Senior Compute Infrastructure SME – VMware & Cisco UCS (LCM/L3)

As a Compute /IAAS SME (LCM) your responsibility includes: Key Responsibilities· Plan and execute greenfield UCS domains (Fabric Interconnects, Chassis/Blades/X‐Series nodes, VICs, policies, service profiles) using UCS Manager and Cisco Intersight.· Build and standardize VCF deployment /upgrade (ESXi image profiles, vCenter, vDS, vSAN/iSCSI/FC/NFS storage, multipathing).· Create and maintain golden builds: ESXi baselines, driver/firmware bundles, custom ISOs (Image Builder), host profiles, and cluster settings.· Perform workload migrations (vMotion/Storage vMotion; coordinate SRM/HCX where applicable) with minimal downtime.· MDS storage switch configured and upgrade firmware .· Document runbooks for repeatable factory‐like builds; contribute to design standards and reference architectures. 2) Upgrade & Lifecycle Management· Lead firmware/driver/ESXi/vCenter upgrades using VCF 9.0 and UCS tools (UCSM/Intersight).· Validate HCL and compatibility (firmware–driver–ESXi–vCenter–vSAN/NSX interop) before change execution.· Execute rolling upgrades and maintenance windows, ensuring business continuity (DRS, vMotion, admission control).· Remediate image drift; maintain cluster compliance and security patching cadence.· Own post‐upgrade validation (health checks, performance regression, log review).3) L3 Operations & Escalation· Serve as the final escalation point for UCS and vSphere platform incidents (fabric, VICs, boot/PCI passthrough, vDS, vSAN disk groups, host PSODs).· Perform root‐cause analysis (RCA), produce corrective actions, and prevent recurrence.· Provide guidance to L2 teams; improve monitoring, alerting, and response playbooks.4) Automation & Tooling· Automate builds/upgrades using PowerCLI, Python, and Ansible; integrate with Cisco Intersight API and vCenter REST APIs.· Maintain Infrastructure‐as‐Code for host/cluster policies, image profiles, and configuration baselines; version in Git.· Create health checks and compliance scripts; generate dashboards and reports.5) Security, Compliance & Governance· Enforce secure configuration baselines (e.g., ESXi lockdown, certificate management, role-based access).· Ensure CVE patching cadence and audit readiness (vSphere hardening guidelines, UCS security best practices).· Adhere to ITIL processes for change, incident, and problem management (ServiceNow or equivalent). 6) Documentation & Knowledge Management· Produce as-built, runbooks, MOPs, test plans, rollback procedures, and architecture diagrams.· Maintain asset inventory, versions, dependencies, and lifecycle roadmaps.· Conduct technical workshops; mentor L2 teams.· Required Qualifications8–10+ years hands‐on with Cisco UCS and VMware vSphere in large enterprise environments.Deep expertise in:Cisco UCS: FI 63xx/64xx/65xx, B‐Series-M5/M6, X‐Series-M8 (e.g., X210c), blades/rack, VICs, service profiles, pools, policies; UCS Manager and Intersight.Networking: VLANs, vDS, LACP, MTU/ju