Senior Infrastructure Engineer - VMware - Long Term Contract

We are seeking a Senior Infrastructure Engineer / Technical Lead to join a high-profile infrastructure optimisation programme within a large BPO organisation. The engagement focuses on reducing operational and licensing costs across a substantial VMware and Azure estate through rightsizing, rationalisation, storage optimisation, and infrastructure decommissioning initiatives.

In addition to leading technical delivery, the successful candidate will act as the primary client-facing infrastructure lead, working closely with Change Advisory Boards (CAB), application owners, and senior technology stakeholders to drive programme outcomes and validate cost savings. Key Responsibilities

• Analyse CPU and memory utilisation across the VMware estate to identify rightsizing opportunities, including underutilised and resource-constrained hosts.
• Lead the planning and execution of VM rightsizing activities, initially within non-production environments before progressing to production through approved change-management processes.
• Coordinate the decommissioning of idle virtual machines, including backup validation, CAB approvals, CMDB updates, and stakeholder communications.
• Design and implement automated start/stop schedules for non-production Azure environments to optimise infrastructure consumption and reduce operational costs.
• Identify and remediate orphaned or disconnected storage volumes through scripted discovery and controlled batch deletion processes.
• Deliver storage optimisation initiatives, including data tiering across on-premises and cloud platforms, and implementation of Azure Blob Storage lifecycle policies.
• Support SQL Server licence optimisation activities by conducting feature-usage assessments and assisting with edition downgrade programmes where appropriate.
• Develop and maintain remediation runbooks, operational procedures, rollback plans, and implementation documentation.
• Provide technical leadership and escalation support to infrastructure engineers while representing the programme at CAB meetings and client governance forums.
• Produce programme deliverables including utilisation assessments, rightsizing registers, capacity reporting, optimisation tracking, and cost-saving validation reports.

Do you have experience in Team leadership?, Required Skills & ExperienceVMware & Virtualisation

• 8+ years of hands-on VMware vSphere/ESXi administration.
• Strong experience with VM rightsizing, vMotion, DRS, host clustering, performance analysis, and capacity optimisation.

Azure Infrastructure

• Proven experience managing Azure IaaS environments.
• Strong knowledge of Azure Virtual Machines, Automation, Storage Accounts, Blob lifecycle management, and environment scheduling.

Storage Management

• Experience with enterprise storage optimisation, tiering strategies, lifecycle management, and orphaned volume remediation.

Automation & Scripting

• Proficiency in PowerShell and/or Python.
• Experience developing automated discovery, reporting, and remediation scripts using controlled and auditable deployment methodologies.

SQL Server (Desirable)

• Understanding of SQL Server licensing models and edition features.
• Experience performing usage assessments to support licence optimisation initiatives.

IT Service Management

• Experience operating within structured ITIL/ITSM environments.
• Familiarity with CAB processes, change management, CMDB maintenance, and governance controls.

Stakeholder Management

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability to engage with technical teams, business stakeholders, and senior client leadership.

FinOps (Nice to Have)

• Understanding of cloud cost management principles, chargeback/showback models, cost attribution, and Azure tagging strategies.

Experience Level

Senior Engineer: 5-8 years' relevant infrastructure experience.

Principal / Technical Lead: 10+ years' experience leading complex infrastructure transformation, optimisation, or cost-reduction programmes, with demonstrable stakeholder and delivery leadership capabilities.

AND Digital is a tech company dedicated to accelerating digital delivery and closing the digital skills gap. Since 2014, we have supported organisations in building better digital products and stronger digital teams. We believe our work should always create a remarkable impact for our clients. Through our regional offices, known as 'Clubs,' we build strong relationships with our partners, ensuring they are prioritised by teams located nearby. This unique model has driven success for both our clients and ourselves, reflected in our remarkable organic growth since 2014. Today, we are over 1,300 people strong, with Clubs across the UK, Europe, and the USA-and plans for global expansion in the coming years. Join us and help fulfil our mission to close the world's digital skills gap., We have three core values: wonder, share, and delight. These values inform how we work with clients, and our culture: what it feels like to work for AND. We believe collaboration, ambition, curiosity and fun can drive innovation by creating a better environment for problem-solving. By joining AND, we'll provide: * Opportunities to work on projects with big clients and produce meaningful work that makes a genuine difference to people's lives. * A "Blended Working" model, meaning you will be able to work in a range of locations from; your home, in your clubhouse, on a client, as well as just a change of scenery. * The benefits of having a small company feel through being part of an autonomous Club, while being able to take in the benefits of a larger organisation. * A dedicated career scrum team, designed to help you reach your career goals and develop the skills you need to be your best self. * A safe environment for you to be yourself and challenge yourself.