Principal Platform Engineer (VMWare Cloud Foundation)

Principal Platform Engineer at Leonardo UK focusing on the design, integration, and delivery of secure platforms that underpin defence, government and public sector services. You will act as the technical authority on platform engineering domains (e.g., virtualization), lead the design and implementation of secure platforms across on-premise environments, capture and interpret complex customer requirements to drive system design and architecture, develop high- and low-level designs aligned with secure-by-design principles, take ownership of technical delivery within work packages (planning, estimation, progress reporting), and mentor/coach engineers to raise technical capability. You will provide input to technology strategies, feasibility studies, and innovation projects, and engage with internal and external stakeholders to present and justify design decisions. Core areas (must have) include Windows and Linux operating systems, virtualization platforms (VMware, Hyper-V), VMware Cloud Foundation stack (vSphere, vSAN, NSX-T, Aria Suite), design/build/operation of software-defined datacentre platforms, network virtualization and micro-segmentation concepts (NSX, platform-integrated), networking concepts (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, firewalls), automation and scripting (PowerShell, Bash, Python, Ansible, Terraform), and knowledge of cyber security controls and accreditation requirements. Experience across the systems engineering lifecycle, integration of compute/storage/network layers into a unified platform, and delivery within secure/enterprise/defence environments. Desirable: VCAP certification; expertise with cloud platforms (AWS) and Infrastructure as Code; experience integrating enterprise services (AD, PKI, monitoring, SIEM); hands-on use of DevSecOps tools and CI/CD pipelines; VxRail and hyper-converged infrastructure; automation of VCF lifecycle (patching, upgrades, deployment); integration with enterprise identity and security services (AD, PKI, PAM); containerisation platforms (Kubernetes, Docker). This is not an exhaustive list, and the most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn. Security Clearance includes BPSS and DV clearance; role based in Yeovil, UK with hybrid working options; pre-employment screening will apply.