Data Centre Officer at Reeds Africa Consult

Job Overview:

• The Data Center Officer will be responsible for managing and supporting core infrastructure systems including servers, storage solutions, SAN environments, and operating systems across both Windows and Linux platforms. The role will ensure optimal performance, availability, and security of all data center assets supporting operational and MFI-related systems.

Job Description

Server skills Requirements (HPE, DELL, Lenovo Etc)

• Install, configure, and maintain server hardware and operating systems (e.g., Windows Server, Linux).
• Monitor system performance and resource utilization to optimize server performance
• Implement and manage server virtualization technologies (e.g., VMware, Hyper-V).
• Perform server backups, recovery procedures, and disaster recovery planning.
• Install and configure server applications and services (e.g., web servers, database servers).
• Ensure server security by implementing security policies, patches, and updates.
• Troubleshoot server hardware and software issues and resolve technical problems
• Strong knowledge of server hardware, operating systems, and server virtualization technologies.
• Experience with server administration tools and monitoring systems.
• Familiarity with backup and recovery procedures and disaster recovery planning.
• Excellent troubleshooting skills and ability to analyze and resolve server-related issues.
• Good understanding of server security best practices and implementation.
• Effective communication skills and ability to work well in a team environment.

Storage skills Requirements (HPE, DELL, Netapp Etc)

• Manage and administer storage systems, including storage arrays, disk arrays, and SAN/NAS environments.
• Configure and maintain storage devices and storage management software.
• Perform capacity planning, monitor storage usage, and optimize storage resources.
• Implement data backup and recovery solutions and ensure data replication for disaster recovery.
• Troubleshoot storage-related issues and collaborate with other IT teams to resolve complex problems.
• Implement and maintain storage security policies and access controls.
• Evaluate and recommend storage technologies and solutions to meet business requirements.
• Deep understanding of storage technologies such as SAN, NAS, RAID configurations, and storage protocols (e.g., Fibre Channel, iSCSI).
• Experience with storage management tools and software (e.g., EMC Isilon, NetApp, Dell EMC Unity)
• Knowledge of data backup and recovery procedures, including backup software and tape libraries
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills in diagnosing and resolving storage issues.
• Ability to perform capacity planning and optimize storage performance.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

SAN Switch skills Requirements (HPE , DELL , Cisco MDS, Brocade)

• Proficiency in SAN technologies, including Fibre Channel and iSCSI protocols.
• Experience with SAN switch configuration and management (e.g., Cisco MDS, Brocade).
• Knowledge of storage virtualization and SAN replication technologies.
• Understanding of SAN security principles and best practices.
• Strong troubleshooting skills and ability to diagnose and resolve SAN-related issues.
• Capacity planning and performance tuning experience in SAN environments
• Configure and administer SAN switches, storage arrays, and related components.
• Ensure SAN security and data protection by implementing access controls and encryption.
• Collaborate with storage and network teams to optimize SAN performance and capacity.
• Implement and manage SAN zoning and fabric configurations.
• Plan and implement SAN upgrades and migrations, ensuring minimal disruption to operations.
• Provide support for SAN-related incidents and participate in disaster recovery planning.

Microsoft Windows Skills requirements

• Install, configure, and maintain Windows server operating systems (e.g., Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022).
• Manage Active Directory services, including user accounts, group policies, and domain controllers
• Implement and manage Windows-based applications and services (e.g., IIS, SQL Server, Exchange)
• Monitor system performance, troubleshoot issues, and optimize server resources.
• Configure and maintain Windows security policies, patches, and updates.
• Implement backup and recovery procedures for Windows servers and data.
• Collaborate with network and storage teams to integrate Windows systems with network and storage infrastructure.
• Knowledge of Windows security best practices and implementation.
• Strong troubleshooting skills and ability to diagnose and resolve Windows-related issues.

Linux operating system Skills Requirements

• Install, configure, and maintain Linux server operating systems (e.g., CentOS, Ubuntu, Red Hat Enterprise Linux).
• Manage and automate system tasks using shell scripting and configuration management tools (e.g., Ansible, Puppet)
• Configure and manage Linux-based services such as web servers (e.g., Apache, Nginx), databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL), and file systems (e.g., NFS, Samba).
• Monitor system performance, troubleshoot issues, and optimize Linux server resources.
• Implement security measures and access controls to protect Linux servers and data.
• Perform system updates, patches, and upgrades for Linux distributions and applications.
• Collaborate with development and operations teams to deploy and support applications on Linux platforms.
• Scripting skills in Bash or other shell scripting languages for automation tasks.
• Excellent troubleshooting skills and ability to diagnose and resolve Linux-related issues.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Professional certifications are an added advantage:
• Minimum 3–5 years hands-on experience in data center infrastructure management.
• Proven experience with enterprise server hardware, storage arrays, and SAN technologies.
• Strong knowledge of virtualization technologies 
• Experience supporting mission-critical systems in a multi-vendor environment.