Thursday, January 21, 2010

Comcast - SENIOR VIDEO ENGINEER, Sr. Oracle Architect, Sr Oracle DBA, Principal Architect, Software Engineer II

This individual will be a member of the Technical Operations organization supporting the National Video Applications and Comcast Digital Voice (CDV) tools Service desk on a 24/7 basis. This team is involved with the full range of activities necessary to deliver Video Applications to Set-Top-Boxes (STBs) and Advanced Tru2Way TV sets, as well as to provide necessary tools to monitor/troubleshoot the End-to-End CDV and Advanced Video Applications service offerings. The job includes working with vendors and several cross functional internal teams, implementing new systems and network designs, deploying new systems and software, performing day-to-day systems administration and operations activities, developing processes and best practices for the new services where they dont exist and streamlining existing ones, doing research as needed to accomplish all of the previous tasks, building or integrating reporting, monitoring, and analytics, etc.

MAJOR DUTIES


Function as an advanced Technical SME and engineering level point of escalation and support for various Comcast internal groups.

Key member of the team responsible for the day-to-day, 24x7x365 configuration, maintenance, administration, and operations of our Video Applications Servers, Video Probes and CDV tools.

Participate in all efforts associated with the MySQL databases of Video Applications Servers and CDV tools (doing performance analysis, optimization, standardization, monitoring, and day to day operations).

Assist in the Operations Readiness Acceptance of on-going capacity augmentations (new server deployments, etc.).

Prioritize critical issues, resources, patches, loads, etc and proactively update patches and drivers.

Perform Solaris and Red Hat Linux OS upgrades.

Perform application software upgrades, including MySQL, Oracle, TVWorks Platform Applications, JBOSS, etc.

Develop, execute and implement operations/surveillance practices to support a carrier class telecommunications (Voice/Video/Internet) network.

Develop processes and best practices for new services as well as streamline existing processes as necessary.

Maintain systems in twelve geographically-diverse datacenters.

Participate directly in testing on an as-needed basis to prepare for system upgrades and perform troubleshooting or other work.

Provide review and input to new technical requirements.

Provide daily and weekly reports to various internal teams as a result of work performed on critical Network Elements.

Provide On-Call support as needed.

Proactive identification and resolution of complex technical and operational issues .

Lead and manage Hardware and Software vendors to resolve service issues.

Identify opportunities and drive necessary enhancements into the products/platforms to improve the production environment and to stabilize immature technology.

Perform troubleshooting and lead problem resolution activities with other support teams (e.g. Product Engineering, network support, vendors), and produce Root Cause Analysis findings that focus on recommendations to learn from and avoid outage recurrence.


Demonstrated ability to deliver the items listed in the major duties section.

At least 5 years experience with UNIX and Linux System Administration (such as RedHat and Sun Solaris) in multi-server environment is required.

At least 5 years experience with MySQL Database Administration in multi-server environment is required.

At least 5 years experience with Shell and PERL scripting.

At least 5 years experience with web or other IP applications is required.

At least 5 years experience with web servers such as Apache, JBoss, or BEA WebLogic is required.

At least 5 years experience with Video components such as DACS, NC1500, QAM Modulators, QPSK Mod/Demods, RADDs, DNCS, Set-Top-Box Administration, Switched Digital Video, etc.

At least 5 years experience with Video On Demand systems (Seachange, Concurrent, Tandberg, etc).

Direct MySQL knowledge, as well as experience working with large systems relational databases is required.

Detail knowledge and experience on VOD systems is required.

HFC and Digital Video (MPEG2, MPEG4, etc) experience/knowledge is a plus.

OCAP/DSG/DOCSIS experience/knowledge is a plus.

Direct Linux and Solaris certifications are a plus.

Experience with TVWorks Platform components and Applications is a plus.

Demonstrated understanding of the software development life cycle and agile development is required.

Knowledge and experience with Remedy trouble ticketing systems.

Punctual, regular, and consistent attendance are a must.

Attention to detail, excellent written and verbal communication skills are required.

Demonstrated ability to work effectively across organizational boundaries.

Demonstrated ability to act and work effectively with 3rd party technology vendors.

Able to adapt to Network Event needs in terms of availability, accessibility, and 7/24 environment.

Demonstrated ability to work with minimum direction.

