Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), Analysis Skills, Automation, Bash Scripting, Capacity Management, Cloud Architecture, Computer Programming, Data Recovery, Data Storage, Disaster Recovery, Hybrid Cloud, Identify Issues, Incident Management, Incident Response, Information/Data Security (InfoSec), Maintain Compliance, NFS (Network File System), Natural Gas, Network Attached Storage (NAS), Operational Improvement, Operations Planning, Operations Processes, Organizational Skills, Performance Analysis, Performance Management, Power Generation, Process Improvement, Python Programming/Scripting Language, Ransomware, Replication and Remote Mirroring, Retention Programs, Scripting (Scripting Languages), Security Compliance, Service Level Agreement (SLA), Source Code/Configuration Management (SCM), Storage Architecture, Storage Area Network (SAN), Systems Administration/Management, Systems Engineering, Testing, Validation Testing, Virtualization
Design and build next-generation enterprise storage and data protection platforms that ensure resilient, scalable, and fully recoverable data services. This role focuses on automation-first engineering, modern storage architectures, and end-to-end data protection, enabling the organization to protect, recover, and scale critical workloads with confidence.
This position may be filled at multiple levels depending on the candidate's experience and qualifications.
About the Role:
We are seeking a Senior Storage and Data Protection Engineer to play a critical role in designing, building, and operating enterprise-scale storage and data protection platforms. This is a hands-on engineering role focused on delivering highly reliable, scalable, and fully recoverable data services across on-premises and hybrid environments.
In this role, you will go beyond traditional storage or backup administration and apply an engineering-first mindset to how storage and data protection platforms are designed and operated. You will build systems that are automated, observable, and resilient by design - ensuring that critical enterprise data is not only protected, but can be rapidly and reliably recovered under real-world failure scenarios. You will work across block, file, and object storage platforms as well as modern data protection systems supporting backup, replication, and disaster recovery. A key responsibility will be advancing data protection maturity by implementing immutable backup architectures, automated recovery validation, and robust disaster recovery strategies. You will collaborate closely with application, database, platform, and infrastructure teams to integrate storage and data protection into modern platforms such as Kubernetes, virtualization environments, and hybrid cloud architectures. This role also focuses on improving operational excellence by eliminating manual toil through automation, strengthening observability, and establishing robust practices such as continuous validation, testing, and improvement. Success is defined by ensuring storage and data protection platforms operate as fully engineered systems with predictable performance and recovery outcomes. Ultimately this role is foundational to the organization's ability to safeguard critical data, maintain business continuity, and modernize infrastructure platforms at scale.
MidAmerican Energy Company, a Midwest utility, provides regulated electric and natural gas service to more than 1.6 million customers in Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. The company owns and operates a portfolio of power-generating assets, approximately 61% of which is wind generation.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
- 5+ years experience in storage infrastructure (SAN,NAS,NFS, SMB, S3 etc.), and/or data protection engineering
- Hands-on experience with enterprise storage systems (block, file, object)
- Experience with backup and recovery platforms (e.g., Commvault or equivalent)
- Strong scripting/programming skills (Python, Bash, or Go)
- Experience with Infrastructure as Code and automation tools
- Strong troubleshooting skills across storage and data protection systems
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with software-defined storage (Ceph or similar)
- Experience with Kubernetes, virtualization, or hybrid cloud platforms
- Familiarity with immutable backups and ransomware protection
- Experience modernizing legacy storage and backup platforms
Key Responsibilities:
Storage Platform Engineering:
- Design, implement, and operate enterprise storage platforms across block, file, and object storage
- Manage performance, scalability, cost efficiency, and lifecycle operations
- Evaluate and adopt modern and software-defined storage architectures
Data Protection & Recovery Engineering (Primary Focus):
- Design, deploy, and operate backup, replication, and disaster recovery solutions
- Own end-to-end lifecycle including implementation, migration, upgrades, and optimization
- Implement immutable backup, retention, and offsite strategies
- Perform and automate restore validation and disaster recovery testing
- Ensure systems are fully recoverable-not just backed up
Automation & Infrastructure Engineering:
- Automate provisioning, backup lifecycle management, and recovery workflows
- Reduce operational toil through scripting and platform engineering
- Treat infrastructure and configuration as code with version control and testing
Operational Excellence & Incident Management:
- Troubleshoot and resolve complex storage performance, backup, and recovery issues
- Own platform health including backup success rates and recovery SLAs
- Develop runbooks and operational procedures
- Participate in incident response and post-incident analysis
Optimization & Efficiency:
- Continuously optimize storage and backup platforms for performance, cost, and utilization
- Drive improvements in capacity planning and lifecycle management
Observability, Security & Compliance:
- Monitor performance, capacity, and data protection coverage
- Ensure compliance with security and data protection policies
- Implement alerting and automated remediation
Collaboration:
- Partner with application, database, and platform teams • Integrate storage and protection into Kubernetes, virtualization, and hybrid cloud platforms
Key Responsibilities:
Storage Platform Engineering:
- Design, implement, and operate enterprise storage platforms across block, file, and object storage
- Manage performance, scalability, cost efficiency, and lifecycle operations
- Evaluate and adopt modern and software-defined storage architectures
Data Protection & Recovery Engineering (Primary Focus):
- Design, deploy, and operate backup, replication, and disaster recovery solutions
- Own end-to-end lifecycle including implementation, migration, upgrades, and optimization
- Implement immutable backup, retention, and offsite strategies
- Perform and automate restore validation and disaster recovery testing
- Ensure systems are fully recoverable-not just backed up
Automation & Infrastructure Engineering:
- Automate provisioning, backup lifecycle management, and recovery workflows
- Reduce operational toil through scripting and platform engineering
- Treat infrastructure and configuration as code with version control and testing
Operational Excellence & Incident Management:
- Troubleshoot and resolve complex storage performance, backup, and recovery issues
- Own platform health including backup success rates and recovery SLAs
- Develop runbooks and operational procedures
- Participate in incident response and post-incident analysis
Optimization & Efficiency:
- Continuously optimize storage and backup platforms for performance, cost, and utilization
- Drive improvements in capacity planning and lifecycle management
Observability, Security & Compliance:
- Monitor performance, capacity, and data protection coverage
- Ensure compliance with security and data protection policies
- Implement alerting and automated remediation
Collaboration:
- Partner with application, database, and platform teams • Integrate storage and protection into Kubernetes, virtualization, and hybrid cloud platforms