Standard Template

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are looking for a Staff Platform Engineer to provide technical leadership and ownership of our client facing compute platforms.

You will be responsible for:

• The design, evolution, and reliability of our VMware based platform today
• Leading our transition to a modern, OpenStack backed platform
• Ensuring our IaaS, backup, and disaster recovery services are secure, resilient, and highly automated
• You will act as a technical leader who sets direction, mentors other engineers and administrators, and partners with architecture, operations, and product teams to deliver robust platforms for Hut 8 clients.

Key outcomes for this role:

• A stable, well run VMware environment while we modernize
• A clear, executable roadmap from VMware to an OpenStack backed platform
• Strong automation, observability, and operational practices across both estates

Some of the key responsibilities you should expect are the following:

Team and Technical Leadership

• Serve as the technical lead for our virtualization and private cloud platforms, setting direction and standards.
• Mentor and support engineers and administrators, providing guidance on design, troubleshooting, and best practices.
• Participate in on call and planned change windows as an escalation point for complex issues.

Platform Architecture and Modernization

• Define the target architecture for a modern, OpenStack backed platform alongside the existing VMware estate.
• Develop a pragmatic migration and coexistence strategy, including risk mitigation and rollback approaches.
• Partner with networking, security, and operations teams to ensure designs align with Hut 8 standards.

VMware Platform Ownership

• Own the design, reliability, capacity, and lifecycle management of the VMware platform (vSphere, ESXi, and related tooling).
• Establish and improve standards for provisioning, configuration, patching, and performance tuning.

OpenStack Platform Design and Build

• Lead the design and initial rollout of the OpenStack platform, including tenancy models and core services.
• Integrate OpenStack with existing identity, networking, backup, and observability systems.
• Backup, Disaster Recovery, and Data Protection
• Architect and oversee Veeam and Zerto based backup and DR solutions for both VMware and OpenStack environments.
• Ensure RPO and RTO objectives are met through well designed policies, test restores, and periodic DR exercises.

Automation, Observability, and Operations

• Drive automation of provisioning, configuration, and day 2 operations using scripting and infrastructure as code.
• Define and implement monitoring, logging, and alerting for core platform components to support reliable operations.

Documentation, Enablement, and Collaboration

• Create and maintain clear documentation, standards, and runbooks for platform services.
• Provide training and ongoing support to NOC and operations teams, acting as an expert escalation resource.

ABOUT YOU

• College diploma or university degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field, and/or equivalent work experience.
• Significant hands on experience with VMware vSphere, ESXi, and related VMware technologies in production.
• Experience designing or operating OpenStack or similar open cloud platforms, or strong adjacent experience with modern private cloud stacks and a clear desire to specialize in OpenStack.
• Experience with Veeam Backup & Replication and Zerto or similar disaster recovery solutions.
• Experience with storage technologies (SAN, NAS, etc.) and their integration with virtualization and backup platforms.
• Experience deploying and operating Windows and Linux workloads in virtualized and containerized environments.
• Hands on experience with scripting or programming languages for automation, and familiarity with basic database concepts.
• Strong background in technical support, operations, or SRE style roles in a team based environment.
• Solid understanding of network technologies including VLANs, VXLAN, NSX or similar SDN technologies, routing, switching, and load balancing.
• Strong grasp of virtualization, cloud, and infrastructure design patterns.
• Experience with automation and infrastructure as code tools is a strong asset.
• Advanced troubleshooting skills across compute, storage, and network layers.
• Strong analytical and problem solving abilities, with high attention to detail.
• Ability to explain complex technical concepts in business friendly, user friendly language.
• Effective at prioritizing and executing tasks in a high pressure environment.
• Strong customer service orientation and a demonstrated willingness to help internal and external stakeholders.
• Highly self motivated and directed, with a bias toward ownership and outcomes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong interpersonal skills.

ABOUT THE WORK ENVIRONMENT

This role is remote or based in Canada. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The salary for this role ranges from $120,000 CAD - $170,000 CAD.