Strong, independent problem solving skills; must be self-directed and able to work as a team leader/follower, and able to work in high stress situations.
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Create and maintain database policies, standards and overall documentation including availability, replication, availability, and backup & recovery policy, service level agreement, baseline architecture, change management, access to production, unsupported HW/SW, security & audit violations and risk acceptance

Engineer end-to-end solutions which requires interaction with other engineering teams like Storage, Systems, Platforms, Networks and Backup & Recovery

Develop the necessary automation for routine database work that be used by other teams.

Provide solid documentation and records supporting work and deliverables

Test and document best practices

Become a master on database architecture, concepts, system usage, performance management, capacity planning and availability management

Conduct proactive performance, capacity and availability audits. Identify opportunities and implement solutions to enhance existing database systems and infrastructure. Create and execute on an action plan.

Participate in IT and business projects to define system requirements and recommend technology solutions. Translate complex technical concepts and proposals into understandable and justifiable business objectives.

Develop detailed logical and physical design solutions through understanding business and technology strategies and roadmaps in line with company policies and architectural standards

Lead/facilitate meetings and conduct presentations for both technical and non-technical staff including senior-level management staff; communicate and translate complex technical concepts and proposals into understandable and justifiable business initiatives.

Research, benchmark, document and introduce new database technologies and features into application life cycle or infrastructure

Participate in an on-call rotation; maybe required to work on a shift rotation and work after hours including weekends.


Applies advanced DBMS methodologies in one or more application and engineering areas.

Contributes to the development of new principles & concepts.

Expert knowledge of company & organization policies, practices & procedures

Advanced oral & written communication skills

Expert knowledge of business operations and supporting interface systems

Expert knowledge & application of process design and redesign skills

Expert knowledge & application of project management skills

Expert knowledge of client /server technology

Advanced teamwork skills

Expert knowledge of DBMS concepts, skills and their application along with architecture and design

Willingness and aptitude to learn and deploy new technologies

Expert in the following areas:
Transact SQL, SQL, PL/SQL
SQL Server 200x, Oracle 10g/11g, MySQL
Oracle RAC, Clusterware
Performance tuning
Replication services, Oracle Streams
Availability: MSSQL Mirroring, Oracle Data Guard
Backup and Recovery Rman, NetBackup

5 years of extensive experience in at least one UNIX scripting language (e.g., AWK, PERL) as it relates to automation of manual database tasks, monitoring and maintenance
10 years of extensive experience in database availability management in technologies such as RAC, Rman, Streams, and Data Guard
8 years of extensive experience in database performance and capacity management
10 or more years directly related database experience
Experience in at least two of the following (integration of OSS systems, C/C++/Java programming, reporting interfaces, data modeling, TCP/IP networking protocols)
Advanced Degree in Engineering and Certification required (Viewed internally as an expert within the field)

Desired Skills & Experience


Strong organizational and problems solving skills

Knowledge and experience with Operating Systems, Storage architecture, Network topology, Middleware, application servers, Security, Auditing, and compliance.

Excellent communication and presentation skills

Excellent critical thinking and problem solving skills

Required/Preferred Certifications:


Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) in Oracle 10g and/or 11g is preferred

Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) for Database Administrators is preferred
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Works on usually complex DBMS application problems and provides solutions which are highly innovative and ingenious.

Decisions serve as precedents for future issues.

Errors will result in failure to achieve critical organizational objectives, incur significant expenses and/or impact current and near term financial performance within the business unit.

Functions independently.

Works under consultative direction toward predetermined long-range objectives. Determines and pursues course of action necessary to achieve results.

Frequently serves as team lead on multiple projects, often spanning different technology disciplines within the organization.

Provides functional or program leadership.

May directly supervise support staff and/or small group of less experienced team members.
Responsibilities:

Create and maintain database policies, standards and overall documentation including backup and recovery policy, service level agreement, baseline architecture, change management, access to production, unsupported HW/SW, security violations and risk acceptance

Develop the necessary automation for routine database work.

Become the expert regarding database system usage, performance management, capacity planning and availability management

Conduct proactive performance, capacity and availability audits. Identify opportunities and implement solutions to enhance existing database systems and infrastructure

Participate in IT and business projects to define system requirements and recommend technology solutions.

Develop detailed logical and physical design solutions through understanding business and technology strategies and roadmaps in line with company policies and architectural standards

Lead/facilitate meetings and conduct presentations for both technical and non-technical staff including senior-level management staff; communicate and translate complex technical concepts and proposals into understandable and justifiable business initiatives.

