AHEAD builds platforms for digital business. By weaving together advances in cloud infrastructure, automation and analytics, and software delivery, we help enterprises deliver on the promise of digital transformation.

At AHEAD, we prioritize creating a culture of belonging, where all perspectives and voices are represented, valued, respected, and heard. We create spaces to empower everyone to speak up, make change, and drive the culture at AHEAD.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and do not discriminate based on an individual's race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law, whether actual or perceived.

We embrace all candidates that will contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives at AHEAD.

We are looking for an experienced Citrix & Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) Architect with 12–15 years of experience in enterprise infrastructure, EUC, virtualization, Citrix and Microsoft Azure. The candidate must have strong hands-on experience with Citrix, Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), Nerdio Manager for Enterprise, FSLogix, Azure infrastructure, Citrix ADC/NetScaler and PowerShell automation. The role will be responsible for architecture, design, implementation, migration, optimization, security, automation, monitoring and technical leadership across enterprise Citrix and AVD environments. The candidate should have proven experience leading Citrix-to-AVD migration and cloud transformation projects and should be comfortable working with global stakeholders in an EST time-zone shift.

Key Responsibilities

1. Citrix Architecture & Engineering

* Design and architect enterprise-grade Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops environments.
* Architect and manage Citrix DaaS / Citrix Cloud solutions.
* Design Citrix Delivery Controllers, StoreFront and related components.
* Strong experience with Citrix ADC / NetScaler.
* Design HA, DR and business-continuity solutions.
* Lead Citrix upgrades, migrations and modernization initiatives.
* Perform capacity planning and performance optimization.
* Troubleshoot complex Citrix infrastructure issues.
* Define Citrix architecture standards and best practices.

2. Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)

* Architect and implement enterprise-scale Azure Virtual Desktop environments.
* Design AVD host pools, session hosts, application groups and workspaces.
* Design pooled and personal desktop environments.
* Design and implement FSLogix Profile Containers.
* Lead Citrix-to-AVD migration projects.
* Develop AVD image-management strategies.
* Design AVD scaling and capacity-management solutions.
* Optimize AVD performance, availability and user experience.
* Perform Azure and AVD cost optimization.
* Implement AVD security, monitoring, HA and DR.

3. Nerdio Manager for Enterprise – Mandatory

* Hands-on experience with Nerdio Manager for Enterprise is mandatory.
* Design and manage AVD environments using Nerdio Manager.
* Configure and manage AVD host pools, session hosts and images through Nerdio.
* Implement automated AVD scaling and scheduling.
* Use Nerdio for AVD provisioning, management and operational automation.
* Configure and optimize AVD environments for cost and performance.
* Troubleshoot AVD infrastructure and session-host issues using Nerdio.
* Implement image management and host-pool lifecycle management.
* Develop operational processes using Nerdio automation capabilities.
* Use Nerdio capabilities for Azure resource management and cost optimization.
* Experience designing enterprise AVD architecture using Nerdio is highly preferred.

4. Microsoft Azure Infrastructure

Strong knowledge of:

* Azure Virtual Networks
* Subnets
* Network Security Groups (NSG)
* Azure Firewall
* VPN Gateway
* ExpressRoute
* Azure Load Balancer
* Application Gateway
* Azure Virtual Machines
* Azure Storage
* Azure Monitor
* Log Analytics
* Azure Backup
* Azure Site Recovery
* Azure Policy
* Azure RBAC
* Azure Key Vault
* Azure Cost Management

Responsibilities include:

* Design secure, scalable and highly available Azure infrastructure.
* Design Azure architecture for Citrix and AVD workloads.
* Define Azure networking and connectivity requirements.
* Implement Azure governance and security controls.
* Perform Azure capacity planning and infrastructure sizing.
* Identify and implement Azure cost-optimization opportunities.

5. FSLogix & Profile Architecture

* Design and implement FSLogix Profile Containers.
* Design profile-storage architecture for AVD and Citrix.
* Troubleshoot profile, login and user-session issues.
* Optimize profile performance and storage utilization.
* Design highly available profile-storage solutions.
* Develop profile migration and management strategies.
* Analyze login and profile performance.

6. Networking & Security

* Strong understanding of networking concepts required for Citrix and AVD.
* Design secure connectivity between on-premises infrastructure and Azure.
* Experience with VPN, ExpressRoute, routing and DNS.
* Design network segmentation and security controls.
* Experience with NSGs, Azure Firewall and Azure networking.
* Design secure Citrix Gateway / NetScaler solutions.
* Work with security teams on enterprise security standards.
* Support vulnerability remediation and security assessments.
* Implement appropriate Azure RBAC and least-privilege access.

7. Automation & PowerShell

* Strong hands-on PowerShell scripting and automation experience.
* Automate Citrix and AVD administration.
* Develop infrastructure health-check scripts.
* Automate session-host provisioning and management.
* Automate operational and repetitive infrastructure tasks.
* Develop troubleshooting and reporting scripts.
* Integrate automation with Nerdio and Azure where applicable.
* Knowledge of Terraform / Infrastructure as Code is an advantage.

