All full-time university staff are eligible for VCUs robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more. Learn more about VCUs benefits here.
Overview
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is seeking a skilled and experienced Storage & Data Protection Platform Engineer to join our Infrastructure Services team. The successful candidate will be responsible for installing, configuring, maintaining, upgrading, and otherwise supporting the Universitys mission-critical enterprise platforms and infrastructure, ensuring the highest levels of performance, availability, and security throughout VCUs robust private cloud environment, which spans multiple enterprise data center facilities, as well as the University’s ever-developing and -expanding public and hybrid cloud infrastructure.
All full-time University staff are eligible for VCUs robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.
VCU is also committed to hiring veterans! The University will include a veterans period(s) of military service in calculations of annual leave accrual rate. This may provide veterans with an increased leave accrual.
Learn more about VCUs benefits here.
Key Responsibilities
Infrastructure Management. Participate in the design, implementation, and management of scalable, reliable, and secure private, public, and hybrid cloud infrastructure solutions to support mission-critical University applications and services.
Data Protection and Storage. Design, implement, and maintain enterprise storage area network (SAN), network attached storage (NAS), and data protection platforms, ensuring data integrity, availability, and security.
System Administration. Perform advanced system administration tasks, including installation, configuration, and maintenance of servers, storage appliances, and fibre channel network switches.
Automation and Scripting. Contribute to the development and maintenance of automation scripts and tools to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and ensure the consistent and effective configuration of supported solutions.
Monitoring and Performance Tuning. Participate in the implementation of monitoring solutions to proactively identify and resolve performance issues, enabling maximal uptime and optimal system performance.
Security Compliance. Collaborate with the University Information Security team and support VCU security policies and industry best practices, including regular security assessments and vulnerability management / remediation.
Disaster Recovery. Assist with crafting and contributing to the continuous development and maintenance of disaster recovery plans and procedures to ensure continuity of University operations. Support the testing and successful execution of these plans when called upon to do so.
Technical Support and Assistance. Provide consultative and technical support to the user community to ensure problem resolution, system / data access, and optimal system performance. Provide technical advice and expertise to customer departments.
Collaboration. Build strong professional relationships and work closely with cross-functional teams, including application developers, system owners, server operating system and data center network engineers, and information security analysts, to deliver integrated solutions.
Technical Knowledge Expertise and Training. Maintain a current level of knowledge on topics within the computer industry, including but not limited to attending classes, seminars and vendor presentations, reading manuals and trade journals, use of the Internet, and conversing with peers. Provide training and documentation to transfer this knowledge to other team members.
Documentation. Create, maintain, and adhere to comprehensive documentation for infrastructure configurations, processes, and procedures. Utilize established VCU Technology Services, Infrastructure Services, University Computer Center, and Enterprise Platform team processes and tools for project management, technology change management, incident reporting, and more as an integral part of all support activities.
This position is eligible for a Flexible Work Arrangement [link] as a privilege contingent upon satisfactory job performance and other factors, enabling a mix of both remote and on-site work at VCU campus locations in downtown Richmond, Virginia. Although many responsibilities can be performed remotely, the ability to be present on-site, as necessary, is essential to supporting platforms and infrastructure in this enterprise data center environment.
Minimum Qualifications
Education. Prefer Bachelors degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.
Experience. Minimum of 1-3 years of experience supporting enterprise data center storage and/or data protection technologies in a platform engineering, site reliability engineering, system administration, or related role, preferably in a higher education or large enterprise environment.
Technical Skills
Proficiency in provisioning, supporting, maintaining, and troubleshooting enterprise (SAN and NAS) storage and/or data protection solutions (e.g., Cohesity DataProtect, Pure Storage, Dell PowerScale / Isilon, Cohesity SmartFiles, Dell PowerStore).
Familiar with one or more private cloud infrastructure platforms (e.g., VMware, OpenStack, Nutanix, Hyper-V, Proxmox, Azure Stack).
Proficiency in Linux and/or Windows server administration.
Strong scripting skills in one or more languages (e.g., Python, BASH, PowerShell).
Familiarity with team communication, collaboration, and video conferencing tools (e.g., Google Workspace, Microsoft Office 365, Slack, Zoom, Cisco WebEx).
Understanding of Ethernet and fibre channel networking concepts and protocols.
Soft Skills
Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
Strong written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
Ability to effectively perform independently and as part of a team in distributed, remote, and in-person environments, with minimal supervision.
Detail-oriented, with a commitment to quality and continuous improvement.
