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Lead Virtualization Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

KaylaTek is seeking a Senior Virtualization Engineer to provide operational support for VMware ... Lead and support projects involving the migration of virtual machines and applications from legacy ...

KaylaTek is seeking a Senior Virtualization Engineer to provide operational support for VMware ... Lead and support projects involving the migration of virtual machines and applications from legacy ...

$115 - $150/hr

Summary: The Storage and Virtualization Lead Engineer will provide engineering oversite for the SRV6 storage and virtualization environment for the operation of the PACAF BlackCore network.

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Lead Virtualization Engineer information

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$42.5K

$123.8K

$180.5K

How much do lead virtualization engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for lead virtualization engineer in the United States is $123,784.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $102,500.00 and $135,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a lead virtualization engineer?

Lead Virtualization Engineers are IT professionals who design, implement, and manage virtual environments for organizations. They oversee the deployment and maintenance of virtualization platforms such as VMware, Hyper-V, or cloud-based solutions, ensuring optimal performance, security, and scalability. In their leadership role, they may also guide a team of engineers, establish best practices, and collaborate with other departments to support business needs. Their expertise helps companies reduce hardware costs, improve disaster recovery, and increase IT flexibility.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a lead virtualization engineer?

To thrive as a Lead Virtualization Engineer, you need expertise in virtualization technologies (such as VMware, Hyper-V, or KVM), strong systems administration skills, and a relevant bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. Familiarity with tools like vSphere, PowerCLI, and certification such as VMware Certified Professional (VCP) are commonly required. Leadership, effective problem-solving, and strong communication skills set top candidates apart by enabling collaboration and efficient project delivery. These abilities ensure reliable virtual infrastructure management, drive innovation, and support seamless business operations.

What are common challenges a lead virtualization engineer faces when managing large-scale virtual environments?

A Lead Virtualization Engineer often encounters challenges related to resource allocation, performance optimization, and ensuring high availability in large-scale virtual environments. Balancing the demands of multiple projects and users while maintaining security and compliance requires strong technical know-how and communication skills. Additionally, keeping up with rapid advancements in virtualization technologies and troubleshooting complex issues across various platforms are key aspects of the role. Collaboration with network, storage, and security teams is essential to address these challenges effectively.

What is the difference between Lead Virtualization Engineer vs Virtualization Engineer?

AspectLead Virtualization EngineerVirtualization Engineer
CertificationsVMware, Cisco, Microsoft certifications often preferredSimilar certifications, but less emphasis on leadership
Work EnvironmentLeading teams, project management, strategic planningImplementing and maintaining virtualization solutions
Employer & Industry UsageIT departments, data centers, cloud providersIT support, infrastructure teams, data centers
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding leadership roles in virtualizationTechnical implementation and support roles

The main difference between a Lead Virtualization Engineer and a Virtualization Engineer lies in leadership responsibilities and strategic involvement. The Lead typically manages teams, oversees projects, and aligns virtualization strategies with business goals, while the Virtualization Engineer focuses on technical implementation and maintenance. Both roles require similar technical skills and certifications, but the Lead position emphasizes leadership and project management.

More about Lead Virtualization Engineer jobs

What job categories do people searching Lead Virtualization Engineer jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for Lead Virtualization Engineer jobs are:

Infographic showing various Lead Virtualization Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 89% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $123,784 per year, or $59.5 per hour.

Senior Virtualization Engineer

KaylaTek, Inc.

Camp Springs, MD • On-site

$120 - $170/hr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 18 days ago


Key responsibilities

  • Design, deploy, configure, and maintain VMware and Nutanix clusters to support mission-critical infrastructure.

  • Monitor system metrics, troubleshoot issues, and perform root-cause analysis to ensure system availability, performance, and security compliance.

  • Lead migration projects of virtual machines and applications from legacy platforms to Nutanix, and develop documentation for system configurations and operational procedures.


Job description

Come join our growing team with a 21st Century Vision! At KaylaTek, we understand that the key to our success is the quality of the people we employ. Our focus is not just on jobs, but on building and enhancing your career through ongoing professional development, training, and high quality of life. Our team members choose KaylaTek for a number of reasons including our competitive compensation and benefit packages, dedication to education, as well as our outstanding service. Our Grow Strong Vision encompasses a place for employees to grow, learn and feel a sense of belonging, not just a place to work.

Employee Benefit Offerings

A Robust benefits package to include Medical, Dental, Vision, Health Savings Account, FSA, 401(k) with company matching, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, Life and AD&D Insurance, Paid Time Off, 11 Paid Holidays, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Professional Development Program, Military Leave Support, Referral bonuses and more!

