Systems Engineer

Sword is a leading provider of business technology solutions within the Energy, Public and Finance Sectors, driving transformational change within our clients.  We use proven technology, specialist teams and domain expertise to build solid technical foundations across platforms, data, and business applications.  We have a passion for using technology to solve business problems, working in partnership with our clients to help in achieving their goals

We are looking for a Systems Engineer to join our Managed Services team and take ownership of day-to-day operations for one of our key energy sector customers. You will be part of Sword's Technical Services function, with the backing of a wider engineering team, but your focus will sit with a single customer whose environment you will come to know inside out.

The role specifically covers three closely linked disciplines: enterprise NetApp storage, NetBackup-based backup and recovery, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux administration. The estate spans two London colocation datacenters and Aberdeen, and you will be the person who keeps it healthy, protected and secure every day. This is a hands-on operational role for someone who enjoys owning a platform, spotting problems before users do and steadily making things better rather than just clearing tickets.

Requirements

Storage

• Managing NetApp ONTAP clusters across multiple sites, including aggregate, volume and qtree capacity, SAN connectivity, SAN switches and internal cluster switching.
• Carrying out daily health checks on volume and aggregate utilisation and SnapMirror replication, and acting on alerts from NetApp Active IQ.
• Investigating ransomware detection alerts on each cluster, scanning suspect files and either acting on a genuine threat or clearing a false positive.
• Creating and expanding volumes, provisioning CIFS and NFS shares, configuring SAN zoning and managing snapshot access for restore requests.
• Planning and completing ONTAP upgrades, responding to vendor security advisories, managing controlled shutdowns and start-ups for power events, and keeping device lifecycle records current in the NetApp support portal.

Backup and recovery

• Administering NetBackup across two backup domains, including policies, scheduling and retention, on NetBackup appliances.
• Checking nightly, weekly and monthly backup results, investigating and resolving failures, and making sure catalogue backups complete on time.
• Keeping the NetBackup catalogue and EMM database consistent and healthy, and monitoring disk usage on master servers.
• Monitoring replication between offshore and onshore WORM and Data Domain storage, keeping replication in sync with no lag, and managing capacity ahead of upcoming backups.
• Performing file restores from NetBackup and NetApp snapshots, Exchange Online mailbox restores using Cohesity Alt SaaS Protection, and ad hoc archiving and archive recovery.

Linux

• Installing, upgrading and supporting Red Hat Enterprise Linux servers and workstations in line with application requirements.
• Deploying and maintaining Quest Authentication Services for Active Directory and sudo integration, SentinelOne endpoint protection and the Qualys vulnerability monitoring agent.
• Installing and supporting the Citrix Linux VDA where virtual Linux desktops are required.
• Managing user accounts through NIS, including home directory creation.
• Patching RHEL systems to remediate CVEs and security issues, and maintaining the Nagios availability monitoring server.

Service delivery and improvement

• Working the customer's ServiceNow queues for storage, backup and Linux, resolving incidents and requests within agreed service commitments.
• Coordinating with datacentre smart hands teams and hardware and software vendors for diagnostics, warranty work and escalations.
• Following the customer's change management, security and governance controls, and giving clear, plain-language updates during incidents and changes.
• Keeping procedures, runbooks and knowledge articles accurate, and contributing to root-cause analysis so recurring issues are fixed permanently.
• Spotting repetitive manual checks and helping automate or standardise them to reduce effort and operational risk.

Benefits

At Sword, our core values and culture are based on caring about our people, investing in training and career development and building inclusive teams where we are all encouraged to contribute to achieve success.

We offer comprehensive benefits designed to support your professional development and enhance your overall quality of life.  In addition to a Competitive Salary, here's what you can expect as part of our benefits package:

Personalised Career Development: We create a development plan customised to your goals and aspirations, with a range of learning and development opportunities within a culture that encourages growth.

Flexible working: Flexible work arrangements to support your work-life balance.  We can’t promise to always be able to meet every request, however are keen to discuss your individual preferences to make it work where we can.

A Fantastic Benefits Package: This includes generous annual leave allowance, enhanced family friendly benefits, pension scheme, access to private health, well-being, and insurance schemes, an employee assistance programme, discounted cash plan and more…..

At Sword we are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, ensuring that all applicants receive fair and equal consideration for employment, regardless of whether they meet every requirement.  If you don’t tick all the boxes but feel you have some of the relevant skills and experience we’re looking for, please do consider applying and highlight your transferable skills and experience.  We embrace diversity in all its forms, valuing individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Your perspective and potential are important to us.

If we can do anything to help make the hiring process more accessible, please let our talent acquisition team know when you apply so we can support any adjustments.