Data Protection Engineer

Saic; Beltsville (MD); Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

SAIC seeks a Data Protection Engineer to safeguard enterprise on-premises backup and recovery. You will manage Commvault environments, ensure data availability, and align with federal standards in a mission-critical data center.

The role requires hands-on expertise with Commvault, Dell EMC Avamar, VMware, and Windows Server, plus strong troubleshooting. Hybrid work with onsite requirements and potential relocation within the DC/MD area.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 14+ years of relevant experience; masters and 12+ years may be substituted
• Hands-on experience with Commvault, Dell EMC Avamar or equivalent enterprise-class data protection system in an on-premises/data center environment
• Experience with enterprise backup architecture, including replication technologies
• Familiarity with storage platforms
• Experience supporting VMware vSphere and vCenter environments
• Knowledge of Windows Server
• Understanding of networking fundamentals related to backup and storage traffic
• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills

Responsibilities

• Administer and support enterprise on-premises Commvault data protection platforms
• Monitor and manage daily backup operations, ensuring successful job completion and timely issue resolution
• Perform data backup, restoration, and disaster recovery operations for physical and virtual environments
• Maintain and optimize backup infrastructure, including backup servers, media agents, and storage systems
• Troubleshoot system issues related to backup failures, performance degradation, and storage utilization
• Develop and enforce backup policies, retention schedules, and disaster recovery procedures in alignment with customer requirements
• Conduct regular backup validation and recovery testing to ensure system resilience
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to maintain secure and compliant operations
• Support audit readiness and compliance efforts by providing documentation and reporting
• Maintain detailed technical documentation
• Participate in on-call rotation and provide after-hours support as required

Skills

Commvault

Dell EMC Avamar

VMware vSphere/vCenter

Windows Server

Networking basics

Troubleshooting

Data protection concepts

Education

Bachelor's degree + 14+ years

Tools

Commvault

Dell EMC Avamar

Job description

Description

SAIC is seeking a Data Protection Engineer to support enterprise IT infrastructure in a mission-critical, on-premises environment. The selected candidate will be responsible for the administration, maintenance, and optimization of backup and recovery solutions, ensuring data availability, integrity, and compliance with Federal standards. This position requires a hands-on engineer with experience in Commvault, supporting secure, highly available systems within a government data center.

This role is hybrid and requires at least 3 days onsite.

This role is temporarily located in Springfield, VA and is expected to transfer in the near future. The candidate will have the option to select their preference when the work location changes to either Washington, DC or Beltsville, MD.

Key Responsibilities:

• Administer and support enterprise on-premises Commvault data protection platforms
• Monitor and manage daily backup operations, ensuring successful job completion and timely issue resolution
• Perform data backup, restoration, and disaster recovery operations for physical and virtual environments
• Maintain and optimize backup infrastructure, including backup servers, media agents, and storage systems
• Troubleshoot system issues related to backup failures, performance degradation, and storage utilization
• Develop and enforce backup policies, retention schedules, and disaster recovery procedures in alignment with customer requirements
• Conduct regular backup validation and recovery testing to ensure system resilience
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (systems, storage, network, cybersecurity) to maintain secure and compliant operations
• Support audit readiness and compliance efforts by providing documentation and reporting
• Maintain detailed technical documentation, including SOPs, system diagrams, and operational procedures
• Participate in on-call rotation and provide after-hours support as required

Qualifications

Required Experience & Education:

• Bachelors degree and 14+ years of relevant experience; masters and 12+ years; may accept additional experience in lieu of degree
• Hands-on experience with Commvault, Dell EMC Avamar or equivalent enterprise-class data protection system in an on-premises/data center environment
• Experience with enterprise backup architecture, including replication technologies
• Familiarity with storage platforms
• Experience supporting VMware vSphere and vCenter environments
• Knowledge of Windows Server
• Understanding of networking fundamentals related to backup and storage traffic
• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills

Required Clearance:

• US Citizenship
• Active secret clearance with the ability to obtain a top secret clearance

Preferred Qualifications:

• Relevant certifications (e.g., Dell EMC Proven Professional, Commvault Certified Professional, VMware VCP)
• Experience supporting Federal or DOS IT environments
• Familiarity with air-gapped backup solutions and ransomware protection strategies
• Experience with database backup and recovery (Oracle, SQL Server)

Target salary range: $160,001 - $200,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.