Senior Manager – Storage and Data

Senior Manager – Storage and DataAbu Dhabi, UAE | PermanentAbout the ClientOur client is a high-growth technology powerhouse operating at the forefront of AI, cloud and digital infrastructure. With an ambitious vision for the future of technology, the organization is bringing together world-class engineering talent, advanced infrastructure and next-generation platforms to solve some of the most complex technology challenges at scale.This is an opportunity to join an environment where deep engineering, ambitious technology and genuine innovation come together, with the chance to influence the architecture of critical platforms and help shape what comes next.The OpportunityWe are looking for an experienced Senior Engineering Manager to lead teams responsible for the design, deployment, operation and continuous evolution of large-scale storage and data protection platforms.This is a role combining people management and strategic ownership with strong technical involvement. You will provide architectural guidance, support complex engineering initiatives, contribute to critical technical decisions and act as a senior escalation point when complex production challenges arise.Working across engineering, architecture, security, platform and operations teams, you will help shape the technology roadmap while ensuring the platforms under your leadership are scalable, secure, resilient and operationally robust.Key ResponsibilitiesLead and develop teams of storage engineers and infrastructure architects, creating a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, accountability and continuous development.Act as a senior technical authority across storage, backup and data protection, providing architectural guidance, design oversight and technology recommendations.Maintain hands-on involvement in complex engineering initiatives, architecture reviews, technical decisions and critical production escalations.Own the quality, scalability, resilience, security and operational readiness of solutions and engineering deliverables produced by the team.Oversee the architecture, deployment, operation and lifecycle management of distributed storage, backup, disaster recovery and data protection platforms.Establish and govern engineering standards, operational practices, automation approaches and technical controls.Ensure infrastructure solutions align with relevant security, risk, compliance and operational requirements.Plan and oversee major storage and data protection initiatives, working closely with cross-functional engineering, architecture, security and operations teams.Participate in architecture reviews, engineering governance and strategic technology discussions, providing technical recommendations and challenging designs where appropriate.Lead technology evaluations, vendor engagements, technical escalations and roadmap discussions.Act as a senior escalation point for critical production incidents, major outages and complex technical issues, providing technical leadership through incident response and root cause analysis.Provide senior leadership with technology recommendations, roadmaps and investment guidance relating to storage and data protection capabilities.Continuously assess emerging technologies across storage, AI infrastructure, cyber resilience and data protection, identifying opportunities to improve scalability, efficiency and service quality.Drive improvements in engineering processes, automation, documentation and operational standards across the function.What We're Looking ForBachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Software Engineering, Information Technology or a related discipline.12+ years of experience across storage, data protection, infrastructure or related technology environments.3+ years of experience leading engineering teams, including direct management and development of technical professionals.Proven track record as a hands-on technical leader with strong expertise across storage and data protection technologies.Deep experience with enterprise and distributed storage architectures, including NAS, SAN, object storage and software-defined storage.Experience designing and operating storage and data protection platforms supporting cloud, AI, HPC, Kubernetes, virtualization or other demanding workloads.Strong understanding of storage performance, capacity planning, scalability, resilience, multi-tenancy and infrastructure lifecycle management.Strong knowledge of Linux, virtualization, cloud infrastructure, automation, observability and platform engineering.Experience driving Infrastructure as Code, automation and operational tooling across infrastructure environments.Experience supporting mission-critical production environments and leading technical response to major incidents and complex operational challenges.Ability to provide architectural leadership, conduct technical reviews, mentor senior engineers and architects, and drive technical decisions across multiple initiatives.Strong understanding of security, compliance, data governance, risk management, cyber recovery and operational resilience.Experience managing strategic technology vendors, evaluating solutions and leading technical escalations and roadmap discussions.Strong commercial awareness and the ability to balance technical requirements with scalability, operational efficiency and investment considerations.Excellent leadership, communication, stakeholder management, mentoring, analytical and problem-solving skills.Relevant certifications across storage, data protection, cloud, Linux, Kubernetes, IT service management or related technologies are advantageous.You'll be an experienced technology leader who can operate comfortably between people leadership, technical strategy and hands-on engineering.You'll have the technical depth to challenge architecture decisions and guide senior engineers, while also having the leadership capability to build strong teams, manage competing priorities and communicate effectively with senior stakeholders.The ideal candidate will be someone who enjoys working on complex infrastructure problems, developing technical talent and shaping the evolution of critical platforms rather than simply managing from a distance.