Infra Lifecycle Manager

About the role

As an Infra Lifecycle Manager, you will make an impact by driving infrastructure refresh and modernization programs across large-scale manufacturing plant and data center environments — managing the full lifecycle from strategy and planning through to decommissioning. You will be a valued member of the IT Infrastructure team and work collaboratively with regional site teams, project stakeholders, vendors, and both technical and non-technical business functions to ensure infrastructure remains secure, compliant, and aligned to organizational standards.In this role, you will:* Lead infrastructure lifecycle strategy and planning by managing End-of-Life (EOL), End-of-Support (EOS), warranty expiry, and technology obsolescence; develop annual and multi-year LCM roadmaps and prioritize refresh activities based on risk, business criticality, and infrastructure health

• Lead large-scale infrastructure replacement and migration projects; manage schedules, budgets, resources, and vendors; coordinate cutover and migration activities across regions and sites; and track milestones, risks, issues, and dependencies
• Ensure infrastructure operations governance including compliance with security, audit, and corporate standards; maintain CMDB accuracy and asset lifecycle records; define lifecycle standards and refresh policies; and monitor KPIs, SLAs, and delivery performance
• Perform hands-on infrastructure activities including racking, stacking, cabling, and configuring Dell workstations and rack-mount servers; administer and troubleshoot Microsoft Windows environments (Windows 7, Windows 10, Windows Server 2012/2016/2019) and VMware infrastructure including vSphere, vCenter, and ESXi clusters
• Execute decommissioning activities including physical and remote hard drive wipes, lift-and-shift of hardware to decommission palettes, and vendor coordination for pick-up; travel up to 15% of the time to manufacturing plant sites, including potential overnight stays and air travel, with all expenses fully reimbursed per Cognizant policy

Work model

At Cognizant, we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible, and we are here to support a healthy work-life balance through our various wellbeing programs. Based on this role's business requirements, this is an onsite position requiring regular presence at client and manufacturing plant locations across the Netherlands. The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you're engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured; we will always be clear about role expectations.### What you need to have to be considered

• 7+ years of hands-on experience in Microsoft Windows Systems Administration (Windows 7, Windows 10, Windows Server 2012/2016/2019) with demonstrated ability to technically troubleshoot platform issues; combined with proven experience leading infrastructure lifecycle management programs including EOL/EOS planning and multi-year LCM roadmaps
• Extensive knowledge of VMware fundamentals including vSphere, vCenter, and ESXi cluster administration; hands-on experience with Dell workstations and rack-mount servers in data center or manufacturing plant environments, including racking, stacking, cabling, and SAN Storage configuration
• Demonstrated program and project management skills across large-scale infrastructure replacement and migration projects, including schedule, budget, resource, and vendor management across multiple regions and sites
• Experience with infrastructure governance including CMDB management, asset lifecycle recordkeeping, KPI and SLA monitoring, and compliance with security and audit standards
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to coordinate across multiple stakeholders from various job functions; physical capability to lift up to 40 lbs (±18 kg) and willingness to travel up to 15%, including overnight stays and air travel

These will help you stand out

• Prior experience supporting a plant-based or data center environment
• Build Room experience
• Familiarity with Windows Imaging via PXE or USB and experience managing small device inventories on segmented plant networks

We're excited to meet people who share our mission and can make an impact in a variety of ways. Don't hesitate to apply, even if you only meet the minimum requirements listed. Think about your transferable experiences and unique skills that make you stand out as someone who can bring new and exciting things to this role.### What we offer

• Competitive salary
• Access to Cognizant Academy
• NS Business Card for public transportation
• 25 paid holidays per year
• Laptop and smartphone
• Pension scheme
• Technology-driven organization
• Open team spirit
• International environment