Senior Network Architect - VMware Cloud Foundation

About the role

Cleared Professional Services, which delivers specialist consulting, architecture and engineering for Defence, national security and regulated environments, is seeking an Architect in Melbourne to lead the design of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) and sovereign cloud solutions. The role turns customer requirements, constraints and operational needs into coherent architectures, staying close to delivery, guiding consultants, defending design decisions and identifying risks early. It sits in the Sovereign Cloud Practice, which focuses on VMware Cloud Foundation and sovereign cloud architectures, and offers a defined growth path into specialist NSX and VKS architecture positions.

Key responsibilities

• Lead technical discovery, design analysis and architecture development for VCF and sovereign cloud engagements
• Translate business, security, operational, regulatory and technical requirements into practical VCF architecture outcomes
• Own high-level and low-level designs, decision records, assumptions, risks, constraints and design traceability
• Define implementation guardrails so delivery teams build against approved architecture
• Lead customer workshops, design reviews, governance sessions and architecture walkthroughs
• Identify design, delivery, dependency and scope risks and their commercial impacts
• Support consultants during implementation, troubleshooting, design clarification and operational handover
• Contribute reusable reference architectures, patterns, standards and lessons learned
• Mentor consultants on design intent, delivery patterns and quality expectations

Required profile

• Australian citizens with an existing NV1 clearance; Defence and federal government industry experience is highly desirable
• 4+ years of hands-on VMware platform experience
• Recent experience with VCF 9 or VCF 5.2 / vSphere 8 in production or delivery contexts
• Experience designing or delivering VCF environments end to end
• Experience leading or acting as a senior technical resource on private cloud or regulated environment engagements
• Ability to engage directly with senior customer technical stakeholders

Required skills

• Strong experience across vSphere, ESXi, vCenter, vSAN and NSX
• Understanding of single-region and multi-region VCF design considerations
• Experience with upgrades and migrations across VCF and vSphere versions
• Running customer discovery, design, validation and governance workshops
• Strong documentation of designs, decision records, risks and operational considerations
• Structured delivery environments with scope boundaries, design review and formal acceptance

What we offer

• Defined growth path into specialist NSX and VKS architecture roles
• Support for certification progression including VCF 9 Architect, Administrator and VCAP specialisations
• Exposure to complex, regulated and mission-critical customer environments
• Collaborative team culture with strong mentoring and knowledge sharing