Sr. Cloud Engineer - Virtualization
📍 Job Overview
- Job Title: Sr. Cloud Engineer - Virtualization
- Company: Hewlett Packard Enterprise
- Location: Ft. Collins, Colorado, United States; Durham, North Carolina, United States; Spring, Texas, United States
- Job Type: Full-Time, Hybrid (2 days per week onsite)
- Category: DevOps, Cloud Engineering
- Date Posted: 2025-07-08
- Experience Level: 10+ years
- Remote Status: Hybrid
🚀 Role Summary
- Design, implement, and expand the virtualization layer of HPE's KVM-based Private Cloud product line.
- Lead troubleshooting and root cause analysis for various issues, and engineer advanced virtualization features.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with product, operations, and customer teams to define requirements and deliver production-grade virtualization solutions.
- Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership within the virtualization domain.
📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the core virtualization platform powering HPE Private Cloud, working on meaningful infrastructure used by enterprise-scale customers globally. It requires a strong background in backend development, RESTful APIs, and virtualization technologies.
💻 Primary Responsibilities
- Virtualization Layer Design & Expansion: Design, implement, and expand the virtualization layer of HPE's KVM-based Private Cloud product line, ensuring high performance, scalability, and security.
- Troubleshooting & Root Cause Analysis: Lead troubleshooting and root cause analysis for issues such as VM performance degradation, cluster outages, and storage failures, driving resolution and preventing future occurrences.
- Advanced Virtualization Features: Engineer and optimize advanced virtualization features, including live migration, snapshotting, hot-swappable vCPUs, dynamic memory management, and NUMA-aware scheduling.
- Performance Tuning: Tune system performance using tools like hugepages, CPU pinning, macvtap, and VirtIO, with deep expertise in Linux internals (e.g., memory management, CPU affinity).
- Storage & Networking Configuration: Configure and optimize shared storage for high-availability setups using technologies such as Ceph, LVM, NFS, iSCSI, GFS2, or OCFS2. Develop high-performance virtual networking topologies, including virtual bridges, SR-IOV, VLANs, and Open vSwitch.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with product, operations, and customer teams to understand customer needs, define requirements, and deliver production-grade virtualization solutions. Collaborate with senior engineering leaders to shape the product roadmap, evolve system architecture, and evaluate emerging technologies.
- Mentoring & Technical Leadership: Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership within the virtualization domain, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong background in backend development, RESTful APIs, and virtualization technologies. Experience with KVM, libvirt, and QEMU in enterprise-scale production environments is essential for success in this role.
🎓 Skills & Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
Experience: 10+ years of experience contributing to technology projects and delivering solutions at scale with an emphasis on Linux-based virtualization.
Required Skills:
- Expertise in Java, Groovy, or other JVM-based languages.
- Strong background in backend development, RESTful APIs, server-side logic, and database management (SQL or NoSQL).
- Hands-on experience with KVM, libvirt, and QEMU in enterprise-scale production environments.
- Experience building and supporting high-availability virtualization clusters at scale.
- Familiarity with open-source stacks like oVirt, OpenStack, Proxmox, or Red Hat Virtualization.
- Solid understanding of virtualization networking (e.g., SR-IOV, macvtap, bridges) and storage technologies (e.g., Ceph, LVM, iSCSI, NFS).
- Experience in performance tuning, monitoring, and availability architecture for virtualized infrastructure.
- Strong knowledge of system architecture, design principles, and translating product requirements into technical tasks.
- History of identifying areas for product improvement and contributing ideas that align with business objectives.
- Proven ability to take ownership of projects and mistakes, with exceptional problem-solving skills and self-drive.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a collaborative mindset and a passion for mentoring others.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with high-performance virtual compute and storage, secure workload isolation, and dynamic scheduling.
- Familiarity with HPE's Private Cloud solutions and global enterprise environments.
📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements
Portfolio Essentials:
- A comprehensive portfolio showcasing your expertise in virtualization technologies, including KVM, libvirt, and QEMU.
- Examples of high-performance virtualization clusters you've designed, implemented, or optimized.
- Case studies demonstrating your ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex virtualization issues.
- Documentation of your experience with advanced virtualization features, such as live migration, snapshotting, and dynamic memory management.
Technical Documentation:
- Detailed technical documentation outlining your approach to performance tuning, monitoring, and availability architecture for virtualized infrastructure.
- Code samples or snippets demonstrating your proficiency in Java, Groovy, or other JVM-based languages.
