Storage SME L3

Job Title: Storage SME L3

Experience: 6 Years

Location: Pan India (HYD preferred)

Job Description: Storage and Data Protection Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Role: The Storage and Data Protection SME will be a critical member of the data protection team, responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive program plan for immutable backup and data protection across multiple sites. This role involves close collaboration with business units, application teams, and technical SMEs to ensure alignment with program objectives, success criteria, and measurable outcomes.

Responsibilities:

1. Program Planning and Development:

• Define program objectives, success criteria, and measurable outcomes.
• Identify in-scope NAS platforms, storage arrays, and business units.
• Map CTO policies, data classification standards, and retention requirements to immutable backup controls.
• Create a detailed project schedule, milestones, and dependency map.

1. Stakeholder Coordination and Engagement:

• Coordinate with storage, backup, and application teams to implement immutable backup policies and DR for applications.
• Facilitate business reviews and approvals for backup coverage and retention alignment.
• Support change management, communication, and stakeholder engagement activities.

1. Data Collection and Source Identification:

• Capture NAS paths for on-prem using data extracted from Diskover tool.
• Capture application details from GEV Application DR Tracking Sheet and DB details from Vernova CTO Database inventory.
• Validate ownership, business unit, and application mapping for each dataset.
• Confirm whether datasets are production, non-production, archival, or shared-service.

1. Application-to-Data Mapping:

• Map each NAS path to the corresponding application, service, or business function.
• Capture application tier and RTO/RPO expectations.
• Document cross-environment dependencies and validate classification with business owners.

1. Immutability and Integration Requirements:

• Determine immutability requirements for datasets and identify technical constraints.
• Capture CMDB application CI details and document required ServiceNow backup tags.

1. Operational Constraints and Special Conditions:

• Capture blackout windows, maintenance schedules, and application-specific constraints.
• Identify cloud-specific constraints such as region restrictions or encryption requirements.

1. Business Owner Review and Approval:

• Ensure business owners validate data classification, retention requirements, immutability needs, and application mapping.
• Capture all approvals and comments in SharePoint.

1. Readiness for Immutable Backup Onboarding:

• Confirm prerequisites such as correct tagging in ServiceNow, validated classification, and approved retention.
• Document any remediation actions required before onboarding.

1. Business Engagement and Data Validation:

• Engage with application owners, data custodians, and business stakeholders to review NAS datasets.
• Validate ownership, business criticality, data classification, and retention requirements.

1. Facilitation of Application Survey Completion:

• Guide business teams through the Application Survey Template.
• Provide clarification on survey fields and support stakeholders in interpreting technical data.

1. Consolidation of On-Prem & Cloud Data Inputs:

• Integrate technical data from on-prem NAS filers and cloud file services into the survey.
• Highlight gaps or inconsistencies between on-prem and cloud datasets.

1. Review Workshops and Working Sessions:

• Conduct workshops with business units to explain requirements and confirm understanding.
• Facilitate working sessions to resolve open questions and document decisions.

1. Finalization and Approval:

• Compile completed surveys and validate completeness, accuracy, and alignment with program requirements.
• Present finalized surveys to business owners for sign-off and maintain an approval log.

1. Rollout Planning and Execution:

• Develop a detailed rollout plan for deploying new Dell Data Domain appliances.
• Validate site readiness, coordinate installation, and integrate devices with the enterprise backup platform.
• Maintain a rollout tracker and provide weekly updates to program leadership.

1. Multi-Site Data Assessment and Planning:

• Conduct a comprehensive assessment of NAS datasets across all sites.
• Develop a detailed onboarding plan that accounts for site-specific constraints.

1. Backup Onboarding and Execution:

• Prepare validated datasets for onboarding into the immutable backup platform.
• Coordinate with CCI and infrastructure teams to ensure proper configuration and tagging.
• Execute the onboarding plan and ensure all in-scope data is successfully protected.

1. Reporting, Tracking, and Compliance:

• Maintain detailed tracking of onboarding progress and provide weekly status reports.
• Ensure backup onboarding activities meet program defined throughput goals and delivery targets.

Qualification & Skillset:

• Educational Background:
• Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field. Masters degree preferred.
• Experience:
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in storage technologies, data protection, and backup solutions.
• Proven experience with immutable backup policies, data classification standards, and retention requirements.
• Technical Skills:
• Proficiency in tools such as Diskover, CMDB, ServiceNow, and backup platforms (e.g., Rubrik).
• Strong understanding of NAS platforms, storage arrays, and cloud storage solutions.
• Experience with data assessment, application survey completion, and stakeholder engagement.
• Soft Skills:
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to conduct data assessments, facilitate workshops, and manage rollout plans.
• Detail-oriented with a commitment to accuracy and compliance.