OnPrem VMWare to AWS Migration Engineer

Cognizant is seeking an experienced AWS Cloud Migration Engineer with strong expertise in VMware infrastructure and AWS cloud technologies to lead and execute large-scale migration initiatives from on-premises VMware environments to AWS. The ideal candidate will be responsible for assessing existing infrastructure, planning and executing migrations, building AWS environments, automating deployment processes, and ensuring successful post-migration stabilization. This is a remote role., Assessment & Discovery

• Assess existing VMware vSphere environments, including ESXi, vCenter, clusters, networking, storage, and associated dependencies.
• Perform infrastructure and application discovery to identify migration candidates and readiness.
• Analyze application and workload characteristics and recommend appropriate migration strategies, including Rehost, Replatform, and Modernization approaches.
• Document application dependencies, migration waves, migration schedules, and cutover plans.

Migration Planning & Execution

• Plan, coordinate, and execute migrations of VMware virtual machines and workloads to AWS.
• Implement, configure, and manage AWS Application Migration Service (MGN) and associated migration tools.
• Execute pilot migrations and support migration factory operations at scale.
• Develop migration runbooks, rollback procedures, validation plans, and operational checklists.
• Collaborate with infrastructure, application, database, network, and security teams to coordinate migration activities.
• Perform migration cutovers and post-migration tasks while minimizing business disruption and downtime.

AWS Infrastructure Deployment

• Design, build, and configure AWS cloud infrastructure components, including:
• Amazon VPC
• Amazon EC2
• AWS IAM
• Security Groups
• Route Tables
• Elastic Load Balancers
• Amazon S3
• Amazon CloudWatch
• AWS Systems Manager
• Support AWS landing zone validation and ensure network connectivity readiness.

Automation & Optimization

• Automate migration, provisioning, and infrastructure deployment activities using:
• Terraform
• AWS CloudFormation
• PowerShell
• Python
• VMware PowerCLI
• Develop automation workflows and scripts to improve migration efficiency and consistency.
• Optimize AWS environments for performance, scalability, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.

Validation & Stabilization

• Perform migration validation activities, including:
• Functional Testing
• Performance Testing
• Connectivity Testing
• Disaster Recovery (DR) Validation
• Troubleshoot and resolve post-migration issues during hypercare and stabilization periods.
• Support operational handoff and knowledge transfer activities to operations and support teams.

Governance & Documentation

• Maintain migration schedules, status reports, dashboards, and risk registers.
• Participate in Change Advisory Board (CAB) reviews and change management processes.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, architecture diagrams, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and operational runbooks.
• Ensure adherence to organizational governance, security, and compliance requirements throughout migration activities.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience supporting VMware infrastructure environments.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience designing and implementing AWS cloud solutions.
• Proven experience leading or executing VMware-to-AWS migration projects.
• Strong understanding of cloud migration methodologies, assessment frameworks, and migration best practices.
• Experience using AWS Application Migration Service (MGN) and migration tooling.
• Hands-on expertise with AWS networking, security, identity management, and compute services.
• Strong scripting and automation skills using PowerShell, Python, and VMware PowerCLI.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform and AWS CloudFormation.
• Excellent troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management abilities.

Mandatory Technical Skills

VMware Technologies

• VMware vSphere
• ESXi
• VMware vCenter
• VMware Cluster Management
• DRS (Distributed Resource Scheduler)
• High Availability (HA)
• VMware Networking & Storage
• VMware PowerCLI

AWS Technologies

• Amazon EC2
• Amazon VPC
• AWS IAM
• Security Groups
• Amazon Route 53
• AWS Application Migration Service (MGN)
• Amazon S3
• Amazon CloudWatch
• AWS Systems Manager

Automation & Infrastructure as Code

• Terraform
• AWS CloudFormation
• Python
• PowerShell
• Automation Frameworks and Scripting

Preferred Qualifications

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate or Professional certification.
• AWS Certified SysOps Administrator or AWS Advanced Networking certification.
• Experience with large-scale enterprise cloud transformation initiatives.
• Experience with hybrid cloud environments and landing zone implementations.
• Familiarity with ITIL processes, change management, and CAB governance.
• Experience supporting Disaster Recovery (DR) and Business Continuity initiatives.