- Examples of your experience with RESTful APIs, server-side logic, and database management (SQL or NoSQL).
💵 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: The expected salary range for a U.S.-based hire filling this position is USD $140,500.00 - $266,500.00 per year. Actual offer may vary based on geographic location, work experience, education/training, and/or skill level.
Benefits:
- Health & Wellbeing: Comprehensive suite of benefits supporting physical, financial, and emotional wellbeing.
- Personal & Professional Development: Specific programs catered to helping you reach career goals, whether you want to become a knowledge expert in your field or apply your skills to another division.
- Unconditional Inclusion: Unconditionally inclusive work environment that values varied backgrounds and fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation.
🎯 Team & Company Context
Company Culture:
- Industry: Technology
- Company Size: Large (10,000+ employees)
- Founded: 1939 (as Hewlett-Packard; merged with Compaq in 2002 to form Hewlett-Packard Enterprise)
Team Structure:
- The Private Cloud Engineering team consists of cross-functional roles, including product managers, software engineers, quality assurance engineers, and DevOps engineers.
- The team works closely with operations, customer success, and sales teams to define requirements, deliver solutions, and ensure customer satisfaction.
Development Methodology:
- Agile development methodologies, including Scrum and Kanban, are used to manage workflow and deliver high-quality virtualization solutions.
- Collaborative code reviews, pair programming, and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines are employed to ensure code quality, performance, and security.
Company Website: HPE.com
📝 Enhancement Note: HPE offers a hybrid work environment that combines onsite collaboration with flexible remote days, fostering a culture of work-life balance and employee well-being.
📈 Career & Growth Analysis
Web Technology Career Level: Senior Cloud Engineer - Virtualization
- Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the Manager, Private Cloud Engineering.
- Technical Impact: Directly influences the direction of HPE's Private Cloud solutions, used across global enterprise environments.
- Growth Opportunities:
- Technical leadership and architecture decision-making opportunities within the virtualization domain.
- Potential progression to Principal Cloud Engineer or Cloud Architecture roles, driving strategic roadmap and product evolution.
🌐 Work Environment
Office Type: Hybrid (2 days per week onsite)
Office Location(s): Ft. Collins, Colorado; Durham, North Carolina; Spring, Texas
Workspace Context:
- Collaborative workspace with dedicated areas for focused work, team meetings, and informal discussions.
- Access to cutting-edge virtualization technologies, tools, and resources to support your work.
- Opportunities for cross-functional collaboration with designers, marketers, and other internal teams.
Work Schedule: Full-time, with flexible hours and remote work options to support work-life balance.
📝 Enhancement Note: HPE's hybrid work environment combines onsite collaboration with flexible remote days, allowing employees to balance their personal and professional lives effectively.
📄 Application & Technical Interview Process
Interview Process:
- Phone Screen: A brief phone call to discuss your background, experience, and career goals.
- Technical Deep Dive: A comprehensive technical interview focused on your virtualization expertise, including system design, performance optimization, and troubleshooting scenarios.
- Behavioral & Cultural Fit: An in-depth conversation to assess your cultural fit, communication skills, and problem-solving approach.
- Final Evaluation: A meeting with senior leadership to discuss your qualifications, career aspirations, and alignment with the role's requirements.
Portfolio Review Tips:
- Highlight your experience with KVM, libvirt, and QEMU, emphasizing your ability to design, implement, and optimize virtualization clusters at scale.
- Showcase your proficiency in Java, Groovy, or other JVM-based languages, with a focus on backend development, RESTful APIs, and server-side logic.
- Demonstrate your understanding of high-performance virtual compute and storage, secure workload isolation, and dynamic scheduling.
Technical Challenge Preparation:
- Brush up on your knowledge of KVM, libvirt, and QEMU, focusing on advanced virtualization features, performance tuning, and system architecture.
- Familiarize yourself with HPE's Private Cloud solutions and global enterprise environments to better understand the role's context and requirements.
- Prepare for behavioral interview questions that assess your problem-solving skills, communication, and collaboration abilities.
🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure
Virtualization Technologies:
- KVM, libvirt, and QEMU
- OpenStack, oVirt, Proxmox, or Red Hat Virtualization
- Virtualization networking (SR-IOV, macvtap, bridges)
- Virtualization storage (Ceph, LVM, iSCSI, NFS, GFS2, OCFS2)
Programming Languages & Frameworks:
- Java, Groovy, or other JVM-based languages
- RESTful APIs, server-side logic, and database management (SQL or NoSQL)
Infrastructure Tools:
- Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Configuration management (Ansible, Puppet)
- Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation)
- Monitoring and logging (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack)
Cloud Platforms:
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Microsoft Azure
- Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
👥 Team Culture & Values
Web Development Values:
- Customer Focus: Prioritize customer needs and deliver solutions that meet their requirements and exceed their expectations.