An understanding of and willingness to embrace the responsibilities of supporting enterprise technology platforms and infrastructure in a 24×7 environment, including responding to emergencies and supporting/implementing changes outside of regular University operating hours as needed, both on-site and remotely.
A cheerful eagerness to welcome change, explore alternatives, tactfully ask difficult questions of self and others, and otherwise challenge the status quo as a member of a team that strives to always be innovating while maintaining an unwavering focus on the goals and best interests of the VCU community.
Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.
Preferred Qualifications
Previous (3-5 years) experience working in a 24×7 enterprise data center environment.
Proficiency with provisioning, supporting, maintaining, troubleshooting, and repairing Cisco UCS and Dell PowerEdge rack server hardware and Cisco Fabric Interconnect switches. Experience with Cisco Intersight, Dell CloudIQ, Dell Secure Connect Gateway, and Dell OpenManage Enterprise a plus.
Experience with the Superna suite of products for Dell private and hybrid cloud storage environments (e.g., Superna Eyeglass, Ransomware Defender, Smart AirGap).
Familiarity with supporting, maintaining, and troubleshooting Microsoft Distributed File System (DFS) environments.
Proficiency with network and data center log aggregation and monitoring solutions (e.g., Zabbix, SolarWinds, Prometheus, Grafana, Alertmanager, Loki, Logstash, Graylog).
Familiarity with configuration management tools (e.g., Ansible, Puppet, Terraform, Chef).
Working knowledge of source code management systems (e.g., Git, Mercurial, Subversion).
Familiarity with modern, cloud native approaches to application development, including knowledge of containerization and microservices technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
Experience with public cloud infrastructure platforms (e.g., Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud).
Current professional certification(s) preferred in one or more of Cohesity Data Protection, Pure FlashArray Storage, Dell PowerScale, Cohesity File and Object Services, Dell PowerStore, Pure FlashBlade Storage, and/or Pure Portworx Enterprise.
Working at VCU Technology Services & the University Computer Center
At VCU Technology Services [link], we value people and empower one another through collaboration and inclusivity, trusted partnerships, and unequaled innovation to provide a secure, accessible, reliable, adaptable, and modern IT environment that enables the success of VCU as a leading public research institution. We are VCUs trusted IT partner and where the University community comes for IT solutions.
The University Computer Center [link] supports Technology Services by providing the VCU community with secure, reliable, and cost-effective private, public, and hybrid cloud compute, data storage, database management, and enterprise data protection and recovery solutions with 24×7 operations, proactive monitoring, and responsive support.
Working at VCU
At Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), we believe that our strength lies in our diversity. As a premier institution in Richmond, VA, we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment that values and respects individuals from all walks of life.
At VCU, we dont just accept differences – we celebrate them, we support them, and we thrive on them for the benefit of our employees, our students, and our community. We are all different, and we believe its these differences that make us stronger together.
Benefits of working at VCU include:
Hybrid Remote Work and Flex Hours available [link]
New Employees (0-3 Years of Service) start with 28 days of paid leave per calendar year** plus federal and state holidays [link]
Leave plans built to promote a healthy work/life balance with the ability to carry leave forward to a following calendar year; parental leave for childbearing, caregiving, adoption, surrogacy, or foster care; caregiver leave for dependent immediate family members, community service leave for volunteer work, community participation, etc. [link]
Tuition Benefit for continuing education and professional development, up to six credit hours per academic semester [link]
Competitive Health Care Plan & FSA option through PayFlex [link]
Tax-deferred annuity retirement savings program with Cash Match Plan [link]
Professional development opportunities encouraged and offered for employees as part of annual career development (e.g., certifications, seminars, courses, annual conferences, mentorship, etc.)
The University and the Region
VCU is a public research university unlike any other, dedicated to serving the needs of students and patients. Inclusion is our heartbeat and it drives us to tackle difficult challenges others cant or wont. Were home to creativity, teaching, discovery and healing. Our location in the heart of downtown Richmond, Virginia, means the nonstop energy of our city ignites our innovation and provides unlimited opportunities for our students.
About Virginia Commonwealth University
We are the university for Virginia. We know that the unique backgrounds and life experiences of the VCU community are what drive the University forward. Together, were forging a future that is built by us. Here, artists and engineers, doctors and designers come together to reimagine the human experience and tackle the problems of tomorrow. Its this mindset that makes us one of the top 20 most innovative public universities in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report.
VCU dates to 1838 with the formation of the Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College, whose mission was to educate physicians in central Virginia and which was later renamed Medical College of Virginia. In 1968, Richmond Professional Institute merged with the Medical College of Virginia to become what is now known as Virginia Commonwealth University.