Research, benchmark and introduce new database technologies and features into application life cycle or infrastructure


Applies advanced DBMS methodologies in one or more application and engineering areas.

Contributes to the development of new principles & concepts.

Expert knowledge of company & organization policies, practices & procedures

Advanced oral & written communication skills

Expert knowledge of business operations and supporting interface systems

Expert knowledge & application of process design and redesign skills

Expert knowledge & application of project management skills

Expert knowledge of client /server technology

Advanced teamwork skills

Expert knowledge of DBMS concepts, skills and their application

Willingness and aptitude to learn and deploy new technologies

Expert in the following areas:


Transact SQL, SQL, PL/SQL

SQL Server 200x, Oracle 10g/11g, MySQL

Oracle RAC, Clusterware

Performance tuning

Replication services, Oracle Streams

Availability: MSSQL Mirroring, Oracle Data Guard

Backup and Recovery Rman, NetBackup


Extensive experience in at least one UNIX scripting language (e.g., AWK, PERL)

Experience in at least two of the following (integration of OSS systems, C/C++/Java programming, reporting interfaces, data modeling, TCP/IP networking protocols)
Required Skills & Experience:

10 or more years directly related engineer experience

Advanced Degree in Engineering and Certification required (Viewed internally as an expert within the field)
Desired Skills & Experience

Strong organizational and problems solving skills

Knowledge and experience with Operating Systems, Storage architecture, Network topology, Middleware, application servers, Security, Auditing, and compliance.

Excellent communication and presentation skills

Excellent critical thinking and problem solving skills
Required/Preferred Certifications:
Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) in Oracle 10g and/or 11g is preferred
Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) for Database Administrators
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This position is responsible for managing, gathering, and processing information related to Comcast operations architecture leadership and delivery. Responsibilities include BSS and/or OSS (Business/Service/Network management) operational and technical architecture. This individual will collaborate with Comcast technical teams, business, engineering product teams, Operations personnel, Enterprise Technology, Product Managers, and Strategic Partners/Vendors in gathering or creating Operational requirements and engineering comprehensive and cost-effective operations architectures that meet functional and performance expectations.

The candidate will be expected to function in the role as a Operations Architect. The ops architect will lead the design, build, and test of development and operations architecture components/solutions. The Operations Architect has multiple levels of participation depending on the lifecycle:
Concept Phase:
In the Concept Phase, the OA is responsible for discovering potential operational and security requirements and identifying integration points with existing systems.

Analysis Phase:
In the Analysis Phase, the OA is the skin in the game for operations during early design and vendor analysis. At this phase, the OA defines/enforces initial requirements for security, maintainability, monitoring, data retention, scalability, reporting and performance. The OA will ensure that logging complies with established standards around level of detail, format and location.
Design:
In the Design Phase, the OA works with development/COTS vendors to establish a scaling model, gathers availability requirements and loops in necessary SMEs such as the Security team, Network Engineers, SAN engineers, etc. The OA also works closely with development to ensure that the initial design adheres to the operational requirements established in the previous phase. The output mid-way through this phase is a physical topology diagram of the dev, functional QA, and integration environments. The physical design for Production and Staging (Performance Testing Env) are delivered at the end of this phase. These diagrams are used as blueprints by the different teams to purchase/build the environments.

Development:
In the Development Phase, the OA works with the dev team to validate assumptions related to the scaling model and application performance. Once final scaling numbers are established and changes in sizing are accounted for, the hardware orders are placed. The OA reviews in the system design in detail with the impacted operations teams. Also during this phase, the OA facilitates an Operational Review between development and the production support teams and a Security Review between development and the security team(s).

Testing:
In the Testing Phase, the OA reviews performance test data. The OA designs and facilitates operational recoverability testing with the Test Engineers, DBAs and SAs. These results are used to validate the design against the requirements established in the initial phases. The OA is the SME for the infrastructure and helps identify any design performance/availability issues. The OA works with Engineering to address infrastructure gaps found during testing and creates CRs for development to address code-related issues. The output of this phase is the Run Book describing the various points of failure and failover mechanisms.

