Senior Systems Administrator

Launchpad, a people-first technology company, is a leader in North America´s rapidly growing tech sector. Through two solutions, Launchpad supports its clients with digital transformation:

• PaasportTM, our iPaaS solution, streamlines software integration and automates workflows.
• Nearshore Staff Augmentation, our managed IT staffing service, connects top IT talent across various geographical regions, bringing industry expertise to leading clients.

Based in Vancouver, Canada, our operational footprint spans across North and South America, with a second headquarters in Santiago, Chile.

In 2023, our unwavering dedication to innovation garnered recognition as a Deloitte Technology Fast 50™ Program Company. Our clientele boasts industry leaders such as Walmart, GM, TIME Magazine, Salesforce, Tableau, Splunk, Bolt.com, Freedom House, and more.

At Launchpad, we genuinely care about our people as individuals. If you are looking for a team that values growth, drive, and passion for your craft, if you’re seeking a place to achieve your goals and dreams with fairness and integrity, then we’d love to hear from you.

About the Role

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Systems Engineer to join our dynamic and fast-paced team. This role will play a crucial part in designing, implementing, and maintaining our mission-critical infrastructure, with a strong focus on Cisco UCS and VMware technologies.

As a hands-on technical leader, you will be responsible for ensuring the reliability, scalability, and security of our infrastructure. The ideal candidate possesses deep expertise in virtualization, converged infrastructure, and automation, along with a proactive problem-solving mindset and strong communication skills. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to drive innovation and efficiency across our IT landscape.

 

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and manage Cisco UCS infrastructure, including blade and rack servers, fabric interconnects, UCS Manager, and Cisco Intersight.
• Administer and deploy VMware vSphere environments, including vCenter Server, ESXi hosts, and vSAN.
• Optimize system performance, scalability, and security while ensuring high availability and fault tolerance. 
• Develop and maintain automation scripts using PowerCLI, Python, or other scripting languages to streamline system provisioning, monitoring, and maintenance.
• Implement infrastructure-as-code (IaC) principles where applicable to improve efficiency and consistency. 
• Work closely with networking, storage, and security teams to ensure seamless integration of infrastructure components. 
• Assist in the design and deployment of hybrid cloud solutions (AWS, Azure, GCP) and virtualization strategies. 
• Implement and enforce security best practices across the virtualized environment. 
• Monitor and remediate system vulnerabilities through proactive patch management and threat mitigation. 
• Diagnose and resolve complex hardware, software, and networking issues affecting VMware and UCS environments. 
• Participate in an on-call rotation, providing expert-level support for critical production incidents and escalations. 
• Develop and maintain comprehensive system documentation, including architecture diagrams, configurations, and troubleshooting guides. 
• Stay ahead of industry trends and emerging technologies, recommending improvements and optimizations.

 

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• 5+ years of experience in systems engineering with a strong focus on Cisco UCS and VMware vSphere.
• Expert-level knowledge of Cisco UCS architecture, configuration, and management.
• Deep understanding of VMware vSphere, including vCenter Server, ESXi, vSAN, and vMotion.
• Strong scripting skills (PowerCLI, Python, Bash) for automation and infrastructure management.
• Solid networking knowledge, including TCP/IP, VLANs, routing, and switching.
• Excellent troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, with the ability to resolve complex system issues efficiently.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, adva