Location:

Joint Base Andrews, MD

Shift:

Day Shift Core hours: 07:30 am - 2:00 pm;support on-call rotation if needed

Position Summary:

KaylaTek is seeking a Senior Virtualization Engineer to provide operational support for VMware/Nutanix clusters supporting the Air Force District of Washington (AFDW) at Joint Base Andrews, MD. This candidate will serve as a key technical leader supporting mission-critical VMware and Nutanix infrastructure environments within a highly secure setting. The ideal candidate will be responsible for architecting, deploying, optimizing, and maintaining virtualization platforms while ensuring maximum performance, scalability, and compliance with federal cybersecurity standards. This role offers the opportunity to work with cutting-edge hyper-converged technologies, lead major migration initiatives, collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams, and directly support critical Air Force operations. The ideal professional will bring deep VMware and Nutanix expertise, a strong background in secure enterprise infrastructure, and a passion for delivering resilient, high‑performing solutions in a complex defense environment.

Certifications required:
  • Requires a current 8140 IAT Level II (Intermediate or Advanced) certificate (CompTIA Security+).
  • Active VMware Certified Professional certification, version 6.0 or higher.
  • Active Nutanix Certified Professional (NCP) or Nutanix Certified Systems Engineer (NCSE) certification.
Security Clearance
  • Active DOD Secret clearance (final) at a minimum
Essential Job Functions
  • Provide operational support for VMware and Nutanix clusters supporting the Air Force District of Washington (AFDW).
  • Responsibilities include designing, deploying, configuring, and maintaining VMware/Nutanix clusters; monitoring system metrics to ensure availability, scalability, and performance; and performing troubleshooting and root‑cause analysis for complex technical issues.
  • Serve as the subject matter expert for VMware and Nutanix infrastructure, including mentoring and training other engineers on platform use, maintenance, and cluster analysis.
  • Maintain patches and upgrades for all hyper-converged software, applications, and underlying Nutanix and VMware hardware.
  • Lead and support projects involving the migration of virtual machines and applications from legacy platforms, including VMware, to the Nutanix platform. Develop and maintain comprehensive virtualization documentation for system configurations, security plans, and operational procedures to support compliance audits and ensure system integrity.
  • Participate in weekly Internal Design Review (IDR) and Change Control Board (CCB) meetings.
  • Collaborate with engineers to monitor and maintain physical hosts, storage, network, and security infrastructure, and report issues or outages to management as needed.
  • Use VMware Aria Operations, formerly vRealize Operations Manager (vROPS), to monitor the vCenter environment and assess future virtualization capacity.
  • Work closely with cybersecurity personnel, network engineers, and application owners to deliver secure, robust, and efficient solutions that comply with DoD mandates, including DISA STIGs and NIST SP 800‑171.
  • Support the on‑call rotation.
Basic Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree with 12+ years of related experience, or a master's degree with 10+ years of experience. Additional relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of a degree.
  • Active DoD security clearance, Secret or Top Secret.
  • 10+ years of infrastructure engineering experience with a strong focus on VMware and/or Nutanix environments.
  • Current DoD 8140 IAT Level II certification, such as CompTIA Security+.
  • Active VMware Certified Professional certification, version 6.0 or higher.
  • Active Nutanix Certified Professional (NCP) or Nutanix Certified Systems Engineer (NCSE) certification.
  • Verifiable experience in a DoD or defense contractor environment, with a strong understanding of operational and security requirements.
  • Deep knowledge of virtualization technologies, including VMware and Nutanix.
  • Strong expertise in Nutanix AOS, AHV, Prism, and Flow.
  • Proficiency managing Windows Server and Linux environments.
  • Hands‑on experience implementing and managing systems compliant with DISA STIGs and NIST SP 800‑171.
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience with infrastructure automation tools such as Ansible or Terraform, and scripting languages such as Python or PowerShell.
  • Strong understanding of networking fundamentals, including switching, VLANs, firewalls, and micro‑segmentation.
  • Experience working in air‑gapped or classified network environments, such as SIPRNet.
  • Experience with virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), including Omnissa.
  • Knowledge of Air Force, Pentagon, and/or AFNCR environments.
  • Experience working at the Pentagon, Joint Base Andrews (JBA), and Joint Base Anacostia‑Bolling (JBAB).
  • The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.
MUST BE A US CITIZEN

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

KaylaTek is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

E-VERIFY AND BACKGROUND CHECKS

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. KaylaTek participates in the DHS e-Verify program. KaylaTek also conducts a background check on all candidates post offer through PROScreening LLC.

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About KaylaTek

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Industry

Guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing

Company size

11 - 50 Employees

Headquarters location

Fairfax, VA, US

Year founded

2016