vSphere v7 or higher) are required to demonstrate depth of design and delivery capability.
- Demonstrable presales experience designing and communicating modern private cloud/hybrid platform solutions, with deep VMware architecture capability.
- Prior delivery experience (hands-on project delivery) designing and implementing VMware Cloud Foundation environments.
- Strong architectural knowledge of the VCF 9 stack and operating model, including how vSphere, vSAN, NSX, and VCF management components integrate in a supportable reference architecture.
- Ability to understand and ratify technical designs at high level, balancing customer outcomes, operational reality, security/resilience, and commercial considerations.
- AVS (Azure VMware Solution) or VMware Cloud on AWS (VMC) architecture experience.
- Other technology vendor experience and certifications (e.g., server, storage, networking), demonstrating you can design how hardware platforms and the VCF stack interoperate in real-world datacentre environments.
Work in a way that works for you:
- Working flexible hours – flexing the times you start and finish during the day.
- Flexibility around school pick up and drop offs.
Wherever you work, we want you to experience the freedom and autonomy to realise your potential. You will feel supported by a team that celebrates individuality, encourages different perspectives, and embraces every background. If you have a disability or neurodiversity, we can provide support or adjustments that you may need throughout our recruitment process or any mitigating circumstance you wish for us to consider. Any information you share on your application will be treated in confidence.
We offer a competitive salary and benefits package and will provide you with opportunities to grow, flourish, and achieve great things.
Benefits include:
- Pension
- Share incentive plan
- Life Assurance
- Holiday Trips
- Vouchers
- Partner/family Benefits
- Maternity, Paternity and Adoption support
Locations: Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Marlow, Newcastle, South Coast.
Senior Infrastructure & VMware Architect in Manchester employer: Softcat plc
At Softcat, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that champions individuality and diverse perspectives. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through our flexible working arrangements and comprehensive benefits package, including competitive salaries, pension plans, and family support initiatives. Join us in one of our dynamic locations, where you can thrive in a supportive environment while making a meaningful impact in the world of technology.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Infrastructure & VMware Architect in Manchester
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, attend meetups, and connect with potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your expertise! Prepare a portfolio or case studies showcasing your previous projects, especially those related to VMware Cloud Foundation. This will help you stand out during interviews and demonstrate your hands-on experience.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Conduct mock interviews with friends or use online platforms to refine your answers. Focus on articulating your thought process when tackling complex architecture challenges, as this is key for roles like Senior Architect.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! We love seeing candidates who are genuinely interested in joining us at Softcat. Tailor your application to highlight how your values align with ours—Passion, Intelligence, Fun, Responsible, and Community.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Infrastructure & VMware Architect in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience with VMware Cloud Foundation 9 and related technologies. We want to see how your skills align with the role, so don’t hold back on showcasing your expertise!
Showcase Your Passion:At StudySmarter, we value passion! Let your enthusiasm for architecture and cloud solutions shine through in your application. Share specific examples of projects or experiences that demonstrate your commitment to the field.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. Use bullet points where possible to make your achievements stand out. We appreciate a well-structured application that’s easy to read!
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, you’ll find all the details about our culture and values there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Softcat plc
✨Know Your VMware Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your VMware Cloud Foundation 9 knowledge. Be ready to discuss its architecture, including management/workload domains and how it integrates with NSX and vSAN. This will show that you're not just familiar with the technology but can also apply it in real-world scenarios.
✨Prepare for Customer Discovery Scenarios
Think about how you would lead customer discovery sessions. Prepare examples of how you've captured requirements and priorities in the past. Being able to articulate your approach to stakeholder workshops will demonstrate your ability to translate technical needs into effective solutions.
✨Showcase Your Design Skills
Bring along examples of High Level Designs you've created in previous roles. Be ready to discuss how you align these designs with operating models, governance, and compliance. This will highlight your experience and understanding of the architectural process.
✨Emphasise Collaboration and Communication
Since this role involves working with cross-discipline specialists, be prepared to talk about your experience collaborating with different teams. Share specific instances where your communication skills helped deliver successful end-to-end solutions, as this aligns with the collaborative culture at Softcat.