Implementation:
In the Implementation Phase, the OA works with Operations to do last minute checks to ensure all components are available and functioning as designed (connectivity between systems, port definitions, etc). Monitoring is also tested in this phase. The OA is also an escalation point for Infrastructure-level questions and issues.

In addition to their role in the SDLC, the OA is responsible for recommendations related to:
- Shared Infrastructure not tied directly to a single project
- Operational Support Structure
- Infrastructure Standards (host naming, filesystem, port numbering, appliances)
- Monitoring and Management Tools/Standards

Good knowledge of Server, Database, SAN, Security, Hosted solutions and Telecom Network architecture are highly desired.

Education and Experience
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science / Information Systems/Electrical engineering desired, 8-10 years experience managing Enterprise Equipment and Telecom infrastructure.
10+ years of IT operational experience supporting a 24X7 production environment
7+ years experience with Linux/Unix systems administration
3+ years development experience in preferably in Java technologies
3+ years of Database administration experience in Oracle or MySQL
Minimum of 2 years integrating LDAP into directory structures and/or managing directories
3+ years of Data Base administration experience in Oracle or MySQL
5 to 7 years experience with operation and management of Cable /Telecom architecture. Knowledge of data life cycle and Enterprise backups
Thorough understanding of TCP/IP fundamentals (DNS, FTP, SSH), general networking technologies, network architecture and connectivity troubleshooting
Experience with server hardware builds, OS install, patching and maintenance
Strong experience with relevant scripting or programming languages (perl, JavaScript, Python, C, Java, etc.)
Experience with SAN/NAS technologies
Knowledge of server systems design, RAID and disk subsystems, cluster management, troubleshooting, and hardware replacement
Familiarity with multi-tiered, highly available web applications in a hosted datacenter environment -including administration, configuration, troubleshooting, performance tuning, and preventative maintenance
Familiarity with basic project management methodologies
Solid understanding of IT Security best practices
Skills
Experience with BSS/OSS enterprise architecture
Experience in the operation and maintenance of architectures based upon Service Oriented Architecture technologies and methodologies.
Experienced in cross functional architecture and delivery development team leadership/mgmt
Hands on system development and integration design experience/background (SOA, J2EE, OO, distributed architecture).
Demonstrated experience in BSS/OSS/IT Solution architecture design and delivery.
Effectively manages administration and troubleshooting of group-level system
Identifies, analyses, and drives problems to resolution, handling complex issues simultaneously while effectively communicating across teams
Builds team relationships across the organization
Delivers customer service excellence by knowing customer's business needs, identifying appropriate technical solutions, and meeting/exceeding service expectations
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Position Summary: This individual will be part of a software development engineering team responsible for analyzing, designing, developing, integrating, testing, implementing, and documenting new and existing application software programs.
Major Duties
Bachelor's Degree or Masters in Computer Science
Provide software development expertise in developing a cross-service provisioning platform for Comcast
Analyzes requirements, designs and develops software applications in client/server environment and/or web deployed applications.
Interacts with end users to gather requirements and scope the systems.
Participates in unit, integration, and system test procedures.
Document final program and develop user instructions, software/hardware requirements, program input / outputs and execution / installation steps.
Six to Eight years experience in programming (Java Development experience preferred)
Three to six years experience with J2EE/Apache/Web logic/ Servlets 2.3, EJBs, Web Services, JSP 1.2, JSTL 1.1,and Struts 1.2, JavaScript, IE , CSS development and tuning
SOLID hands on experience on Presentation Tier involving JSP, Custom Tags, Servlet, AJAX
Two to four years experience with Oracle 9i/PL/SQL and JDBC will be preferred
Two to four years of experience Unix and Unix shell scripting
Experience Remedy, PVCS and Eclipse
Strong skills in solving complex problems
Experience in cable industry preferred
Preferred Requirements:
Familiarity with network programming, firewalls, routers and load balancers.
Deep and broad technical knowledge of cable and IP network technologies, cable company operations, and I.T. solutions
Knowledge of CableLabs industry projects such as CableHome, PacketCable, DOCSIS, and OpenCable
Strong interpersonal skills; capable of writing recommendations and interacting with company personnel on complex topics
Demonstrated experience of participating on teams of technical experts in a diverse, fast-paced, 7 x 24 environment.
Proven experience meeting large deliverables with fixed and aggressive deadlines.
Ability to present clear, concise reporting on concurrent projects and issues
Proven analytical and problem solving skills