Virtualization Systems Administrator

About the role

Vulcan Elements is at the forefront of producing rare-earth permanent magnets in the United States, playing a vital role in ensuring a secure and resilient future. Our commitment extends to key industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive, where our products are essential. As a Virtualization Systems Administrator, you will be responsible for overseeing our virtual infrastructure and server environments, ensuring that our IT operations and manufacturing systems run smoothly and efficiently.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Design and implement virtualization solutions using platforms like VMware vSphere/ESXi or similar technologies to support IT and operational workloads, including manufacturing execution systems (MES) and related applications.
• Oversee the architecture and management of virtual machine environments, concentrating on resource allocation, snapshot management, template creation, high availability configurations, disaster recovery strategies, and capacity planning.
• Establish, document, and maintain integration points between operational technology and IT systems, ensuring secure data transmission and access controls that comply with CMMC and NIST 800-171 standards.
• Manage MES servers and their associated infrastructure, performing operating system updates, conducting service health assessments, executing backups, and coordinating with vendors to ensure optimal system performance for production activities.
• Provide comprehensive systems administration for IT infrastructure, which includes managing Windows and Linux servers, Active Directory, DNS/DHCP services, file management, and endpoint security.
• Develop and maintain thorough documentation of systems, configuration standards, and standard operating procedures for all platforms to ensure consistency and reliability.
• Collaborate with teams across Operations, Engineering, Quality Assurance, and Finance to gather system requirements and spearhead improvement initiatives that enhance operational efficiency.
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues related to virtualization and server environments, ensuring minimal downtime and maintaining service level agreements (SLAs).
• Participate in capacity planning and performance tuning of virtual environments to ensure that resources are utilized effectively and efficiently.
• Stay updated on industry trends and best practices in virtualization and systems administration to continuously improve our infrastructure and processes.
• Assist in training and mentoring junior IT staff and new team members on virtualization technologies and best practices.

Requirements

• At least 3 years of experience in systems administration, with a minimum of 1 year dedicated to virtualization platforms in a production environment, ideally within manufacturing, defense, or other regulated sectors.
• Proficient hands-on experience with VMware vSphere/ESXi, vCenter, or comparable hypervisor technologies, including knowledge of VM templates, clusters, vMotion, and storage configurations.
• Familiarity with managing MES, historian, or SCADA server environments, with an understanding of the operational technology requirements, such as uptime expectations and vendor support.
• Knowledgeable about NIST 800-171 control families and CMMC practices applicable to server and virtualization infrastructure, with prior experience in CMMC assessments being advantageous.
• Strong skills in Windows Server administration, including expertise in Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP, and file/print services; Linux administration experience is a plus.
• Ability to analyze and document system communications, identify integration gaps, and implement necessary modifications while ensuring appropriate access controls and logging mechanisms are in place.
• Previous experience working with federal contractors, Department of Defense programs, or government-adjacent facilities that handle controlled unclassified information (CUI) and export-controlled environments (ITAR/EAR).
• Physical capability to lift up to 50 lbs and perform tasks related to physical server management in a manufacturing environment.
• Relevant certifications such as VMware VCP, Microsoft MCSA/MCSE, CompTIA Server+, or CompTIA Security+ are highly desirable.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with cloud-based virtualization solutions and hybrid cloud environments.
• Experience with automation tools for system configuration and management, such as Ansible or Puppet.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity best practices and experience implementing security measures in virtual environments.

Skills & tools

• VMware vSphere/ESXi, vCenter, Windows Server, Linux, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, MES systems, virtualization management tools, backup and recovery solutions, and monitoring tools.

Practical notes

Candidates must be classified as U.S. Persons due to the requirement of accessing U.S. export-controlled information or facilities. This role is vital in maintaining the integrity and security of our operations, and we seek individuals who are committed to excellence in their work.