IT staff that work with very large, industrial data centres are involved with support and maintenance of systems and servers which are connected to large numbers of computers and information.
Data centre operations technicians and engineers are expected to have an excellent understanding of server administration on a range of operating systems as well as knowledge around storage, disaster recovery, and security arrangements. Fault diagnosis is essential, as well as troubleshooting skills, to enable the system to run smoothly at all times. Communication skills are important for this role, as is the ability to work as part of the team.
Qualifications and Salary Information
Salaries range from £20,000 p.a. to around £70,000 p.a. but this is dependent on both the role and the experience demonstrated by the candidate.
Both recruitment agencies and employers prefer candidates that hold computer engineering degrees such as BEng Electronic and Computer Engineering, BEng Computer Systems Engineering, and BEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering. All of these would enable a person to enter the industry at entry level, and would give them enough of a background to work upwards. Experience provides added value to a candidate and would be looked upon in a positive light and in certain circumstances of continuing professional development, some employers are prepared to provide the funding for masters degrees.