Overview
As a Senior Systems Engineer, you will lead the organisation’s transformation from a VMware-based environment to Red Hat OpenShift Virtualisation. This role is responsible for the full migration lifecycle, as well as the day‑to‑day operation, optimisation, and maintenance of Virtual Machines (VMs) running on OpenShift. You will serve as a senior technical resource, providing deep expertise in virtualisation, Linux, Kubernetes/OpenShift, and enterprise infrastructure.
Job Description
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Infrastructure Design: Assist with the design of Bare Metal OpenShift clusters optimised for virtualisation, ensuring high performance for compute-heavy VM workloads.
- Modernisation & Migration: Lead the end-to-end migration lifecycle from VMware vSphere to OpenShift. This includes leveraging the Migration Toolkit for Virtualisation (MTV), performing pre-migration discovery, and executing "Warm Migrations" to minimise downtime for critical business stateful workloads.
- Storage Management: Experience configuring Portworx as the storage provider on top of Pure Storage.
- Backup & DR: Experience with managing backup and DR within Red Hat OpenShift environments. Assisting the DR team in configuring run books for Client DR Testing.
- Operational Excellence: Manage VM-specific "Day 2" operations, including Live Migration, node maintenance/draining, and high-availability (HA) scheduling.
- Optimize & Maintain: Proactively monitor our systems with CheckMK, manage storage on Pure Storage and HPE.
- Troubleshoot & Resolve: Act as a final escalation point for complex technical issues, performing deep-dive root cause analysis and collaborating with support teams to ensure timely resolution.
- Collaborate & Innovate: Work closely with a team of skilled engineers to share knowledge, improve processes, and evaluate emerging technologies.
- Provide Critical Support: Participate in a rotating on-call schedule to provide after-hours support for critical infrastructure.
- Flexibility: Ability to work Weekends for project roll outs, Maintenance tasks etc.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Experience
Experience
In the field of:
Required/Preferred
7-10 Years
Systems Engineering
Required
2-4 Years
Working directly with Kubernetes or OpenShift (MSP environment preferred)
Required
1-3 Years
Strong Linux administration skills
Required
Licenses and Certifications
Professional Association
Required/Preferred
Red Hat Certified OpenShift Administrator
Required
Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenShift Virtualisation
Required
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Virtualisation: Red Hat OpenShift, VMware ESXi/vCenter, Proxmox VE
- Cloud: Microsoft Azure (IaaS/PaaS)
- Application & Desktop Delivery: Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, Citrix NetScaler (ADC)
- Storage: Pure Storage, HPE
- Operating Systems: Windows Server, Linux
- Monitoring: CheckMK or similar enterprise monitoring tools
- Availability to work UK business hours with occasional evenings/weekends as part of the on-call rotation.
Attributes that will drive success:
- Demonstrated ability to analyze root causes and implement long-term solutions.
- Ability to perform under pressure, manage competing priorities, and meet tight deadlines.
- Self‑starter with strong ownership, able to work independently while collaborating when needed
Benefits of Working for Abacus:
- Generous annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply)
- Gym discount
- Life insurance
- Comprehensive travel insurance for you and your family in line with scheme rules
- Confidential well-being and counselling support
- Competitive Compensation
- Contributory pension scheme
- Company events
- Private Medical and Dental Insurance
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