Cohesity NetBackup (Alta Data Protection) Engineer

Role Overview

We are looking for a seasoned Cohesity NetBackup Engineer with over a decade of hands-on experience in enterprise-level data protection, backup, and recovery systems, along with substantial expertise in Azure cloud infrastructure. The position involves architecting, implementing, and overseeing backup and disaster recovery mechanisms across both on-premises and cloud platforms using the Cohesity NetBackup and Alta Data Protection suites. These efforts are critical to maintain data integrity, availability, and organizational compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect, deploy, configure, and manage Cohesity NetBackup setups including Master, Media servers, client systems, and NetBackup appliances within a large-scale infrastructure.
• Utilize Alta Data Protection's cloud-native platform and Alta View control console for comprehensive management and orchestration of backups across hybrid and multi-cloud setups.
• Oversee full lifecycle of backup processes such as planning, scheduling, monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimizing backup and restore jobs.
• Develop and enforce backup-related policies encompassing storage lifecycle, data retention, and deduplication protocols.
• Manage upgrades, migrations, and system integrations of backup architectures with minimal operational disruption or data loss.
• Configure backup solutions for physical hardware, virtualized environments (VMware, Hyper-V), and cloud workloads.
• Design and execute disaster recovery plans, including performing DR tests, failover and fallback operations, while aligning recovery time and point objectives.
• Administer hardware components like tape libraries and disk-based storage systems (e.g., Data Domain, StoreOnce), along with cloud storage tiers.
• Handle backup and infrastructure components deployed on Azure, ensuring secure, compliant, and efficient cloud data protection.
• Use Alta Recovery Vault and associated cloud data vaulting to provide tamper-resistant, isolated backups enabling fast cyber recovery.
• Continuously monitor backup health, proactively address issues, and maintain adherence to service level agreements.
• Generate capacity plans, technical documentation, standard operating procedures, and materials to support audits.
• Coordinate with infrastructure, security, and application teams to shape data protection strategies and cloud backup frameworks.
• Offer top-tier escalation support (Level 3/4) for critical backup and recovery challenges.
• Ensure compliance with security policies, encryption standards, and regulatory mandates.

Technical Expertise Required

• Minimum 10 years of experience with enterprise backup and data protection technologies.
• Advanced skills working with Cohesity NetBackup (previously Veritas NetBackup) including administration of Master and Media Servers and appliances (versions 7.x through 11.x).
• Proficiency with Alta Data Protection's cloud-native environment, including Alta View and Alta Recovery Vault cloud backup capabilities.
• Experience supporting backups for databases such as SQL and Oracle, file systems, VMware and Hyper-V environments (via NDMP/VADP), and Microsoft Exchange.
• Familiarity with supplemental backup systems like Commvault, Veeam, Rubrik, and Dell Networker/Avamar/PPDM is advantageous.
• Knowledge managing tape libraries, deduplication hardware such as Data Domain and StoreOnce, as well as SAN, NAS, and DAS storage solutions.
• Strong command over disaster recovery planning, test execution, and validation.
• Competency in managing backup data lifecycle processes including data aging, auxiliary copies, content indexing, multiplexing, and license oversight.

Azure Cloud Proficiency

• Understanding of Azure landing zone concepts and architecture design guidelines.
• Familiarity with Azure subscription segmentation and governance structures.
• Knowledge of virtual networking in Azure including VNets, subnets, and endpoint configurations.
• Insights into Azure connectivity frameworks like VPN, ExpressRoute, and peering between on-premise and Azure.
• Experience with Azure DNS mechanisms, including private DNS zones.
• Comprehension of Azure Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and Zero Trust security principles.
• Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Azure Storage Accounts covering blobs, files, tiering, and redundancy.
• Experience with Azure identities including app registrations, service principals, and managed identities.
• Basic understanding of Microsoft Entra (Azure AD) concepts.
• Familiarity with Azure compute and data services relevant to backup like VMs, databases, and PaaS solutions.
• Ability to analyze and manage Azure costs to optimize backup and storage expenditures.
• Knowledge of monitoring tools such as Azure Monitor for backup platform insights and health checks.

General Competency and Soft Skills

• Strong ability to troubleshoot and perform root-cause analysis on complex backup and storage challenges.
• Experience implementing ITIL-based change, incident, and problem management procedures.
• Excellent communication skills enabling collaboration with cross-regional teams, vendors, and stakeholders.
• Capabilities in mentoring technical teams and leading strategic projects.
• Proven documentation skills for SOPs, KPI reporting, and capacity planning.

Certifications (Preferred)

• Cohesity NetBackup Certified Specialist (previously Veritas Certified Specialist – NetBackup Administration)
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (optional but beneficial)
• ITIL Foundation Certified
• Additional certifications in Commvault, Veeam, or Rubrik considered a plus

Educational Qualification

A Bachelor’s degree in computer science, IT, or a related discipline is required; possession of a Master’s degree is favorable.