Systems Engineer

About Backblaze

Backblaze is the object storage leader in the open cloud movement, fueling customer success with cloud storage built purposefully to unlock budgets, unburden administrators, and unleash innovators. Together with our partners, we’re helping customers break free from the restrictive, overpriced legacy solutions that hold them back, and blaze forward with the full power of the open cloud in their hands.

Founded in 2007, we scaled the business with less than $3 million in outside funding until 2021, when we did a traditional IPO on the Nasdaq stock exchange. Today, Backblaze generates over $100m in revenue and is the leading specialized storage cloud - managing over three billion gigabytes of data storage for 500K+ customers in 175+ countries, including businesses, developers, IT professionals, and individuals.

But while there is a lot to celebrate in our past, there is almost as much opportunity ahead of us. We are seeking a Systems Engineer to join our growing team!

About the role:

The Systems Engineer will play a crucial role in deploying and managing self-hosted Kubernetes clusters, ensuring observability, and maintaining persistent storage systems. This role requires expertise in monitoring tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, and VictoriaMetrics, as well as experience in alerting systems. The ideal candidate will also serve as a Ceph administrator and should be proficient in using configuration management tools like Ansible and Puppet. A strong background in scripting, particularly in Python, is essential.

What You’ll Do:

• Kubernetes Deployment and Management:

  • Deploy and manage self-hosted Kubernetes clusters.

  • Ensure high availability, scalability, and performance of Kubernetes environments.

  • Implement best practices for Kubernetes security and networking.

• Observability:

  • Set up and maintain monitoring and alerting systems using Prometheus, Grafana, and VictoriaMetrics.

  • Develop and maintain dashboards and visualizations for system metrics and application performance.

  • Configure alerting systems to proactively identify and resolve issues.

• Persistent Storage Management:

  • Act as the Ceph administrator for persistent storage solutions in the Kubernetes cluster.

  • Ensure data integrity, availability, and performance of storage systems.

  • Plan and execute storage capacity expansions and upgrades.

• Automation and Scripting:

  • Develop and maintain automation scripts using tools like Ansible, Puppet, or similar.

  • Write and maintain scripts in Python or other scripting languages to automate routine tasks and improve operational efficiency.

  • Contribute to infrastructure as code (IaC) initiatives.

The Right Fit:

• Proven experience as a Systems Engineer, DevOps Engineer, or similar role.

• In-depth knowledge of Kubernetes architecture, deployment, and management.

• Experience with observability tools: Prometheus, Grafana, and VictoriaMetrics.

• Strong understanding of alerting systems and configuration.

• Hands-on experience with Ceph storage systems and their administration.

• Proficiency in configuration management tools like Ansible and Puppet.

• Proficient in at least one scripting language, preferably Python.

• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and version control systems (e.g., Git).

• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure).

• Knowledge of other monitoring tools and technologies.

• Certification in Kubernetes, Ceph, or relevant experience.
  

At this point, we hope you're feeling excited about the job description you're reading. Even if you don't meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply. Learning, developing, and growing are key parts of our culture. We're eager to meet people who believe in our mission and can contribute to our team in various ways. We want people to feel comfortable expressing their true selves and to come, stay, and do their best work here.

Backblaze Perks:

• Annual Company bonus plan

• RSU grants for full-time employees

• 100% paid healthcare for family, including dental and vision

• 401K

• ESPP program

• Flexible vacation policy

• Maternity & paternity leave

• MacBook Pro to use for work plus a generous stipend to personalize your workstation

• Childcare bonus (human children only)

• Fertility treatment and support

• Learning & development program

• Commuter benefits

• Culture that supports a healthy work-life balance

To provide greater transparency to candidates, we share base pay ranges for all US-based job postings regardless of state. We set standard base pay ranges for all roles based on function, level, and country location, benchmarked against similar-stage growth companies. Final offer amounts include candidate location, skills, depth of work experience, and relevant licenses/credentials and may vary from the amounts listed below.

The base pay range for this position is $140,000 - $165,000

At Backblaze, we value being fair and good to our customers, partners, and employees. That’s why diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of our values. We are committed to fostering a workforce where all employees feel a sense of belonging regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, socio-economic status, ability, veteran status, and education. We believe that our dedication to cultivating a diverse workspace not only allows us to better serve our customers in over 175 countries, but further reinforces our commitment to doing the right thing. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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