Senior Architect - Storage and Data Protection

About the job
The Senior Architect – Storage and Data Protection leads the architecture, design, and supports the implementation of storage and data protection solutions. The role ensures that storage platforms are scalable, resilient, cost-effective, and aligned with Cloud and HPC business requirements.

Your key responsibilities

• Own and lead the end-to-end architecture and design of multi-petabyte-scale block, file, and object storage solutions for cloud environments, ensuring high availability, performance, scalability, and compliance with industry standards and best practices.
• Define storage and data protection architecture standards, roadmaps, and service evolution across the organization’s platform portfolio.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to gather requirements and translate them into scalable technical solutions.
• Evaluate, select, and design storage and backup technologies, ensuring alignment with functional and non-functional requirements.
• Define and support disaster recovery strategies, including data integrity, availability, RPO/RTO, and recovery validation across platforms.
• Support capacity planning, performance analysis, and lifecycle management for storage infrastructure.
• Conduct architecture reviews and configuration assessments to identify optimization, consolidation, and risk mitigation opportunities.
• Prepare, review, and approve HLDs, LLDs, SOWs, BoQs/BoMs, RFIs, RFPs, and RFQs, ensuring alignment with performance, scalability, security, and reliability requirements.
• Support procurement activities by preparing technical specifications, evaluating vendor proposals, and providing technology recommendations.
• Oversee deployment readiness, implementation quality, and acceptance testing against approved design documentation.
• Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance to engineering teams.
• Contribute to process improvement, operational standards, and documentation practices to enhance service quality and stakeholder experience.
• Lead the design of observability and logging systems.

Other Responsibilities

• Comply with applicable laws, regulations, international standards, and related policies and procedures.
• Comply with Acceptable Use Policy and attend mandatory training sessions on information security, privacy, business continuity, and HSE.
• Report information security, HSE incidents, or suspect incidents through established channels.
• Maintain confidentiality of information and classify and handle information as per organizational policies and procedures.

What we’re looking for

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, engineering, software engineering, or a related technology discipline.
• 10+ years of experience designing, implementing, and managing storage solutions, including 5+ years with software-defined storage across block, file and object storage systems.
• Expert-level knowledge of storage architecture, data protection strategies, and disaster recovery principles.
• Strong experience with storage protocols and interfaces such as iSCSI, S3, NFS, NVMe over TCP, and related technologies.
• Deep knowledge of storage platforms from vendors such as IBM, NetApp, Dell EMC, Pure Storage, HPE, and VAST Data.
• Experience with object storage solutions such as Red Hat Ceph, MinIO, Scality, Cloudian, Qumulo S3, and Dell ECS is a significant advantage.
• Experience in designing and implementing geo-distributed and large-scale storage clusters.
• Strong understanding of encryption, hardening, security controls, and compliance requirements for storage and backup platforms.
• Experience with cloud-native backup and DR solutions for OpenStack (e.g. Trilio, Hystax, Rubrik, Zerto) is highly desirable.
• Solid knowledge of Linux systems administration and scripting using Bash, Python, or similar languages.
• Understanding of modern API concepts and standards, including HTTP, REST, Swagger/OpenAPI, and gRPC.
• Experience with identity and access management concepts such as PKI, LDAP, OAuth, OpenID Connect.
• Knowledge of architecture frameworks and methodologies such as TOGAF or Zachman is an advantage.
• Ability to produce high-quality technical documentation, including architecture diagrams, design documents, operational procedures, and standards.
• Proven track record of delivering large-scale infrastructure or cloud platform projects.
• Basic knowledge of ITSM frameworks such as ITIL.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Relevant certifications in storage technologies, cloud platforms, and data protection are advantageous.

What working at the company offers
With a diverse team of 1,100+ employees from 68 nationalities, we foster an inclusive, innovative and collaborative environment. Our culture is grounded in trust, accountability, and high performance, united by values: Grit, Passion, and Impact. Together, we commit to achieving extraordinary results.

• Competitive Salary: We offer an attractive salary package based on your skills and experience.
• Yearly Bonus: In recognition of your contributions, you will receive a performance-based annual bonus.
• Exclusive Discount Cards: Access special benefits with Esaad and Fazaa cards, offering discounts across a wide range of services.
• Premium Family Insurance: We provide comprehensive health coverage including dental, vision and life insurance, ensuring the well-being of you and your family.
• Learning & Development: We offer access to top-tier learning platforms to help you grow in your career. Learn at your own pace with unlimited resources.