Senior Cloud Infrastructure Engineer Jobs in Chicago, IL

Description:

Sargent & Lundy is a leading consulting engineering firm specializing in the power and energy sectors. Since 1891, we have provided comprehensive engineering, design, and consulting services for both traditional and renewable power generation, grid modernization, nuclear power, and beyond. Our mission is to help clients achieve their energy goals effectively by leveraging advanced technologies and adopting sustainable practices.

We are looking for a sharp, hands-on Infrastructure & Cloud Systems Engineer who thrives in both the data center and the cloud. You’ll own the reliability, performance, and security of our hybrid infrastructure — from bare-metal HPE servers and VMware clusters to Azure cloud environments — and drive the automation and engineering discipline that keeps everything running at peak efficiency. This is a high-impact role for someone who moves fast, thinks in systems, and takes ownership.

Key Responsibilities

On-Premises Data Center & Server Administration

• Administer and optimize physical and virtual server environments across on-premises data centers, including resource allocation (CPU, memory, storage), capacity planning, and lifecycle management.
• Manage VMware vSphere/vCenter environments — including ESXi host configuration, VM provisioning, cluster management, DRS/HA policies, and license allocation and optimization to control spend and maximize utilization.
• Perform regular hardware health monitoring, firmware patching, and hardware lifecycle tracking in coordination with vendor support.
• Own storage administration across SAN/NAS environments — LUN provisioning, volume management, performance tuning, and capacity forecasting.
• Maintain network fabric within the data center, including VLAN configuration, switching, and integration with enterprise routing and firewall infrastructure.
• Drive disaster recovery and business continuity for on-premises systems — design, execute, and document DR/failover tests on a defined schedule; validate RTO/RPO targets and remediate gaps.

Cloud Infrastructure (Azure & Hybrid)

• Design, deploy, and maintain Azure infrastructure — compute, networking, storage, identity, and platform services — in alignment with architecture standards and security baselines.
• Manage Azure AD/Entra ID, RBAC, Conditional Access, and identity governance for both cloud and hybrid environments.
• Implement and maintain cloud cost governance — right-sizing, reserved instance strategy, tagging hygiene, and license optimization across cloud resource pools.
• Build and maintain Infrastructure as Code using Terraform, ARM templates, or Bicep to ensure consistent, auditable, and repeatable provisioning.
• Develop and manage CI/CD pipelines for infrastructure deployment using Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions.

HP Data Center Stack Administration

• Administer HPE ProLiant and HPE Synergy compute platforms — server provisioning, firmware and BIOS management, iLO configuration, and hardware health monitoring.
• Manage HPE OneView for composable infrastructure — server profile templates, firmware baseline management, and data center resource orchestration.
• Administer HPE BladeSystem and Synergy chassis environments including Virtual Connect fabric modules, interconnect configuration, and enclosure management.
• Manage HPE 3PAR and/or HPE Nimble Storage arrays — volume provisioning, thin cloning, snapshot scheduling, replication, performance tiering, and capacity optimization.
• Operate and maintain networking infrastructure within the data center, including segmentation, VLAN management, and integration with core routing.
• Leverage HPE InfoSight and CloudPhysics (or equivalent HPE AI Ops tools) for predictive analytics, anomaly detection, and workload optimization across the HP stack.
• Coordinate with HPE support and field engineers for hardware break/fix, parts replacement, and proactive maintenance under active support contracts.

Operations, Security & Automation

• Monitor and respond to infrastructure alerts across on-prem and cloud using centralized observability platforms; drive incident resolution and root cause analysis.
• Automate operational workflows — patching, provisioning, remediation, compliance reporting — using PowerShell, Ansible, Python, or Azure CLI.
• Implement and enforce security controls: encryption at rest and in transit, vulnerability remediation, firewall policy management, logging, audit trails, and compliance with organizational and regulatory requirements.
• Administer core services: DNS, DHCP, certificate management, file and print, backup and replication, and endpoint configuration management.
• Maintain and test backup and recovery solutions for both on-premises and cloud workloads; document recovery procedures and ensure recoverability is validated regularly.

Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

• Partner with security, development, and IT operations teams to deliver resilient, scalable hybrid solutions and serve as an escalation point for complex infrastructure issues.
• Develop and maintain runbooks, standard operating procedures, architecture documentation, and operational playbooks.
• Contribute to infrastructure roadmaps and standards; proactively identify opportunities to reduce technical debt, improve efficiency, and increase platform maturity.
• Participate in on-call rotation and after-hours maintenance windows as required.

This position offers the flexibility of a hybrid schedule with the expectation of 3 days per week in our downtown Chicago office, and 2 days remote from home.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field — or an equivalent combination of education and demonstrated hands-on experience.
• 8+ years of hands-on experience in infrastructure engineering, systems administration, or cloud engineering in enterprise production environments.
• Deep expertise in VMware vSphere/vCenter — cluster administration, resource pool management, DRS/HA, vSAN, and license optimization.
• 5+ years with Microsoft Azure — Compute, Networking, Storage, Entra ID, Monitor, Key Vault, and hybrid connectivity (ExpressRoute, VPN).
• Proven experience designing and executing disaster recovery plans and failover tests; familiarity with replication technologies (Zerto, Azure Site Recovery, Veeam, or equivalent).
• Hands-on experience with HPE compute platforms (ProLiant, Synergy, BladeSystem), HPE OneView, and iLO administration.
• Experience with HPE storage platforms — HPE 3PAR, Nimble Storage, or MSA — including LUN management, replication, and performance tuning.
• Familiarity with HPE Aruba data center networking and HPE InfoSight or similar AI Ops tooling.
• Strong command of Microsoft server platforms — Active Directory, Windows Server, DNS/DHCP, IIS, file services.
• Hands-on experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, ARM/Bicep) and configuration management (Ansible, DSC, or equivalent).
• Proficiency in scripting and automation: PowerShell, Python, Azure CLI, or Bash.
• Experience with SAN/NAS administration and enterprise storage management.
• Solid networking fundamentals: TCP/IP, DNS, VPN, firewalls, load balancing, and data center switching/routing.
• Familiarity with change management, incident management, and ITSM processes (ServiceNow or equivalent).
• Strong communicator with the ability to document clearly and collaborate across technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305)
• VMware Certified Professional (VCP-DCV)
• HPE Master ASE — Hybrid IT Solutions Architect or HPE ATP — Server Solutions
• Experience with enterprise backup/DR platforms (Veeam, Zerto, Commvault, Azure Site Recovery).
• Experience with monitoring and observability platforms (Azure Monitor, Datadog, SCOM, or equivalent).
• Experience operating in regulated or compliance-driven environments (SOC 2, NIST, ISO 27001, FedRAMP).

We do not sponsor employees for work authorization in the U.S. for this position.

Award-Winning Benefits:

At Sargent & Lundy, we care about the health and well-being of our employees. Our commitment extends beyond the workplace, offering comprehensive healthcare plans and generous paid time off to support our team members in every aspect of their lives. We understand the importance of work-life balance, which is why we are proud to provide competitive, award-winning benefits. Our dedication to employee satisfaction has earned us the prestigious Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Award for compensation and benefits in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Compensation Range: $87,378 - $133,494 Transparency Statement: Sargent & Lundy discloses compensation ranges that comply with all local and state regulations. The total compensation package for eligible positions will include a base salary or an hourly rate and a comprehensive benefits package, reflecting our commitment to rewarding performance and supporting the overall well-being of our employees. Individuals may also be eligible to participate in our yearly discretionary bonus. Awards & Recognition: Equal Opportunity: