Systems Administrator Senior Principal - VDI VMware Virtualization

Job Description
The Senior Principal Admin is the technical authority for design, architecture, integration, and lifecycle management of enterprise VMware environments. As the SR Principal Admin, you will own the solution from A to Z endpoints ensuring standardization and continuity. This role leads complex virtualization programs spanning compute, storage, networking, security, automation, and hybrid/cloud connectivity. The engineer owns end-to-end integration of VMware platforms with adjacent infrastructure (storage arrays, SAN/NAS, backup/DR, identity, monitoring, and security controls), mentors senior engineers, and drives standards that keep environments highly available, compliant, and scalable.
Typical scope includes VDI, vSphere, vSAN, NSX, (VCF-Limited to No Cloud), Aria/vRealize suite and related Broadcom/VMware tooling in a classified (or air-gapped) environment(s).
The Operations Strategic Capabilities Unit plays a fundamental role in enabling efficient business and program execution - from strategic capital investments, industrial operations and an efficient supply chain, to state-of-the-art manufacturing and test operations and top-notch facilities management.
What You'll Do:

• Manage a classified VDI environment consisting of 100's of VDIs and multiple VDI pools.
• Manage DEM profiles.
• Manage a number of ESXi hosts in a classified environment.
• Image new ESXi hosts as needed.
• Troubleshoot ESXi issues using system logs.
• Manage Multiple Vcenter build outs in a classified environment.
• Manage ESXi hosts on multiple networks.
• Implement new alerts inn Vrops environment.
• Monitor the system health of all ESXi hardware and services.
• Manage or build out Kubernetes type environments.
• Manage all NSX networking in the virtual environment.
• Maintain a regular and predictable work schedule.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships within the department, the Strategic Business Units, Strategic Capabilities Units and the Company. Interact appropriately with others in order to maintain a positive and productive work environment.
• Perform other duties as necessary.

On-Site Work Environment: This position requires regular in-person engagement by working on-site five days each normally scheduled week in the primary work location. Travel and local commute between company campuses and other possible non-company locations may be required.
Working Conditions:

• Work is performed in an office environment, laboratory, cleanroom, or production floor.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills

• BS degree or higher in Engineering or a related technical field is required plus 8 or more years related experience.
• Each higher-level degree, i.e., Master's Degree or Ph.D., may substitute for two years of experience. Related technical experience may be considered in lieu of education. Degree must be from a university, college, or school which is accredited by an agency recognized by the US Secretary of Education, US Department of Education.
• A current, active Top Secret/SCI Polygraph security clearance is required.
• Deep, current expertise in vSphere (including 8.x), ESXi clustering, vCenter, vSAN, and NSX.
• Proven experience designing and integrating VMware with enterprise storage (block/file/object), SAN fabrics, and backup/DR platforms.
• Excellent networking fundamentals (VLANs, routing, overlay/underlay, firewalls) as they apply to virtualized and NSX environments.
• Demonstrated automation skills (PowerCLI/PowerShell required; Python and/or Ansible expected).
• Experience leading complex migrations, upgrades, or greenfield cluster builds.
• Excellent communication skills; able to brief technical teams and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently as a principal individual contributor and as a technical lead across teams.

#LI-LO1
Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills

• 12+ years of IT infrastructure experience, with 8+ years hands-on enterprise VMware design and operations preferred.
• Experience with VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), Aria Suite (Operations, Automation, Logs), Horizon, and SRM.
• Hybrid or multi-cloud integration (VMware Cloud on AWS, Azure VMware Solution, or equivalent).
• Storage platforms commonly paired with VMware (NetApp, Dell PowerStore/PowerScale/Isilon, Pure, StorageGRID, etc.).
• Backup/data-protection integration (Commvault, Veeam, or similar) and object storage.
• Classified, DoW, IC, or other regulated environments; knowledge of STIGs, RMF/POAM, and secure configuration baselines.
• Containers/Kubernetes adjacent to VMware (Tanzu, vSphere with Tanzu, or similar).
• Experience with monitoring/observability (vROps, Splunk, Grafana/Prometheus) and configuration management.
• Prior technical leadership, architecture ownership, or mentoring of senior engineers.
• VMware certifications preferred: VCP-DCV (current), VCAP Design or Deploy, VCIX, or VMware Cloud Foundation related credentials.
• Additional value: VMware NSX, vSAN specialist certs; security certs (Security+, CISSP); ITIL.
• Master's degree.

Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $132962 - $226035
Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.
Employee Benefits: At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being. Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered: health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings accounts; a 401(k) savings plan; disability coverage; and life and accident insurance. We also have an employee assistance program, a legal plan, and other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance. Our leave programs include paid time off, paid holidays, as well as other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave. Employees may participate in the company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards. Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.
About BAE Systems, Inc.
BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it's what we do at BAE Systems. Working here means using your passion and ingenuity where it counts - defending national security with breakthrough technology, superior products, and intelligence solutions. As you develop the latest technology and defend national security, you will continually hone your skills on a team-making a big impact on a global scale. At BAE Systems, you'll find a rewarding career that truly makes a difference.
Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, Space & Mission Systems is a leading provider of national defense and civil space applications, advanced remote sensing, scientific and tactical systems for government and commercial customers. We continually pioneer ways to innovate spacecraft, mission payloads, optical systems, and other defense and civil capabilities. Powered by endlessly curious people with an unwavering mission focus, we continually discover ways to enable our customers to perform beyond expectation and protect what matters most.
This position will be posted for at least 5 calendar days. The posting will remain active until the position is filled, or a qualified pool of candidates is identified.
Multiple positions may be available on this opening.