8. Monitoring & Performance

Experience with:

* Nerdio Manager for Enterprise
* Azure Monitor
* Log Analytics
* Citrix Director
* Citrix Analytics
* ControlUp

Responsibilities include:

* Monitor Citrix and AVD platform health and availability.
* Analyze user-session and application performance.
* Troubleshoot login, session and resource-performance issues.
* Monitor Azure infrastructure utilization.
* Develop health-check mechanisms and operational dashboards.
* Identify performance bottlenecks and recommend corrective actions.
* Implement proactive monitoring and automated remediation.

9. Citrix-to-AVD Migration & Transformation

* Lead enterprise Citrix-to-AVD migration programs.
* Assess existing Citrix/VDI environments.
* Develop migration roadmaps and technical strategies.
* Define migration waves and application dependencies.
* Perform Azure sizing and capacity planning.
* Design pilot, testing and production migration strategies.
* Define cutover and rollback procedures.
* Ensure minimal business disruption.
* Optimize the AVD environment after migration.
* Use Nerdio Manager to accelerate AVD deployment, management and automation.

10. High Availability & Disaster Recovery

* Design HA architecture for Citrix and AVD.
* Develop DR strategies for critical EUC workloads.
* Design backup and recovery solutions.
* Define RPO/RTO requirements.
* Implement Azure Site Recovery where applicable.
* Conduct DR testing and validation.
* Document recovery procedures and runbooks.

11. Architecture & Technical Leadership

* Create HLD and LLD documentation.
* Prepare architecture diagrams and technical documentation.
* Conduct technical workshops with customers and stakeholders.
* Translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions.
* Provide technical leadership to Citrix, AVD and Azure engineering teams.
* Mentor engineers and provide technical guidance.
* Review technical designs and implementation plans.
* Participate in architecture reviews and technology assessments.
* Support RFP/RFI and technical presales activities when required.

Required Technical Skills

Mandatory Skills:

* 12–15 years of IT Infrastructure / EUC / VDI experience.
* Strong expertise in Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.
* Strong expertise in Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD).
* Mandatory hands-on experience with Nerdio Manager for Enterprise.
* Strong Azure infrastructure and architecture knowledge.
* Experience with Citrix Cloud / Citrix DaaS.
* Strong FSLogix knowledge.
* Strong Citrix ADC / NetScaler knowledge.
* Experience with Citrix Gateway and StoreFront.
* Strong Azure networking and security knowledge.
* Strong PowerShell scripting and automation.
* Experience designing HA and DR solutions.
* Proven experience leading Citrix-to-AVD migrations.
* Strong troubleshooting and performance-optimization skills.
* Strong architecture and technical-leadership capabilities.

Good to Have:

* ControlUp
* Terraform / Infrastructure as Code
* Azure DevOps / CI/CD
* Azure Site Recovery
* Azure Cost Optimization
* Citrix Analytics
* Advanced Azure networking
* Infrastructure automation
* AI/GenAI-based infrastructure automation

⸻

Preferred Certifications:

* Microsoft AZ-305 – Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions
* Microsoft AZ-104 – Azure Administrator
* Azure Virtual Desktop-related certifications/training
* Citrix Certified Professional / Expert certifications
* Relevant Azure infrastructure certifications

Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering or a related field.

Soft Skills:

* Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills.
* Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
* Excellent architecture and design thinking.
* Ability to lead technical teams and complex projects.
* Strong customer-facing and consulting skills.
* Excellent documentation and presentation skills.
* Ability to work independently and take ownership.
* Ability to work effectively with global teams.
* Comfortable working in an EST time-zone shift.

Work Requirements

Location: Gurgaon
Work Mode: Work from Office – 5 Days a Week
Shift: EST Time Zone Shift

The candidate should be comfortable working from the Gurgaon office five days a week and supporting global stakeholders aligned to the EST time zone.

Key Requirement:

Nerdio Manager for Enterprise experience is mandatory for this position.

Why AHEAD:

Through our daily work and internal groups like Moving Women AHEAD and RISE AHEAD, we value and benefit from diversity of people, ideas, experience, and everything in between.

We fuel growth by stacking our office with top-notch technologies in a multi-million-dollar lab, by encouraging cross department training and development, sponsoring certifications and credentials for continued learning.

India Employment Benefits include:

Comprehensive health insurance coverage for employees, with options to extend coverage to dependents

Paid time off and company holidays, along with additional leave benefits as per policy

Flexible work arrangements, supporting work-life balance

Learning and development opportunities to support continuous growth and upskilling

Employee wellness initiatives and programs focused on physical and mental well-being

Retirement and statutory benefits in line with India regulations

Inclusive and people-first culture, with a strong focus on collaboration and ownership

Citrix & Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) Architect

What we know about this role

Skills required

Job description

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