Located in downtown Richmond, the state capital of Virginia, VCU enrolls more than 28,000 students in more than 200 degree and certificate programs across its urban campuses: the downtown Monroe Park and MCV campuses in Richmond; the Rice Rivers Center in Charles City, Virginia; satellite locations in Fairfax, Virginia, and Abingdon, Virginia; and a campus in Doha, Qatar, for the School of the Arts.
Ignited by the energy of the city, were ready to lead industries or disrupt them. We seek out the unexpected, the experimental, the never-been-tried. VCU is designated as a research university with very high research activity by the Carnegie Foundation, garnering more than $460 million in sponsored research from federal and other agencies in FY2023. The National Science Foundation ranked VCU among the top 50 public research universities in the country, and we are one of only 69 public universities nationwide to be designated by the Carnegie Foundation as Community Engaged with Very High Research Activity.
This research enterprise, and the influence of having one of the nations top-ranked public graduate arts schools, ensures students receive unique educational experiences that equip them with a creative mindset that sets them apart.
VCUs contributions in talent, innovation and entrepreneurialism, regional stewardship and local culture shape the economic impact and overall quality of life in the region. VCU as a whole generates more than $9 billion in economic activity. It is the largest employer in Richmond with more than 25,000 employees at VCU and VCU Health, and it supports approximately 58,000 jobs in Virginia. In addition, Virginia classifies VCU with a Tier III status the highest possible status for universities and colleges allowing VCU more flexibility in managing its operations to implement best practices and streamline processes. To learn about VCUs finances, visit https://about.finance.vcu.edu.
VCUs unwavering commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity and student success is why INSIGHT into Diversity magazine has named us a Diversity Champion five times in a row as part of its annual Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Awards. And many students say that the best thing about VCU is its diversity.
VCUs mission, under the leadership of President Michael Rao, Ph.D., is to serve as one national urban public research institution dedicated to the success and well-being of our students, patients, faculty, staff and community through:
Real-world learning that furthers civic engagement, inquiry, discovery and innovation.
Research that expands the boundaries of new knowledge and creative expression and promotes translational applications to improve the quality of human life.
Interdisciplinary collaborations and community partnerships that advance innovation, enhance cultural and economic vitality, and solve societys most complex challenges.
Health sciences that preserve and restore health for all people, seek the cause and cure of diseases through groundbreaking research and educate those who serve humanity.
Deeply ingrained core values of diversity, inclusion and equity that provide a safe, trusting and supportive environment to explore, create, learn and serve.
Welcome to VCU. A world unlike any other.
About Richmond, Virginia
As the commonwealths capital, Richmond, Virginia, offers a vibrant mix of history, diverse culture and real-world opportunities. Distinct neighborhoods, cozy restaurants and cafes and quaint local markets give the city an intimate feel, but theaters, galleries, music festivals, sports attractions and a steady stream of annual events bring RVA as locals call the region to life. Established in 1780, its rich history can be seen in the architecture, the Capitol grounds and the cobblestone streets around the city. With the historic James River and 600 acres of parks bordering it, bike trails, wineries, breweries, a flourishing arts, entertainment and restaurant scene (Food and Wine called Richmond a culinary powerhouse) and affordable suburbs, this small city punches well above its weight in terms of attractions and buzz. In fact, Travel + Leisure named Richmond the best place to live in Virginia in 2023 and Southern Living named Richmond one of the 20 best cities to live in the South in 2024.
Richmonds location in the middle of the state allows for day or weekend trips to the beach, the Blue Ridge Mountains or Virginias many wineries. Its within a two-hour drive of Washington, D.C., and a multitude of excellent institutions of higher education. The Richmond metropolitan area is also home to several Fortune 500 companies, a broad base of financial companies, hospitals and media firms, high-tech manufacturing companies and state and local government agencies. Entrepreneurs and artists put down roots in Richmond, and Thrillist named it one of the best U.S. cities for creatives in 2022.
Beyond Richmond, CNBC has named Virginia as the No. 1 state in the country to do business five times since the study began in 2007. It has accomplished this by bringing in billions in capital investment and thousands of new jobs; investing in education; expanding access to quality health care for all; making sure everyone has access to opportunity; and more. Business Facilities magazine ranked Virginia the No. 2 top tech talent pipeline in the U.S. Suffice to say, Virginia is full of growth and opportunity, making it the perfect location for a university determined to erase barriers and provide students with robust learning experiences that will make them unstoppable.
J. Adam Craig
[email protected]