We are looking for a sharp, hands-on Infrastructure & Cloud Systems Engineer who thrives in both the data center and the cloud. You’ll own the reliability, performance, and security of our hybrid infrastructure — from bare-metal HPE servers and VMware clusters to Azure cloud environments — and drive the automation and engineering discipline that keeps everything running at peak efficiency. This is a high-impact role for someone who moves fast, thinks in systems, and takes ownership. 

Key Responsibilities 

On-Premises Data Center & Server Administration 

• Administer and optimize physical and virtual server environments across on-premises data centers, including resource allocation (CPU, memory, storage), capacity planning, and lifecycle management. 

• Manage VMware vSphere/vCenter environments — including ESXi host configuration, VM provisioning, cluster management, DRS/HA policies, and license allocation and optimization to control spend and maximize utilization. 

• Perform regular hardware health monitoring, firmware patching, and hardware lifecycle tracking in coordination with vendor support. 

• Own storage administration across SAN/NAS environments — LUN provisioning, volume management, performance tuning, and capacity forecasting. 

• Maintain network fabric within the data center, including VLAN configuration, switching, and integration with enterprise routing and firewall infrastructure. 

• Drive disaster recovery and business continuity for on-premises systems — design, execute, and document DR/failover tests on a defined schedule; validate RTO/RPO targets and remediate gaps. 

Cloud Infrastructure (Azure & Hybrid) 

• Design, deploy, and maintain Azure infrastructure — compute, networking, storage, identity, and platform services — in alignment with architecture standards and security baselines. 

• Manage Azure AD/Entra ID, RBAC, Conditional Access, and identity governance for both cloud and hybrid environments. 

• Implement and maintain cloud cost governance — right-sizing, reserved instance strategy, tagging hygiene, and license optimization across cloud resource pools. 

• Build and maintain Infrastructure as Code using Terraform, ARM templates, or Bicep to ensure consistent, auditable, and repeatable provisioning. 

• Develop and manage CI/CD pipelines for infrastructure deployment using Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions. 

HP Data Center Stack Administration 

• Administer HPE ProLiant and HPE Synergy compute platforms — server provisioning, firmware and BIOS management, iLO configuration, and hardware health monitoring. 

• Manage HPE OneView for composable infrastructure — server profile templates, firmware baseline management, and data center resource orchestration. 

• Administer HPE BladeSystem and Synergy chassis environments including Virtual Connect fabric modules, interconnect configuration, and enclosure management. 

• Manage HPE 3PAR and/or HPE Nimble Storage arrays — volume provisioning, thin cloning, snapshot scheduling, replication, performance tiering, and capacity optimization. 

• Operate and maintain networking infrastructure within the data center, including segmentation, VLAN management, and integration with core routing. 

• Leverage HPE InfoSight and CloudPhysics (or equivalent HPE AI Ops tools) for predictive analytics, anomaly detection, and workload optimization across the HP stack. 

• Coordinate with HPE support and field engineers for hardware break/fix, parts replacement, and proactive maintenance under active support contracts. 

Operations, Security & Automation 

• Monitor and respond to infrastructure alerts across on-prem and cloud using centralized observability platforms; drive incident resolution and root cause analysis. 

• Automate operational workflows — patching, provisioning, remediation, compliance reporting — using PowerShell, Ansible, Python, or Azure CLI. 

• Implement and enforce security controls: encryption at rest and in transit, vulnerability remediation, firewall policy management, logging, audit trails, and compliance with organizational and regulatory requirements. 

• Administer core services: DNS, DHCP, certificate management, file and print, backup and replication, and endpoint configuration management. 

• Maintain and test backup and recovery solutions for both on-premises and cloud workloads; document recovery procedures and ensure recoverability is validated regularly. 

Collaboration & Continuous Improvement 

• Partner with security, development, and IT operations teams to deliver resilient, scalable hybrid solutions and serve as an escalation point for complex infrastructure issues. 

• Develop and maintain runbooks, standard operating procedures, architecture documentation, and operational playbooks. 

• Contribute to infrastructure roadmaps and standards; proactively identify opportunities to reduce technical debt, improve efficiency, and increase platform maturity. 

• Participate in on-call rotation and after-hours maintenance windows as required. 

 

This position offers the flexibility of a hybrid schedule with the expectation of 3 days per week in our downtown Chicago office, and 2 days remote from home.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field — or an equivalent combination of education and demonstrated hands-on experience. 

• 8+ years of hands-on experience in infrastructure engineering, systems administration, or cloud engineering in enterprise production environments. 

• Deep expertise in VMware vSphere/vCenter — cluster administration, resource pool management, DRS/HA, vSAN, and license optimization. 

• 5+ years with Microsoft Azure — Compute, Networking, Storage, Entra ID, Monitor, Key Vault, and hybrid connectivity (ExpressRoute, VPN). 

• Proven experience designing and executing disaster recovery plans and failover tests; familiarity with replication technologies (Zerto, Azure Site Recovery, Veeam, or equivalent). 

• Hands-on experience with HPE compute platforms (ProLiant, Synergy, BladeSystem), HPE OneView, and iLO administration. 

• Experience with HPE storage platforms — HPE 3PAR, Nimble Storage, or MSA — including LUN management, replication, and performance tuning. 

• Familiarity with HPE Aruba data center networking and HPE InfoSight or similar AI Ops tooling. 

• Strong command of Microsoft server platforms — Active Directory, Windows Server, DNS/DHCP, IIS, file services. 

• Hands-on experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, ARM/Bicep) and configuration management (Ansible, DSC, or equivalent). 

• Proficiency in scripting and automation: PowerShell, Python, Azure CLI, or Bash. 

• Experience with SAN/NAS administration and enterprise storage management. 

• Solid networking fundamentals: TCP/IP, DNS, VPN, firewalls, load balancing, and data center switching/routing. 

• Familiarity with change management, incident management, and ITSM processes (ServiceNow or equivalent). 

• Strong communicator with the ability to document clearly and collaborate across technical and non-technical stakeholders. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) 

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) 

• VMware Certified Professional (VCP-DCV) 

• HPE Master ASE — Hybrid IT Solutions Architect or HPE ATP — Server Solutions 

• Experience with enterprise backup/DR platforms (Veeam, Zerto, Commvault, Azure Site Recovery). 

• Experience with monitoring and observability platforms (Azure Monitor, Datadog, SCOM, or equivalent). 

• Experience operating in regulated or compliance-driven environments (SOC 2, NIST, ISO 27001, FedRAMP). 

 

 

 

We do not sponsor employees for work authorization in the U.S. for this position.

 

Compensation Range$87,378 - $133,494 Transparency StatementSargent & Lundy discloses compensation ranges that comply with all local and state regulations. The total compensation package for eligible positions will include a base salary or an hourly rate and a comprehensive benefits package, reflecting our commitment to rewarding performance and supporting the overall well-being of our employees. Individuals may also be eligible to participate in our yearly discretionary bonus. Awards & Recognition