Nutanix Engineer

• 6 months contract ( option for hire exists )
• 2 openings
• 100% REMOTE; prefer Chicago suburbs based
• Client is a billion dollar MSP

Nutanix Engineer will lead the design, deployment, and configuration of multiple Nutanix clusters across two geographically separated data centers. This role is critical to a strategic initiative involving the migration and replication of existing client workloads onto Nutanix infrastructure, with a fully operational Disaster Recovery (DR) replication strategy.

The ideal candidate brings deep hands-on Nutanix expertise, strong data center infrastructure experience, and a proven track record delivering complex migration and DR projects in managed services or enterprise environments.

Required Skills & Experience

Nutanix Core (Essential)

• 8+ years of hands-on Nutanix experience in enterprise or managed service environments
• Deep expertise in AOS, AHV, Prism Element, and Prism Central
• Proven experience deploying Nutanix clusters using Foundation / Foundation Central
• Strong working knowledge of Nutanix workload migration
• Experience configuring Protection Domains, and Recovery Plans for DR
• Familiarity with Nutanix replication modes: Async, NearSync,

Networking

• Solid understanding of data center networking: VLANs, trunking, routing
• Experience with network configuration within Prism Central Flow is a plus

Project & Communication Skills

• Ability to manage complex technical migrations with multiple stakeholders
• Strong documentation skills — LLD, runbooks, as-built, and DR test reports
• Comfortable presenting technical solutions to both technical teams and client stakeholders
• Experience operating within ITIL-based change management frameworks

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working within a managed services provider (MSP) environment
• Familiarity with Nutanix Files, or Volumes for additional workload types
• ITIL Foundation certification
• Prior experience with data center service delivery environments

RESPONSIBILITIES

Cluster Design & Deployment

• Architect, configure, and deploy multiple Nutanix clusters across 2 data centers, following Nutanix and industry best practices
• Perform Foundation imaging (AOS + AHV) and cluster creation with Prism Element configuration
• Configure AOS (Acropolis Operating System), AHV (Acropolis Hypervisor), and Prism Central across both sites
• Define and implement cluster networking including VLANs, bonding, uplinks, and virtual switches
• Establish storage policies, containers, data tiering, compression, deduplication, and erasure coding configurations
• Validate cluster health, performance baselines, and redundancy across all nodes

Workload Migration

• Assess existing client environments (2 Nutanix clusters at client site) and develop detailed migration runbooks
• Utilize native Nutanix replication to migrate virtual machines from source environments to target Nutanix clusters with minimal downtime
• Coordinate migration windows with client stakeholders and client project teams
• Plan and execute pre-cutover test failovers for a sample of VMs in an isolated network environment
• Validate post-migration workload performance, connectivity, and application integrity
• Utilize native Nutanix replication to migrate virtual machines from source environments to target Nutanix clusters with minimal downtime
• Document pre- and post-migration states, including VM inventories, network mappings, and dependency matrices
• Resolve complex issues across compute/storage, networking, and virtualization layers

Disaster Recovery & Replication

• Design and implement a robust DR replication strategy between the 2 data center Nutanix clusters
• Set up Protection Domains and Recovery Plans with defined RPO/RTO targets aligned to client SLAs
• Implement Async, NearSync, or Sync replication based on workload criticality and bandwidth availability
• Conduct DR runbook testing, failover drill, and document results with lessons learned
• Establish monitoring and alerting for replication health and lag thresholds

Operations & Administration

• Configure and manage Prism Central for centralized multi-cluster visibility, governance, and operations
• Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), user management, and audit logging across both clusters
• Define and enforce VM placement policies, affinity/anti-affinity rules, and resource reservations
• Integrate Nutanix infrastructure with existing client monitoring tools
• Assist with configuring Commvault backup for the workload running on the Nutanix platform
• Maintain firmware, AOS, and AHV patch levels in alignment with Nutanix LTS release recommendations

Collaboration & Documentation

• Work closely with client network, security teams to ensure end-to-end solution integrity
• Liaise with client and internal current incumbent technical teams to gather requirements, communicate progress, and manage expectations
• Produce and maintain comprehensive technical documentation including LLD, runbooks, and as-built documentation; step-by-step configuration instructions must be suitable for execution by a third-party managed services provider
• Provide knowledge transfer and training to internal operations staff post-deployment
• Participate in change management processes, CAB meetings, and risk assessments