Principal Systems Engineer – Server & Storage

MKS Instruments•Andover, MA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

As the Principal Systems Engineer – Server & Storage you will be responsible for designing, implementing, maintaining, and optimizing enterprise server, virtualization, and storage infrastructures. You will ensure high availability, performance, and scalability across datacenter environments. You possess deep expertise in Windows Server, VMware vSphere, Nutanix Enterprise Cloud, and enterprise SAN/NAS storage platforms. As a senior technical resource, you will provide architectural guidance, lead complex engineering projects, and serve as an escalation point for operations teams. You Will Make an Impact By: Server & Virtualization Engineering Design, deploy, and maintain Windows Server environments, including Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy, DFS, Clustering, OS hardening, File, and Print. Architect and administer VMware vSphere environments (ESXi, vCenter) with an emphasis on performance optimization, lifecycle management, and automation. Engineer and operate Nutanix clusters, including AHV administration, Prism management, storage configuration, and integration with virtualization platforms. Ensure server platform reliability through proactive monitoring, capacity planning, and security best practices. Storage Engineering Design, implement, and manage SAN and NAS storage arrays, including provisioning, zoning, replication, backup, and performance tuning. Maintain storage fabric technologies (Brocade, Cisco MDS, etc.) and ensure high-availability data access. Implement and support backup and disaster recovery strategies using enterprise recovery tools and replication technologies. Infrastructure Architecture & Operations Lead the evaluation and introduction of new technologies to improve datacenter efficiency, resiliency, and automation. Develop and maintain detailed system documentation, standards, and runbooks. Collaborate with security teams to enforce compliance, patching, and vulnerability management across servers and storage platforms. Respond to major incidents, conduct root-cause analysis, and drive long-term remediation. Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership to project teams.

Requirements

8+ years of experience supporting enterprise server, virtualization, and storage technologies.
Expert-level knowledge in: Windows Server (2016/2019/2022/2025) VMware vSphere/ESXi/vCenter Nutanix Enterprise Cloud / AHV / Prism Enterprise SAN/NAS platforms (e.g., NetApp, Dell EMC, HPE)
Experience with PowerShell or other scripting languages for automation.
Deep understanding of TCP/IP networking fundamentals, DNS, load balancing, and security best practices.
Strong troubleshooting skills with a methodical approach.
Strong communication skills for cross-team collaboration.
Ability to lead complex technical initiatives with minimal supervision.
Excellent documentation, planning, and analytical skills.
Customer-service mindset with a proactive approach to system reliability.

Nice To Haves

Relevant certifications such as: MCSE, Nutanix NCP/NCM, VMware VCP/VCAP, or storage vendor certifications.
Experience with hybrid cloud integrations (Azure, AWS).
Knowledge of Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform, Ansible) or CI/CD pipelines.

Responsibilities

Design, deploy, and maintain Windows Server environments, including Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy, DFS, Clustering, OS hardening, File, and Print.
Architect and administer VMware vSphere environments (ESXi, vCenter) with an emphasis on performance optimization, lifecycle management, and automation.
Engineer and operate Nutanix clusters, including AHV administration, Prism management, storage configuration, and integration with virtualization platforms.
Ensure server platform reliability through proactive monitoring, capacity planning, and security best practices.
Design, implement, and manage SAN and NAS storage arrays, including provisioning, zoning, replication, backup, and performance tuning.
Maintain storage fabric technologies (Brocade, Cisco MDS, etc.) and ensure high-availability data access.
Implement and support backup and disaster recovery strategies using enterprise recovery tools and replication technologies.
Lead the evaluation and introduction of new technologies to improve datacenter efficiency, resiliency, and automation.
Develop and maintain detailed system documentation, standards, and runbooks.
Collaborate with security teams to enforce compliance, patching, and vulnerability management across servers and storage platforms.
Respond to major incidents, conduct root-cause analysis, and drive long-term remediation.
Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership to project teams.