At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead virtualization and private cloud projects, from architecture to execution.
- Company: Join a leading tech firm with a focus on innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, flexible working options, and opportunities for growth.
- Other info: Dynamic role with mentorship opportunities and a chance to work with cutting-edge technologies.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the tech world by shaping cloud solutions.
- Qualifications: 8-10 years in virtualization and cloud architecture, with strong VMware and Red Hat skills.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.
World Wide Technology is looking for an Enterprise Architect who lives and breathes virtualization and private cloud platform, someone equally fluent architecting a VMware vSphere/NSX estate and a Red Hat OpenShift or OpenStack platform, and who can lead clients through the platform decisions reshaping this space, including VMware to Kubernetes migration. This role owns technical delivery for virtualization and private cloud engagements end to end: architecture and low level design, build oversight, migration execution, and operational handover. The candidate will be the final technical authority on virtualization platform decisions for their engagements, while mentoring the wider delivery team. Given how tightly virtualization now intersects with containers, storage, networking, and even AI infrastructure, strong adjacent technical breadth is a real advantage for this role, even though platform depth in VMware and Red Hat remains the core requirement.
Key Responsibilities
- Own end-to-end technical delivery of virtualization and private cloud engagements: architecture definition, low level design, build/migration oversight, and go‑live validation.
- Host and chair Architecture Review Board (ARB) and Technical Design Authority (TDA) sessions for virtualization engagements, owning governance gates, decision records, and design sign‑off.
- Architect and validate VMware environments: vSphere/ESXi cluster design, vCenter, vSAN, NSX‑T/NSX‑V network virtualization, and VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) deployments.
- Architect Red Hat platforms: OpenShift Container Platform (OCP) design and installation (IPI/UPI), OpenShift Virtualization (KubeVirt) for VM‑to‑container consolidation, and Red Hat OpenStack Platform (RHOSP) design and deployment.
- Lead VMware to Kubernetes and VM to container migration strategy engagements, including workload assessment, sequencing, and risk mitigation – particularly relevant given ongoing VMware/Broadcom licensing changes driving client reevaluation.
- Design software‑defined storage and networking as applied to virtualization platforms: vSAN, Ceph/OpenShift Data Foundation (ODF), and NSX.
- Define disaster recovery and business continuity architectures for virtualized estates, including Site Recovery Manager and equivalent DR orchestration.
- Lead technical design workshops, present architecture options and trade‑offs to infrastructure leadership, and own resulting low‑level design documentation.
- Champion infrastructure as code and automation (Ansible, Terraform, GitOps/ArgoCD) to reduce manual platform operations.
- Mentor other virtualization and platform engineers, and contribute to WWT's private cloud reference architectures.
- Define migrations strategies.
Required Technical Skills & Experience
- 8–10+ years in virtualization, private cloud, or infrastructure architecture roles.
- Demonstrated ownership of technical delivery for enterprise scale virtualization or private cloud transformation programmes.
- Direct hands‑on experience with VMware to Kubernetes or VM to container migration engagements strongly preferred.
- VMware Platform (Expert Level)
- Core platform: vSphere/ESXi cluster design, vCenter architecture, resource pools, DRS/HA tuning.
- Storage: vSAN design and sizing, stretched clusters, storage policy‑based management.
- Networking: NSX‑T/NSX‑V network virtualization, micro‑segmentation, and distributed firewall design.
- Platform: VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) deployment and lifecycle management.
- DR & VDI: Site Recovery Manager design; Horizon VDI architecture is a plus.
- OpenShift
- OpenShift Container Platform (OCP) architecture and installation (IPI/UPI), cluster networking (SDN/OVN‑Kubernetes), and multi‑cluster design.
- OpenShift Virtualization: KubeVirt‑based VM‑to‑container consolidation strategy and implementation.
- OpenStack
- Red Hat OpenStack Platform (RHOSP) architecture, deployment, and lifecycle operations.
- Automation
- Red Hat Satellite and Ansible Automation Platform for lifecycle and configuration management.
Containers & Cloud‑Native Fundamentals
- Kubernetes architecture fundamentals: control plane design, networking (CNI, Multus, SR‑IOV), and storage (CSI, ODF/Ceph).
- Operator framework familiarity and experience packaging or consuming Kubernetes operators.
- Software‑defined storage: Ceph/OpenShift Data Foundation design and sizing for both block and object workloads.
- Hands‑on experience with private/hybrid cloud design principles: capacity planning, workload placement, and migration methodology (P2V/V2V, VM‑to‑container).
- Disaster recovery and business continuity architecture for virtualized and containerized environments.
- Fluency in VMware/Broadcom and Red Hat subscription/licensing models sufficient to advise clients on cost and platform strategy.
