Storage Architect

Role Summary

We are seeking a Storage Architect to lead storage platform architecture and delivery for a new data center (primary/secondary). This role partners with compute, network, backup/DR, security, and facilities teams to design and implement enterprise storage services for critical workloads. The architect will own sizing, tiering, replication, data protection integrations, and migration strategy (NFS/SMB/DFS/SAN), ensuring performance, availability, and audit-ready documentation.

Key Responsibilities

• Storage Architecture & Strategy: Define target-state storage architecture across block/file/object aligned to workload needs, resiliency model, and operational requirements.

• Platform Design & Build: Design and guide implementation of enterprise storage arrays and/or software-defined storage; define controller sizing, shelf expansion model, and performance baselines.

• File Services & Enterprise Shares: Architect file services (e.g., NFS/SMB/DFS) including namespaces, permissions/ACL models, quotas, and auditing; standardize naming and share provisioning.

• SAN / Block Services: Define FC/iSCSI design (as applicable), zoning standards, multipathing, LUN design, and datastore strategy aligned to virtualization platform.

• Performance, Tiering & Capacity: Own sizing (IOPS/throughput/latency), tiering strategy, dedupe/compression assumptions, growth forecasts, and capacity triggers/alerts.

• Replication & Resiliency: Design replication (sync/async), snapshots, consistency groups, failover/failback procedures, and integration with DR tooling.

• Security & Compliance: Implement encryption at rest, key management alignment, RBAC, audit logging, secure admin model, and vulnerability remediation processes.

• Data Migration & Cutover Planning: Lead storage migration approach for legacy to new DC tools/methods, cutover plans, validation criteria, rollback strategy, and runbooks.

• Backup Integration: Ensure clean integration with backup tooling (e.g., Commvault/Veeam or equivalent): snapshot orchestration, retention, immutability options, and restore testing.

• Operational Readiness: Define monitoring/alerting, health checks, patch/upgrade strategy, standard operating procedures, and handoff to operations.

• Implementation Governance: Review vendor designs/BOMs, drive build MOPs, lead testing, and provide production readiness sign-offs.

Required Qualifications

• 8 12+ years in enterprise storage architecture and delivery, ideally with new DC builds or major migrations.

• Strong hands-on expertise in NAS and/or SAN technologies: NFS/SMB/DFS concepts, FC/iSCSI fundamentals, multipathing, and performance troubleshooting.

• Proven experience with replication, snapshots, tiering, encryption, and storage operational lifecycle management.

• Ability to produce HLD/LLD, migration runbooks, validation plans, and operational documentation.

• Strong collaboration skills across compute, network, security, and DR stakeholders.

Preferred

• Experience with platforms like NetApp, Dell EMC, HPE, Pure, or equivalents; familiarity with vSphere datastore design and best practices.

• Exposure to regulated environments (banking/healthcare), audit evidence requirements, and ransomware resilience patterns.

• Knowledge of file migration tools and approaches (robocopy/rsync, vendor tools, namespaces, DFS consolidation).