- Innovation: Foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement, embracing emerging technologies and driving product evolution.
- Collaboration: Work closely with cross-functional teams to define requirements, deliver solutions, and ensure customer satisfaction.
- Quality & Excellence: Strive for high-quality, performant, and secure virtualization solutions that meet the needs of enterprise-scale customers.
Collaboration Style:
- Cross-Functional Integration: Work closely with product, operations, and customer teams to define requirements, deliver solutions, and ensure customer satisfaction.
- Code Review Culture: Collaborative code reviews and pair programming to ensure code quality, performance, and security.
- Knowledge Sharing: Foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement, with regular team meetings, training sessions, and mentoring opportunities.
📝 Enhancement Note: HPE's culture values collaboration, innovation, and customer focus, fostering a work environment that encourages continuous learning, improvement, and excellence.
⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Technical Challenges:
- Designing and implementing high-performance virtualization clusters that meet the demands of enterprise-scale customers.
- Engineering advanced virtualization features, such as live migration, snapshotting, and dynamic memory management.
- Troubleshooting and resolving complex virtualization issues, ensuring minimal downtime and optimal performance.
Learning & Development Opportunities:
- Technical Skill Development: Expand your expertise in virtualization technologies, cloud platforms, and emerging technologies to drive continuous learning and career growth.
- Mentoring & Leadership: Develop your mentoring and leadership skills, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence within the virtualization domain.
- Architecture Decision-Making: Gain experience in architecture decision-making, driving product evolution and strategic roadmap development.
💡 Interview Preparation
Technical Questions:
- Virtualization Fundamentals: Demonstrate your understanding of KVM, libvirt, and QEMU, including advanced virtualization features, performance tuning, and system architecture.
- Troubleshooting Scenarios: Walk through complex virtualization issues you've faced and how you approached root cause analysis, resolution, and prevention.
- System Design & Architecture: Explain your approach to designing and implementing high-performance, secure, and scalable virtualization solutions for enterprise-scale customers.
Company & Culture Questions:
- HPE's Private Cloud Solutions: Discuss your familiarity with HPE's Private Cloud solutions and global enterprise environments, and how you would leverage this knowledge to drive product evolution and customer satisfaction.
- Customer Focus: Describe your approach to understanding and meeting customer needs, and how you would ensure the delivery of high-quality, performant, and secure virtualization solutions.
- Collaboration & Teamwork: Explain your experience working with cross-functional teams, and how you would foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence within the virtualization domain.
Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
- Technical Deep Dive: Present a detailed walkthrough of your virtualization portfolio, highlighting your expertise in KVM, libvirt, and QEMU, as well as your experience with advanced virtualization features, performance tuning, and system architecture.
- Customer Impact: Showcase the impact of your virtualization work on enterprise-scale customers, emphasizing improved performance, security, and scalability.
- Portfolio Documentation: Provide clear and concise documentation of your virtualization portfolio, including code samples, system diagrams, and technical specifications.
📌 Application Steps
To apply for this Sr. Cloud Engineer - Virtualization position at HPE:
- Customize Your Portfolio: Tailor your virtualization portfolio to highlight your expertise in KVM, libvirt, and QEMU, emphasizing your ability to design, implement, and optimize virtualization clusters at scale.
- Optimize Your Resume: Highlight your relevant experience with virtualization technologies, backend development, and RESTful APIs, ensuring your resume is well-structured and easy to read.
- Prepare for Technical Interviews: Brush up on your knowledge of KVM, libvirt, and QEMU, focusing on advanced virtualization features, performance tuning, and system architecture. Familiarize yourself with HPE's Private Cloud solutions and global enterprise environments.
- Research HPE: Learn about HPE's culture, values, and mission, and be prepared to discuss how your skills and experience align with the company's goals and objectives.
⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and web technology industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.
Application Requirements
The ideal candidate will have expertise in Java, Groovy, or other JVM-based languages, and hands-on experience with KVM, libvirt, and QEMU in enterprise-scale production environments. A strong background in backend development and experience in performance tuning for virtualized infrastructure is essential.