Data Center Expert - Saudi National

Industry: AviationWork Model: On-siteLocation: RiyadhJob SummaryThe Data Center Expert is responsible for the operation, optimization, and continuous improvement of data centers, with a focus on backups, storage, virtualization, and replication systems. This role ensures high availability, security, and scalability of mission-critical infrastructure, driving compliance with industry best practices and organizational requirements.Key ResponsibilitiesOversee the daily operation of data centers, ensuring uptime, performance, and reliability of mission-critical infrastructure.Manage enterprise storage solutions, including provisioning, replication, backup, and disaster recovery.Implement and maintain backup and replication systems using industry-leading platforms such as Veeam and Commvault.Operate and optimize virtualization and hyper-converged infrastructure solutions, with a focus on VMware vSAN.Monitor capacity, performance, and availability of data center resources, ensuring proactive scaling and optimization.Lead data center operations for security, power, cooling, cabling, and physical infrastructure.Ensure compliance with best practices for data protection, retention policies, and disaster recovery strategies.Perform root cause analysis and implement corrective/preventive actions for system incidents.Develop and maintain documentation, including runbooks, system diagrams, and operational guidelines.Collaborate with IT security teams to enforce strict controls for access, monitoring, and system protection.Plan and execute system upgrades, migrations, and lifecycle management activities.Provide escalation-level troubleshooting for complex data center, storage, and virtualization issues.Conduct periodic testing of backup and disaster recovery procedures to validate system resilience.Ensure adherence to SLAs and compliance requirements for regulated environments.Evaluate and recommend emerging technologies in storage, backup, virtualization, and data center management.Train and mentor engineers and administrators to strengthen organizational expertise in data center operations.Support audits, capacity planning, and reporting to senior management on data center performance and risks.Job RequirementsBachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Electrical Engineering, or related field (Master’s degree preferred).Minimum of 10+ years of experience in data center operations, with at least 5 years at an expert level in storage, backup, and replication.Proven expertise in enterprise storage management, including SAN, NAS, and hyper-converged systems.Strong experience in backup, replication, and disaster recovery with platforms such as Veeam and Commvault.Hands-on expertise with VMware vSAN and virtualization technologies.In-depth understanding of data center infrastructure, including servers, networking, cooling, and power systems.Strong knowledge of ITIL processes and data center operations best practices.Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting skills for enterprise environments.Proven experience managing large-scale, mission-critical data centers.Strong documentation, communication, and leadership abilities.Ability to work in high-pressure environments with 24/7 operational responsibilities.Aviation experience is preferred.Required CertificationsDell EMC Proven Professional CertificationVeeam and/or Commvault CertificationVMware vSAN CertificationPreferred Certifications (a Plus)VMware VCP-DCV (Data Center Virtualization)ITIL Foundation or higherCisco CCNP Data Center or equivalentData Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) certification