Senior Virtualisation and OS Tower Lead

NEC Australia are seeking expressions of interest for a Senior Virtualisation and OS Tower Lead to join our team of contract consultants in Melbourne to work on‑site for one of our customers. This role requires a confident operator and communicator. Key Responsibilities The Virtualisation and OS Tower Lead provides expertise, strategic direction and assurance to the ongoing operation and governance over the organisation’s key IT Virtualisation and Server environment and associated operational processes. This encompasses proactive and reactive reviews of infrastructure platforms, with a goal to drive efficiency via continuous improvement, consulting industry best practice, and automation. This role applies service management–based concepts (i.e. problem management) upon the in‑scope infrastructure platforms and services. While technical knowledge is essential, this role will primarily oversee the current Managed Services provider who will provide the hands‑on management of the Virtualised and OS Infrastructure, so we are seeking a candidate who has proven experience in working in similar roles. Infrastructure Platform & Operations Governance Support the development of processes, controls and guidelines for ensuring appropriate operational management of Virtualisation (VMware) and OS (predominantly Linux and Windows) Infrastructure by internal staff and authorised 3rd party suppliers. Proactively monitor and review the state of the Virtualisation and OS Infrastructure and ensure that it is healthy and under good operational management Contribute to the development of effective event management processes and technologies Identify, elevate and support the resolution of key risks and issues relating to the Virtualisation and OS Infrastructure through the application of service management‑based processes Ensure the day‑to‑day service provision by Managed Services of the Virtualisation and OS Infrastructure adheres to the contract and is consistent with the deliverables described within it. Leverage relationships between strategic vendors and internal resources, including IT stakeholders, to meet business KPIs and improve service. Provide input to the establishment and prioritisation of strategic requirements to be communicated to vendors. Provide support for the delivery of strategies involving hardware and operational software vendors to support current and future business needs. Work with suppliers to bring best practice, continuous improvement, and innovation to the service provision. Identify areas of improvement in both technology and processes to minimise downtime, improve incident response and management capability Infrastructure Product Development Experience working in a large‑scale IT Virtualisation and OS Infrastructure environment including Data Centres, Cloud and remote sites. Contribute to the ongoing maintenance and continual improvement of IT Virtualisation and Linux and Windows Infrastructure services and ensure that they are implemented and maintained in‑line with industry and vendor standards to ensure Service Levels are met or exceeded and to ensure currency is compliant. Contribute to the delivery of Architecture & Security Infrastructure strategies, roadmaps and architectures. Experience and knowledge of monitoring tools across Virtualisation and OS Infrastructure including Aria for VMWare, Logic Monitor or similar Server Monitoring tools. Ability to identify risk and troubleshoot Virtualisation and Server problems. Experience in Automation Platforms. AWS experience advantageous. Manage and Support Projects Provide domain expertise for delivery of infrastructure and applications projects, including defining and assessing detail associated with complex changes. Assist with projects from initiation to delivery. Evaluate supplier proposals, including cost assessment, and provide feedback. Education / Qualifications Tertiary qualification in IT and/or related Vendor Certifications (advantageous). AWS Certifications (advantageous). Microsoft and Linux Certification (advantageous). Knowledge Expertise and working knowledge of vSphere environments including ESXi hosts, vCentre and related components. Thorough understanding of VMWare licensing. Knowledge of Nutanix would be extremely advantageous. Expertise and working knowledge of Windows Server Environments (2012/2016/2019/2022). Experience with Active Directory and Entra Id, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP and other core Windows services. Experience in managing Certificates. Expertise and working knowledge in Linux, preferably RedHat. Ability to upgrade and patch VMWare and Server environments. Experience of patching with Tanium advantageous. Experience in Container technology an advantage (eg Docker/Kubernetes). Ability to collaborate with Security specialists Working knowledge of upgrading and patching VMWare and Server environments. Experience in Server Infrastructure and Services in Cloud, specifically AWS, and advantage. Understanding of ITIL and COBIT frameworks application advantageous Demonstrated problem resolutions skills and technical documentation capability. Knowledge of automation technologies and scripting (for example PowerShell, bash, etc) Knowledge of the ITIL framework and experience working within ITIL‑based IT Service Management processes Experience 5+ years working as a Senior Server engineer working in an enterprise environment. Experience working in a multi‑sourced environment required, particularly experience with MSP's. Demonstrated ability to work within cross‑functional teams. To be eligible for a position, applicants will need to have valid work rights for Australia and be willing to undergo a comprehensive background checking process, including police checks. Commencement Date: asap This is an initial 6‑month contract with high likelihood of extension for successful candidates. Work arrangement – hybrid (must be onsite Melbourne CBD 3 days/week). #J-18808-Ljbffr