Storage Engineer I-IN

JOB TITLE:  Storage Engineer

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY:   Role of Storage Engineer is a key element within the Rackspace support infrastructure and is expected to provide fanatical support to our customers with a high level of professional care and technical support via the phone and ticketing system. Storage Administrators work with Rackspace's over 18,000 customer base as well as internal departments to configure and manage Storage Arrays, perform storage related tasks on hosts, resolve issues including escalation, and work with new and existing customers to create solutions pertaining to the Managed Storage Service.  A Storage Administrator is expected to take the initiative on issues and probe deeper into problems to fix root causes to proactively prevent recurrence.  Also advises on best practices to ensure that customer's storage solutions are reliable, efficient, and supportable.  The criteria listed below is representative of a majority of what this role supports and should not be interpreted as an all-inclusive list.  This role may change as technology evolves and the Racker will be expected to adopt to the new standards.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITY:

o  Able to communicate in a clear and concise manner both in written form of emails, ticket comments, and verbally on phone with internal and external customers. 

o  Must have experience working in enforced change and risk control environments.

o  Strong attention to detail, interpersonal and time-management skills.

o  Self-motivated; ability to maintain excellence in service with moderate supervision. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Ability to successfully work and promote inclusiveness in small groups. Ability to provide FANATICAL support.

o  Strong knowledge in technology troubleshooting methodologies, design, and implementation.

o  Able to resolve problems in an efficient and timely manner. Able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously without dropping attention to detail or risk eversion.

o  Good knowledge and understanding of troubleshooting, testing, and performance tuning in Storage platforms. Good knowledge of storage best practices for current VMware, Windows and Linux operation systems, File systems, SQL, MySQL, Oracle, and Exchange.

o  Strong working knowledge of Networking, Fiber Channel concepts, and technologies.

o  Hands on experience of a combination within EMC VMAX, VNX1, VNX2, Unity, Isilon, and NetApp FAS arrays; Cluster mode and 7-mode, FlexClone, Snap Drive, and Brocade Fiber Channel Switches required.  Ability to provide FANATICAL support.

o  Good knowledge of Storage methodologies. 

o  Excellent time management and organizational skills.

o  Able to work well under pressure and under stressful situations while supporting a customer base of over 18,000.

JOB COMPLEXITY: 

o  Accountable in overseeing team achieve/maintain team level KPIs and Queue health.

o  Work on Technical tickets follows pre-defined processes to plan and execute technical change as requested by customers. Responds to queries from customers regarding performance, process and recommendations based on Rackspace best practices.

o  Coach team members on developing necessary technical skills that get results

o  Builds new storage configurations via software installation, LUN/Volume provisioning for new requests or expansion requests, host zoning and registration, quality control, and ticket consolidation. Decommission storage devices. Performs host un-zoning and de-registration, and server clean up.

o  Performs troubleshooting for host end-to-end connectivity, host-side storage software, and storage component failures.

o  Escalates critical component failures to higher-level engineers. Answers general configuration questions, audits environments, and performs quality control as part of storage fleet management.  Provides performance statistics reporting, software reporting, and storage reporting to meet requests by customers and Rackspace leaders.

o  Work with Customers/Account Teams, Vendors to schedule maintenance activities.

o  Audits Array and CORE logs, performance, utilization, and validates data accuracy in Rackspace records. Also audits reference tools such as, Wiki, SharePoint, RSS feed, etc.

o  Assists with scheduling and working host-side maintenances including, quality control, HBAs, Re-kicks, LUN expansions and migrations, Cab migrations, and migration cutovers.  Upgrades software, firmware, and drivers, and performs regular system health checks.

o  Makes recommendations for process and procedure improvements.

o  Consistent regular interaction with both internal and external customers as well as account managers and management.

o  Resolve escalated customer issues and manage escalations further to internal support.

SUPERVISION:

o  Operates under minimal supervision

o  Expected to reach out to wider team for assistance to perform more complex duties and on any requests not 100% clear on.

EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION: 

o  Minimum 6 years Storage and Fiber Channel switch experience gained in role with EMC, NetApp, or Brocade experience preferred. Must have at least 3 years’ experience in a customer service-oriented position. 

o  Must have Storage (EMC/Netapp) related valid certifications

o  At the hiring manager’s discretion, additional relevant experience may substitute for the degree requirements.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

o  General office environment. Moderate levels of stress may occur when solving root causes to proactively prevent recurrence.   May require long periods sitting and viewing a computer monitor.  No special physical demands required.

o  This role will be 24X7 support and shift will vary depending on operational need.