Automation & Delivery
- Infrastructure‑as‑code proficiency: Ansible and Terraform for platform provisioning.
- GitOps experience (ArgoCD or equivalent) for OpenShift/Kubernetes application and platform delivery.
- Strong client‑facing design and delivery leadership skills; ability to run technical workshops and own low‑level design documentation to a professional‑services standard.
Architecture Governance & Design Authority
- Proven experience hosting and chairing formal Architecture Review Board (ARB) and Technical Design Authority (TDA) forums, including agenda ownership, decision logging, and stakeholder facilitation.
- Ability to define and operate governance gates across the engagement lifecycle: design authority sign‑off, change control, and exception/waiver management for virtualization and private cloud decisions.
- Experience producing and maintaining architecture decision records (ADRs), design standards, and reference architectures that are actively enforced through ARB/TDA governance.
- Comfortable presenting and defending architecture decisions to senior client governance bodies, including constructively challenging non‑compliant or high‑risk designs.
Certifications
- VMware Certified Professional – Data Center Virtualization (VCP‑DCV) required; VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP) strongly preferred.
- Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenShift Administration required; Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) strongly preferred.
- Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenStack Administration – required or clearly demonstrated equivalent experience.
Adjacent Technical Skills (Beneficial, Not Required)
- Depth in the specialist area above is mandatory.
- Experience in the following adjacent domains is a strong plus and will be valued in candidate evaluation, since it enables broader solution ownership across engagements.
- Public cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), particularly hybrid and cloud‑adjacent private cloud designs.
- Networking (routing/switching, data center fabric) given the tight coupling with NSX/OVN‑Kubernetes design.
- Storage architecture beyond vSAN/Ceph, including traditional SAN/NAS platforms.
- Security architecture, particularly micro‑segmentation and platform hardening.
- AI infrastructure exposure, as GPU‑enabled virtualization and OpenShift AI are an increasing share of client demand.
- Backup and DR platforms (Veeam, Rubrik, or equivalent).
Leadership & Delivery Expectations
- Leads technical delivery independently and acts as the final technical authority on virtualization platform decisions for an engagement.
- Mentors other engineers and architects across both VMware and Red Hat platform domains.
- Navigates vendor and licensing complexity confidently, translating commercial constraints into sound technical roadmaps for clients.
- Communicates platform trade‑offs clearly to both hands‑on engineering teams and infrastructure leadership.
- Comfortable owning migration cutover windows and the associated risk management.
Virtualization Enterprise Architect in London employer: World Wide Technology
World Wide Technology is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and inclusive work culture, empowering employees to drive impactful technology transformations. With a strong focus on professional development, team collaboration, and innovative solutions, employees are encouraged to grow their skills while working remotely in a supportive environment. The company's commitment to excellence and client engagement ensures that every team member plays a vital role in shaping the future of technology in business.
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We think this is how you could land Virtualization Enterprise Architect in London
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We think you need these skills to ace Virtualization Enterprise Architect in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills:In IT consulting, it's all about problem-solving, so make sure your CV highlights your analytical skills and any relevant projects you've tackled. Mention specific technologies or methodologies you've used to resolve issues or improve processes; this shows you can think critically and deliver results, which is vital for us at World Wide Technology.
Highlight Relevant Certifications:Certifications like ITIL, PMP, or even specific tech stack qualifications can really make you stand out. Make sure to include these in your CV, as they not only demonstrate your expertise but also your commitment to staying current in the field. We love seeing candidates who are proactive about their professional development!
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Keep It Clear and Concise:We're all busy, so make sure your application is easy to read. Use bullet points for key achievements, and don’t overload us with jargon. A clean, professional layout goes a long way. Remember, the clearer your application, the more likely we are to invite you in for an interview!
How to prepare for a job interview at World Wide Technology
✨Brush Up on Your Technical Skills
For an IT consulting role, be ready to demonstrate your technical prowess. You might face questions on systems integration, cloud technologies, or even troubleshooting specific software. If you have experience with tools like AWS, Azure, or even specific programming languages, make sure you can talk about them fluently.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Approach
IT consulting is all about solving problems for clients. Think about how you can illustrate your approach to a past challenge using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). It's a great way to show how you tackle complex issues and come up with effective solutions.
✨Know the Business Impact of IT Solutions
When discussing your experiences, focus not just on the tech solutions you implemented, but also on their business impact. Employers want to see that you can connect IT with organisational goals. Prep examples that highlight how your tech contributions improved efficiency or reduced costs for past clients or projects.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
Since IT consulting often involves teamwork and client interactions, expect behavioural questions that assess your interpersonal skills. Be prepared with examples that demonstrate your adaptability, communication skills, and how you handle client feedback. Before the interview, think of situations where you worked closely with clients to create effective IT strategies or changes.
