A Storage Infrastructure Specialist is requiered to optimise a Dell PowerScale and Isilon environment to ensure maximum performance, efficiency, and scalability. The specialist will play a key role in supporting the agency’s petabyte-scale storage platform, which underpins critical Media & Entertainment workflows, including high-throughput media ingest, editing, archival, and retrieval.

Key duties

• Produce a comprehensive technical audit report documenting the current storage architecture, operational health, risks, and strategic recommendations.
• Develop clear architecture diagrams representing cluster configuration, storage tiering, and data services.
• Create operational runbooks to guide administration, troubleshooting, and routine storage maintenance.
• Deliver capacity and growth forecasts with actionable recommendations to ensure scalability and efficient storage utilisation.
• Conduct structured knowledge transfer sessions with ICT staff to enable ongoing management and operational continuity.

Technical Scope

• Review and optimise storage cluster configuration, including all-flash, archive, and legacy nodes.
• Analyse and optimise PowerScale data services, including SmartPools, SnapshotIQ, SyncIQ, and tiering strategies.
• Identify and address storage performance bottlenecks, including metadata efficiency, I/O, and protocol-level throughput (SMB/NFS).
• Recommend architectural changes to improve storage performance, utilisation, and reliability.
• Produce clear documentation of the storage environment, including implementation and maintenance guidance.

Skills and experience

• Expert hands-on experience with Dell PowerScale and Isilon (OneFS 8.x/9.x).
• Proven ability to design, administer, and optimise enterprise-scale storage environments for high-performance workloads.
• Deep understanding of scale-out NAS architecture, storage tiering, and data services.
• Experience documenting complex storage environments and producing operational runbooks.
• Strong communication skills to present technical findings and recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Scripting skills (Python/Bash) for automation and data analysis are highly desirable.

Criteria

• Proven experience in designing, administering, and optimising enterprise-scale Dell PowerScale and Isilon storage environments, to support high-performance and large-scale workflows.
• Strong communication and documentation skills, with the ability to translate technical findings into actionable recommendations, engage effectively with stakeholders, and operate within structured change management frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues across multi-protocol (SMB/NFS) storage systems, ensuring stability, performance, and data integrity in demanding operational environments.
• Comprehensive understanding of storage security, data protection, and lifecycle management principles, including system hardening, access controls, replication, and backup/recovery strategies.
• Scripting skills (Python/Bash) for automation and data analysis are highly desirable.