Senior IT Architect

Caesars Entertainment•Las Vegas, NV

About The Position

The Senior IT Architect will collaborate with the internal systems engineering team and vendors to design and implement new virtualization environments. This role involves developing processes and procedures for administering and supporting these environments, building, configuring, and maintaining virtualized clients, servers, and architecture. The architect will oversee subcontractors and vendors, coordinate with system engineers for migrations and future expansions, and possess a strong understanding of upgrade paths and requirements. This position requires advanced methods, theories, and research techniques for process and procedure development to ensure business practice compliance. The role demands advanced knowledge of virtualization and hyperconverged concepts, including platforms like VMWare vSphere/vCenter/VMWare Cloud Foundation, Nutanix AOS, and Dell VxRail. Experience managing VCSA/vCenter, creating VMs and templates efficiently, and understanding network services related to virtualized environments (vSwitch, VLAN, vMotion) are crucial. In-depth experience deploying VMware products and managing virtualized environments (HA, DRS, resource allocation, snapshot management, VMDKs, Datastores, vMotion, VUM) is expected. The architect will design, recommend, and deploy emerging server virtualization technologies, support multi-vendor server environments (HP, Dell, Nutanix), and possess strong knowledge of virtual host/machine and storage device configuration. Responsibilities include monitoring, break/fix support, system performance tuning, diagnosing symptoms and root causes, and resolving service outages. The role involves researching, evaluating, and recommending new tools and technologies for server virtualization, identifying trends, and proactively preventing performance impacts. Strong knowledge of PowerShell/PowerCLI and modern cybersecurity principles, including privileged access management and hypervisor security, is required. A strong understanding of Microsoft Windows Server platforms in a virtual environment and their interaction with the hypervisor is also necessary. Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, management information systems, or related field required
Minimum of seven (7+) years of experience advance administering VMware Environments
Minimum of seven (7+) years of experience in the administration of Microsoft environments
Excellent time management and organization skills, with the capability to manage multiple competing priorities
Exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate, partner, and collaborate with internal team members in a professional manner.
Aptitude to pick up new concepts and technology rapidly and the ability to explain it to all stakeholders
Analytical and creative problem-solving skills for design and testing of systems
Strong ability to Identify, analyze, and remediate technical challenges
Experience supporting mission critical IT infrastructure in a 24x7x365 environment
Advanced knowledge of virtualization and hyperconverged concepts and principles, to include platforms like VMWare vSphere/vCenter/VMWare Cloud Foundation, Nutanix AOS, Dell VxRail.
Understanding of network services as related to a virtualized environment (e.g. vSwitch, VLAN, vMotion, etc.)
In-depth experience deploying VMware products and managing a virtualized environment (HA, DRS, resource allocation, snapshot management, VMDKs, Datastores, vMotion, VUM, etc.)
Strong knowledge of the configuration needed for virtual hosts/machines and attached storage devices.
Strong knowledge of PowerShell/PowerCLI.
Strong understanding of modern cybersecurity principles and their application to virtualized environments, inclusive of privileged access management and securing hypervisor management planes.
Strong understanding of Microsoft Windows Server platforms running in a virtual environment and their interactions with the hypervisor.
Proficiency and experience with VMware Products, like VMware vCloud, vSphere, vSAN, NSX, or similar virtualization platforms.

Nice To Haves

Applicable Certifications, preferred: VMware Certified Professional (VCP), VMware Certified Advance Professional (VCAP), VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX)
Experience with containerization technologies like Docker
Experience with container orchestration technologies like Kubernetes
Experience with Unix-style operating systems

Responsibilities

Collaborate with the internal systems engineering team and vendors to design and implement new virtualization environments.
Develop process and procedures for administering and supporting new and existing virtualization environments.
Build, configure and maintain virtualized clients, servers, and architecture.
Oversee subcontractors and vendors performing installations and configurations.
Collaborate with system engineers to migrate existing systems into the virtualization environment and future designs and expansions.
Have a strong understanding and hands-on experience with upgrade paths and requirements.
Coordinate the efforts of technical support staff in the performance of assigned projects.
Apply advanced methods, theories and research techniques and assist in the development, implementation and documentation of processes and procedures to ensure compliance with business practices.
Manage VCSA/vCenter and creating VMs and templates efficiently.
Design, recommend, and deploy emerging server virtualization technologies.
Support operations of multi-vendor server environments, such as HP, Dell, Nutanix.
Monitor and provide break/fix support to virtualized systems across the enterprise.
Perform system performance tuning and diagnose elusive symptoms and root causes.
Respond to and resolve service outages and interruptions.
Research, evaluate, and recommend new tools and technologies for server virtualization.
Identify trends and abnormalities and proactively take steps to prevent performance impacts to virtual environment and business function.
Perform proactive support functions and reporting to maintain the integrity of the enterprise virtual environment and business function.
Take lead in the research, planning and implementation of server virtualization projects in accordance with the IT goals and objectives.
Provide on-going training and technical direction to other team members pertaining to virtualization optimization, installation, upgrades, configuration, and troubleshooting.
Document the infrastructure by the use of Visio drawings and other tools.
Participation in an on-call rotation.
Ability to secure and maintain gaming permits in multiple jurisdictions as required.
Ability to travel occasionally when necessary.