Data Protection Operations Specialist

This critical role ensures the integrity, availability, and recoverability of enterprise data through backup, restore, replication, and tape management processes.

We are seeking an experienced professional to join our team as a Data Protection Specialist. In this role, you will be responsible for monitoring daily backup jobs, investigating errors, warnings, or failures, and resolving or escalating them as appropriate.

You will also perform scheduled and ad-hoc restores to validate backup integrity and support operational, disaster recovery, and cyber recovery needs.

Maintaining and executing infrastructure operations checklists, escalating anomalies as required, is another key responsibility.

Ensure timely resolution of backup/restore related support tickets and manage Commvault clients, storage resources, storage policies, and schedule policies effectively.

Candidates with working knowledge of Commvault, RecoverPoint, and VMware backup technologies are highly desirable.

Familiarity with Windows and Linux OS, virtualization, and networking fundamentals is also required.

We value excellent documentation and reporting skills, ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment, high attention to detail, and strong analytical skills.

• Key Responsibilities:
• Monitor daily backup jobs and investigate any errors, warnings, or failures; resolve or escalate as appropriate.
• Perform scheduled and ad-hoc restores to validate backup integrity and support operational, disaster recovery, and cyber recovery needs.
• Maintain and execute infrastructure operations checklists, escalating anomalies as required.
• Ensure timely resolution of backup/restore related support tickets.
• Manage Commvault clients, storage resources, storage policies, and schedule policies.
• Coordinate legacy tape restore requests with third-party vendors.

• Documentation & Reporting:
• Develop and maintain procedural documentation and wiki articles for common data protection tasks (e.g., server onboarding, restore procedures, replication checks).
• Build and manage Commvault dashboards and reports, including executive summary status reports, capacity planning and health reports, and custom reports for specific teams.

• Infrastructure & Patch Management:
• Coordinate regular patching and updates across Commvault software, media agent OS/BIOS/firmware, tape library firmware, and Commvault server OS.

• Commvault User Access Administration:
• Manage Commvault user accounts, including MFA configuration and access reviews.
• Ensure licensing capacity and data ageing policies are monitored and maintained.

• Replication & Virtualization:
• Monitor and report on replication jobs, including RecoverPoint, Commvault Dash copies, and database DR copies.
• Perform VMware data protection tasks, including snapshots and VM restores.

• Tape Library & Offsite Rotation:
• Oversee tape library operations, including cleaning cycles, tape ordering, labelling, and scratch media replenishment.
• Manage offsite tape rotation, including liaising with third-party storage providers, maintaining inventory and disposal logs, and ensuring compliance with secure storage requirements.

• Procurement & Vendor Coordination:
• Raise purchase requests for data protection-related items, such as tapes, support contracts, and offsite storage.
• Support vendor coordination for hardware and service delivery.

• Infrastructure Monitoring & Checklist Execution:
• Monitor the general health of IT infrastructure components, including physical hardware, virtual environments, disk libraries, and media agents.
• Track infrastructure metrics, such as capacity, performance, and licensing.
• Complete daily, weekly, and monthly operational checklists to ensure system reliability.
• Escalate anomalies and issues identified during checklist execution.
• Support continuous improvement of monitoring and checklist processes.

• Requirements:
• Proven experience in data protection operations within IT/OT environments.
• Working knowledge of Commvault, RecoverPoint, and VMware backup technologies desirable.
• Familiarity with Windows and Linux OS, virtualization, and networking fundamentals.
• Excellent documentation and reporting skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• High attention to detail and strong analytical skills.
• Effective communication and collaboration with technical and compliance stakeholders.