Senior IT Storage Leader

Senior IT Storage Leader

We are seeking an experienced and strategic IT Storage Lead to manage enterprise storage infrastructure across on-premises and cloud environments.

This role will support a wide range of functions, including R&D, clinical trials, manufacturing, quality, regulatory compliance, and enterprise applications.

The ideal candidate will bring deep technical expertise in storage architecture, security, operations, vendor management, governance, disaster recovery, and regulatory compliance (e.g., GxP, 21 CFR Part 11, HIPAA, SOX), particularly in regulated sectors such as Pharma/Life Sciences, BFSI, and Healthcare.

Key Responsibilities:

• Storage Architecture & Design:
  • Design and implement scalable, resilient storage solutions (SAN, NAS, object, and cloud storage).
  • Evaluate new technologies to align storage infrastructure with current and future business needs.
  • Collaborate with infrastructure, application, and cybersecurity teams for integrated solutions.
• Operations & Management:
  • Lead daily operations of storage platforms, ensuring uptime, reliability, and capacity planning.
  • Implement and maintain enterprise-wide backup, archiving, and retention strategies.
  • Monitor performance, availability, and health of storage systems using industry best practices.
• Cloud & Hybrid Storage:
  • Manage and optimize hybrid and cloud storage platforms (e.g., AWS S3, Azure Blob, GCP).
  • Oversee data migrations, integrations, and lifecycle policies in cloud-based environments.
  • Ensure consistency, availability, and compliance across multi-cloud and on-prem deployments.
• Security & Compliance:
  • Implement storage-level security: encryption, access control, audit logging, and anomaly detection.
  • Ensure compliance with GxP, 21 CFR Part 11, HIPAA, SOX, GDPR, and data integrity standards.
  • Partner with Quality/Regulatory teams for audits, inspections, and documentation readiness.
• Industry-Specific (Pharma & Life Sciences Focus):
  • Support regulated systems such as LIMS, MES, ERP, QMS, and clinical applications.
  • Ensure secure data handling across R&D, Quality, Regulatory, and Manufacturing domains.
  • Manage high-performance computing (HPC) storage for genomics or bioinformatics data.
  • Oversee cold storage, scientific data repositories, and long-term archiving strategies.
• Governance & Vendor Management:
  • Define and enforce storage governance, policies, and SLAs.
  • Manage vendors for hardware, software, and cloud storage, including contract and SLA negotiations.
  • Optimize licensing, procurement cycles, and vendor performance reviews.
• Disaster Recovery & Resiliency:
  • Develop and test storage resiliency, failover, and disaster recovery (DC/DR) strategies.
  • Ensure systems meet RTO/RPO targets and business continuity plans are in place.
• Project & Budget Management:
  • Lead complex projects such as migrations, upgrades, and new implementations.
  • Develop and manage project budgets and track expenditures.
  • Report on KPIs, risks, and project milestones to IT and business stakeholders.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Strong hands-on experience with enterprise storage systems (e.g., NetApp, Dell EMC, Pure Storage, HPE).
• In-depth understanding of storage protocols (FC, iSCSI, NFS, SMB) and data protection strategies.
• Familiarity with hybrid and cloud storage solutions (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Experience implementing compliance frameworks (e.g., GDPR, SOX, ISO 27001) in storage environments.
• Solid grasp of ITIL practices, risk management, and governance frameworks.
• Experience with scripting and automation tools is a plus (e.g., PowerShell, Ansible).

Desirable Certifications:

• NetApp Certified (NCDA/NCIE), Dell EMC Proven Professional, HPE ASE/MASE, Pure Storage Certification.
• ITIL Foundation or Intermediate.
• Project Management (PMP/Prince2) is a plus.
• Cloud certifications (AWS/Azure) are desirable.

Experience:

15+ years in enterprise storage management. 8+ years in a leadership or team lead capacity, managing or mentoring technical staff.

Functional and Behavioural Skills:

• Strong leadership and decision-making abilities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management.
• Analytical, proactive, and process-driven mindset.
• Ability to handle pressure and manage competing priorities.