Core Systems Engineer

Mountain Warehouse is seeking a skilled and proactive Core Systems Engineer to design, implement, and operate our Nutanix HCI and Azure infrastructure platforms. This is a hands-on role focused on the day to day running of our critical infrastructure systems, working on projects including security hardening, data centre upgrades, deploying new 3rd party systems for the business and providing 3rd line support for tickets/incidents You will play a key role in ensuring the Core Systems team creates and maintains systems that are highly available, stable, secure, recoverable for DR, working with modern HCI platforms and Azure services to deliver production-ready, low-maintenance solutions This role will require the ability to work in a small, fast paced Core Systems (Infrastructure) team, learning new products and systems on the go, ensuring we provide the business with a stable and performant platform Key Responsibilities ·       Report to the Core Systems Team Lead, working closely with Core Operations and rest of the MW Technology teams ·       Monitor and maintain the Server infrastructure (both physical and virtual) and the datacentre environment ·       Support server operating systems lifecycle (Windows and Linux) and manage storage platforms (NAS, Azure, object based) ·       Work on deploying new systems required by the business, starting from proof of concept trials to full implementation into production ·       Look after the database infrastructure (platform-level, not app logic)  ·       Design, build and maintain Windows servers running on VMware & Nutanix HCI-based platforms with availability, resiliency, and scalability at their core ·       Architect and operate Azure-integrated hybrid solutions, including identity, backup, and recovery services ·       Support infrastructure requirements for new system builds, platform upgrades, and cloud migrations ·       Own and improve backup and disaster recovery strategies across VMware, Nutanix, Azure, and supporting platforms ·       Monitor performance, capacity, and health across VMware, Nutanix and Azure platforms, proactively addressing risks ·       Maintain high-quality technical documentation, diagrams, and runbooks ·       Regularly test and refine disaster recovery and business continuity plans ·       Act as a technical escalation point for complex infrastructure incidents ·       Ensure systems are patched, hardened, and maintained in line with security and compliance standards ·       Participate in an on-call rota and occasional out-of-hours work   We would like to meet someone who is ·       5+ years’ experience in core infrastructure or similar IT engineering roles ·       Strong hands-on experience with VMWare, Nutanix HCI (AHV, storage, replication, lifecycle management) ·       Strong experience creating Windows group policies, SCCM or Intune for applying settings to server and client estate ·       Solid experience designing and operating backup and recovery solutions (e.g. Veeam, HYCU, or similar) ·       Strong understanding of disaster recovery, high availability, and business continuity principles ·       Strong understanding of enterprise networking concepts ·       Experience operating hybrid on-prem / Azure environments ·       Microsoft infrastructure expertise, including: o   Windows Server and Active Directory o   Azure Entra ID (Azure AD) and Entra Connect o   Hybrid Exchange / Office 365 o   DNS, IIS, WSUS, certificate authority ·       Working knowledge of Azure services, such as: o   Azure Backup and Site Recovery o   Azure networking fundamentals o   Identity and access management, PIM ·       Experience with storage technologies (SAN/NAS) and performance tuning ·       Strong troubleshooting and analytical problem-solving skills ·       Scripting and automation using PowerShell (or similar) ·       Relevant certifications (VMware, Nutanix, Microsoft, Azure) are desirable   Nice to Have Experience with some of the following technologies (not required): - Broad experience of Azure IaaS and PaaS services - Experience of security tools e.g. Rapid7, Tenable, Crowdstrike, Netskope - Microsoft SQL Server, including high availability configurations - Firewall appliances involving configuring ACLs, NAT rules, raising firewall change tickets - Cisco networking technologies - Meraki and Ubiquiti SDWAN - Data lifecycle management and retention policies - Infrastructure monitoring and alerting tools Personal Attributes ·       Comfortable owning platforms end-to-end and driving continuous improvement ·       Able to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences ·       Detail-focused, methodical, and proactive ·       Calm under pressure, with a strong incident-response mindset ·       Commercially aware, understanding the impact of infrastructure decisions on the business ·       Prepared to learn new systems through a combination of self-led study and formal training, then demonstrate new knowledge by implementations and creating documentation  Company Culture & What We Offer ·       A project-driven engineering team with minimal unnecessary meetings ·       Dedicated training time and budget, including certifications ·       A profitable, privately-owned business that invests in modern platforms and tooling ·       A newly refurbished, high-quality HQ environment ·       Primarily remote working, with on-site attendance once per week (or as agreed with your manager) ·       A friendly, social team with some regular events and activities  Who are we looking for? ·       Someone who wants to grow with the business, continually expanding their technical skillset and platform knowledge ·       A strong preference for simple, resilient, low-maintenance, and cost-effective solutions ·       Willing and able to support and troubleshoot day-to-day operational issues when required ·       Comfortable taking ownership of systems or platforms, using initiative and working with minimal supervision ·       Willingness to take instruction and follow scoped pieces of work, ensuring implementations meet the requirements set out in low-level design documents ·       Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a structured and methodical approach to tasks ·       Adaptable and flexible, working well within a team and happy to get stuck in where needed ·       Able to remain calm and effective under pressure, particularly during incidents ·       Commercially aware, with a clear understanding of how technology decisions impact the wider business ·       Able to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels of the organisation ·       Confident in both written and verbal communication, including documentation and knowledge sharing   Benefits - Competitive salary and benefits package - Hybrid working, 3 days in London based office & 2 working from home - Holiday allowance - 50% staff discount & 25% for family and friends - Pension scheme