Senior Systems Engineer - Virtualization

Senior Systems Engineer, Core 42, Abu Dhabi – UAE

About Us

Core42, a leader in AI-powered cloud and digital infrastructure, is driving transformative technology solutions globally. Leveraging advanced resources and partnerships, Core42 empowers clients to harness sovereign AI infrastructure, especially in sectors with stringent regulatory needs. With a mission to redefine digital transformation, we combine sovereign capabilities with scalable, high-performance compute infrastructure, positioning itself at the forefront of AI innovation in the Middle East and beyond.

The opportunity

The Senior Systems Engineer – Computing Technology engages in the design, leads implementation, and provides Level 3 expert support for large-scale private cloud computing infrastructure, with a specific emphasis on computing technologies including hardware layer, operating system, hypervisor, and orchestration services.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Co-design, implement, and manage hybrid virtualization and containerized platforms based on OpenStack, VMware VCF and/or Red Hat OpenShift ensuring platform stability, performance and compliance with industry standards and best practices.
• Collaborate with architecture and engineering teams on technology stack component evaluation and selection ensuring solutions are designed following best practices and optimized from both functional and non-functional perspectives.
• Conduct regular capacity planning exercises to anticipate and accommodate the growing demands on the virtualized environment, ensuring it meets current and future requirements.
• Develop and implement plans to enhance the reliability of the computing infrastructure, addressing potential points of failure and ensuring high availability of services.
• Explore, analyze, and implement performance optimization strategies for the cloud computing environment, ensuring optimal resource utilization and responsiveness.
• Collaborate with relevant teams to conduct regular performance assessments and implement improvements based on findings.
• Prepare and participate in complex changes to production environments supporting operational teams.
• Develop auto-test and automation solutions for cloud platform using tools like Jenkins and Selenium along with other configuration management tools such as Terraform, Ansible, Puppet, Chef, and GitLab CI/CD.
• Provide L3 expert support including on-call shifts with focus on immediate incident management and resolutions, such as outages, breaches, and system failures.
• Write and maintain relevant documentation ensuring completeness and quality.
• Prepare and provide trainings for operational teams in the related technical domains.
• Collaborate with security management teams to ensure that systems are safe and secure against cybersecurity threats.
• Work closely with process management and operational teams and contribute to process development standardizing collaboration framework and improving collaboration efficiency
  
  

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Software Engineering, or other relevant technology field.
• 7+ years of experience and deep expertise in designing, implementing, and managing private cloud stacks with the focus on compute and virtualization technologies.
• Extensive hands-on experience with at least one of the following platforms/stacks: OpenStack, Apache CloudStack, VMware VCF and Red Hat OpenShift and related computing technologies such as x86 hardware, OS, KVM/ESXi and orchestration services.
• Expert level in Linux and 5+ years of hands-on experience in Linux-based environments.
• Profound understanding of hardware architecture and components [x86 and ARM, NUMA, types of memory and channels, types of NICs, etc.
• Good understanding of network and storage types and architecture.
• Good understanding of Cloud Native concepts and technologies.
• Experience in managing large-scale public or private cloud environments and/or work in a cloud service provider environment is highly desirable.
• Advanced level in programming and scripting using Python and/or Golang, bash.
• Good knowledge in Data center network designs and related technologies [OSI model, TCP/IP stack, routing, VLAN/VxLAN, etc]
• Understanding of storage types, architecture, and protocols such as object/block/file storages, NFS/SMB, iSCSI, FC, etc.
• Knowledge of monitoring and observability tools like Zabbix or Nagios, Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana).
• Understanding of CI/CD principles, Infrastructure as Code (IaaC) approach and software defined infrastructure solutions.
• Experience with database management and optimization for both SQL and NoSQL databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or Cassandra is highly desirable.
• Experience with ITSM tools such as Jira, Redmine, ServiceNow etc.
• Relevant certifications in Linux, virtualization and cloud computing are a plus.
• Knowledge and experience working with GPU-hardware and AI hardware accelerators is a plus.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to multitask and prioritize.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving and decision-making.
  
  

What Working At Core42 Offers

With a diverse team of 1,100+ employees from 68 nationalities, we foster an inclusive, innovative and collaborative environment. At Core42, we foster a culture grounded in trust, accountability and high performance. We are united by our values: Grit, where we overcome challenges with resilience and determination, Passion, which drives us to pursue excellence in everything we do, and Impact, as we aim to inspire progress and create meaningful change. Our team members thrive in an environment where each person’s contributions propel us forward, and together, we commit to achieving extraordinary results.

• Competitive Salary: We offer an attractive salary package based on your skills and experience
• Yearly Bonus: In recognition of your contributions, you will receive a performance-based annual bonus
• Exclusive Discount Cards: Access special benefits with Esaad and Fazaa cards, offering discounts across a wide range of services
• Premium Family Insurance: We provide comprehensive health coverage, including dental, vision and life insurance, ensuring the well-being of you and your family
• Learning & Development: We offer access to top-tier learning platforms to help you grow in your career. Learn at your own pace with unlimited access to premium courses.