SAN Architect Location: Chicago Position Overview: Provide technical leadership in the Storage & Data Protection infrastructure domain. Establish standards and guidelines for the design of technology solutions in the areas of SAN, NAS, Backup/Restore and Disaster Recovery and provide technical design recommendations with a goal of advancing storage and data protection capabilities within the environment. Support long-term IT organizational strategy and evolution of technology. Review and assist the Architecture community with defining high level requirements and conducting cost/benefits analysis to maximize utilization of available resources. Make recommendations for the establishment/update of standards and guidelines for the design of technology solutions including integration of storage technologies across multiple platforms and operating systems, including, but not limited to: Linux, AIX, z/OS, and Windows. Responsibilities: • Planning/Process Management: Planning activities include reviewing architectural concepts from both a technical perspective and business/financial perspective. Conduct cost/benefit analyses to determine proper architecture solutions. Reviews architectural proposals from other areas for feasibility and make suggestions for improvement when necessary. • Technical Leadership: Provide technical leadership to infrastructure and applications/systems development teams to advance infrastructure technology. Utilizing extensive knowledge of multiple technologies and platforms, provide technical design recommendations based on long-term IT organizational strategy and evolution of technology. • Mentoring: Takes responsibility for personal and team technical and professional growth. Serves as a technical resource providing guidance and advice to associates on storage and data protection capabilities for utilizing the full capability of technology in designing effective solutions. Provides leadership and follow through on complex problems. Review design and development work, instructing team members as needed and recommends re-design of solutions that do not fit the architecture design. • Analysis/Design: Analyze high level requirements and apply knowledge of business needs and technical architecture to determine appropriate course of action. Plan, design, and drive delivery for technologies that reduce costs or improve capabilities within the organization. Bridge the gap between business needs and technological solutions. An architect is a reuse advocate that must be able to define opportunities for reuse. An architect must not only provide analysis, but also facilitate design sessions. • Business Knowledge: Assist the Enterprise & Application Architects in defining high level requirements. Refine ability to combine knowledge of business environment with the architecture of technology solutions. Bridge the current technical capabilities with the business strategy of the organization. Evaluate possible implementation of new technology, consistent with the goal of improving existing systems and technologies and in meeting the needs of the business. • Technology Knowledge: Maintain a strong knowledge of IT systems and architectures. Continuously monitor and disseminate information on emerging technologies and key learning throughout the IT organization. • Communication: Communication is critical in forming the bridge between the technical and business realms. An architect must be fluent in both spectrums. The ability to convey complex technical processes to business people is an important feature of the architect role. Also participates in hiring process, conducts technical interviews, contributes to overall evaluation of candidates and makes recommendations for hiring. Qualifications: • Bachelor degree in computer science or a related discipline preferred with 11-12 years of infrastructure/systems/application analysis and design or demonstrated ability to meet job requirements through a comparable number of years of technical work experience • Previous experience and proven ability to define infrastructure/systems/application architectures is preferred. • Must have very good understanding of Architecture design process, methodology, and high level of understanding of business environment, strategy and needs. • Must have a high degree of understanding in the theories, methodologies and principals underlying technical analysis, design and implementation of software applications, systems, and/or databases. • Must have proven expert analytical and design skills at multi-product/multi-environment levels as well as an in-depth experience in research and analysis, project planning and implementation. • High understanding of entire development process, including specification, documentation and quality assurance. • Aware of business issues as they impact overall project plans. • Recognized reference and central point for technical issues across groups and products. Strong communications and interpersonal skills. • Must have strong knowledge of job specific technical skills specified in the requisition and be able to apply them to advance storage & data protection capabilities in the enterprise To Apply to this job go to http://www.GadBall.com or click here