Sword is a leading provider of business technology solutions within the Energy, Public and Finance Sectors, driving transformational change within our clients. We use proven technology, specialist teams and domain expertise to build solid technical foundations across platforms, data, and business applications. We have a passion for using technology to solve business problems, working in partnership with our clients to help in achieving their goals.
About the role:
The Project Server & Infrastructure Engineer plays a key role in the design and delivery of secure, resilient, and scalable infrastructure solutions as part of a major transformation programme for a large client in the energy sector. This is not a traditional BAU support role. It is a project-focused engineering position centred on the design, build, testing, and implementation of next‑generation server, storage, and virtualisation platforms.
The successful candidate will bring strong hands‑on experience across VMware vSphere, vSAN, Hyper‑V and Nutanix, with familiarity across the broader VMware platform including NSX, and the ability to move confidently between low‑level design and practical delivery. They will be comfortable producing detailed technical designs, supporting proof‑of‑concept activity, building and validating solutions, and working directly with senior stakeholders and large enterprise customers. Experience supporting separation across IT and OT environments will be highly beneficial.
A good working knowledge of enterprise networking is also important, particularly to enable effective collaboration with network teams delivering segmented architectures using EVPN, ACI, or similar technologies.
- Design and deliver enterprise server and infrastructure solutions across compute, storage, virtualisation, and management platforms, with a strong emphasis on project delivery rather than BAU support.
- Produce high‑quality low‑level designs, build documentation, implementation plans, migration plans, and as‑built documentation.
- Deploy, configure, test, and optimise VMware vSphere, vSAN, NSX, Nutanix, and Hyper‑V platforms.
- Support the design and implementation of secure, resilient infrastructure platforms across segregated IT and OT environments.
- Contribute to proof‑of‑concept, lab validation, and hands‑on build activity to validate designs before production deployment.
- Work closely with network engineers and architects to ensure infrastructure platforms integrate effectively with segmented network designs, including EVPN and Cisco ACI environments.
- Understand enterprise networking concepts sufficiently to own the compute‑to‑network integration — including dual‑homed uplink design, VXLAN EVPN fabric integration, VLAN zone assignment, OOB management network separation and vSAN replication traffic patterns — and work effectively alongside network delivery teams.
- Support the configuration and use of VMware NSX for virtual networking, micro‑segmentation, and policy‑based security where required.
- Troubleshoot and resolve complex infrastructure issues during design, build, migration, and implementation phases.
- Support change management by preparing, testing and executing technical changes in controlled project environments, including OT or regulated environments where change windows are tightly controlled and rollback requirements must be defined in advance.
- Maintain accurate technical documentation, platform diagrams, configuration baselines, and support handover records.
- Work within established architecture, security, and governance frameworks to deliver compliant and supportable solutions.
Skills and Experience
- Strong hands‑on experience delivering infrastructure solutions in project‑based environments.
- Proven experience with VMware vSphere, vSAN, Hyper‑V and Nutanix, including vSAN topology design, FTT policy, NVMe performance characteristics and stretch cluster considerations.
- Experience designing and implementing OOB management architectures, including dedicated management networks, BMC/iDRAC configuration and separation of management plane from production data‑plane networks.
- Experience with enterprise backup platforms in project environments, including immutability requirements, air‑gapped deployment and cross‑site replication.
- Experience with VMware NSX is desirable.
- Strong understanding of infrastructure design across host, cluster, storage, and management layers.
- Experience working in segregated, resilient, or dual‑site environments.
- Understanding of Purdue model compute architecture and the separation requirements for OT environments, including L3/L3.5 zone isolation, air‑gapped management planes and OT‑specific security constraints within regulated or critical national infrastructure.
- Good working knowledge of enterprise networking concepts, with the ability to work effectively alongside network teams delivering EVPN, ACI, or similarly segmented architectures.
- Strong technical documentation and troubleshooting skills.
- Comfortable presenting technical designs for review and defending design decisions to senior technical and programme stakeholders, including participation in formal design QC processes.
Additional Requirements
- The role requires on‑site presence at programme delivery locations. Candidates should be able to travel to and work from client sites as required by the programme schedule.
Qualifications
- Relevant VMware, Nutanix, Microsoft or Dell/HPE infrastructure certifications are desirable.
- VMware VCP or equivalent practical experience preferred.
- Relevant project‑based infrastructure engineering experience will be considered in place of certifications where appropriate.
At Sword, our core values and culture are based on caring about our people, investing in training and career development, and building inclusive teams where we are all encouraged to contribute to achieve success. We offer comprehensive benefits designed to support your professional development and enhance your overall quality of life. In addition to a Competitive Salary, here's what you can expect as part of our benefits package:
- Personalised Career Development: We create a development plan customised to your goals and aspirations, with a range of learning and development opportunities within a culture that encourages growth.
- Flexible working: Flexible work arrangements to support your work‑life balance. We can’t promise to always be able to meet every request, however, are keen to discuss your individual preferences to make it work where we can.
- A Fantastic Benefits Package: This includes generous annual leave allowance, enhanced family friendly benefits, pension scheme, access to private health, well‑being, and insurance schemes.
At Sword we are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, ensuring that all applicants receive fair and equal consideration for employment, regardless of whether they meet every requirement. If you don’t tick all the boxes but feel you have some of the relevant skills and experience we’re looking for, please do consider applying and highlight your transferable skills and experience. We embrace diversity in all its forms, valuing individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Your perspective and potential are important to us.
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