Junior Cloud Specialist

Schurz Communications•Indianapolis, IN

14h•$35,000 - $38,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Junior Cloud Specialist is a hands-on technical role within our NOC / Continuity team. This role focuses on day-to-day cloud and systems hygiene, routine maintenance, patch auditing, backup verification, and documentation, leading to an exceptional customer experience with OTAVA. Working closely with senior systems and cloud engineers, the Junior Cloud Specialist follows established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and runbooks to execute recurring administrative tasks across virtualized platforms, Windows, and Linux environments.

Requirements

Basic administrative familiarity with Windows Server (services, Event Viewer, basic roles) and/or Linux (CLI navigation, file permissions, basic system utilities, package management)
Foundational understanding of virtualization principles (hypervisors, virtual machines, resource pools, VMware vCenter / vSphere basics)
Understanding of basic networking principles (IP addressing, subnets, DNS, DHCP, gateways, common network ports and protocols
Familiarity with data protection concepts (snapshots vs. backups, retention, replication, and basic recovery objectives like RTO/RPO)
Exceptional attention to detail with a disciplined approach to following checklists, change control guidelines, and established SOPs
Methodical troubleshooting ability, eager to investigate root causes and find efficiency improvements
Clear, professional written and verbal communication in English for internal documentation, cross-team handoffs, task coordination, etc.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively, prioritize work based on business and customer impact, and perform effectively in a fast-paced environment

Nice To Haves

CompTIA Cloud+, Network+, or Security+
VMware Certified Technical Associate (VCTA) / VMware Certified Professional (VCP)
Microsoft Certified Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) or Windows Server fundamentals

Responsibilities

Bring a collaborative, client-first mindset every day
Act as a professional representative of the OTAVA brand and its partners
Perform routine audits and searches across patch management and auditing tools to verify system compliance and agent health
Assist in scheduled maintenance and update cycles for Windows Server and Linux environments (patch deployment, service verification, post-maintenance health checks, etc.)
Assist with basic virtual machine operations within VMware vSphere environments (e.g., VM provisioning, snapshot cleanup and hygiene, resource adjustments)
Conduct daily checks and validations on automated backup and replication jobs (e.g., Veeam, Zerto, Actifio).
Identify and report failed or incomplete backup sessions; follow SOPs for standard retries and basic remediation or escalate to senior engineers
Perform proactive infrastructure monitoring, using centralized monitoring platforms
Acknowledge and investigate warning indicators, capacity alerts, or service degradations before they impact customer operations
Create, update, and maintain clear technical runbooks, checklists, and step-by-step SOPs
Document standard operational workflows, common issue workarounds, and maintenance results
Identify opportunities for workflow simplification and assist with basic automation tasks (PowerShell, Bash, or automation agents)
Support operational requests and maintenance tasks tracked in ticketing systems
Assist with escalation triage or task assignments following established escalation metrics, ensuring proper ticket updates and work logging
Perform other duties as required to help the Otava operations team achieve its objectives