We are seeking an experienced Data Protection & Encryption Engineer to independently manage and deliver an enterprise backup, disaster recovery, and encryption project. The ideal contractor will have strong hands-on experience with Veeam, Zerto, Avamar, Data Domain, enterprise KMS/HSM solutions, VMware, Hyper-V, and storage infrastructure. This role requires someone who can assess an existing environment, implement solutions, troubleshoot issues, perform recovery testing, and document the final configuration with minimal supervision. Key Responsibilities Configure and manage enterprise backup, replication, and disaster recovery environments. Administer Veeam Backup & Replication, including immutable repositories and recovery workflows. Manage Zerto replication, VPGs, journals, failover/failback, and DR testing. Support Dell Avamar and Data Domain backup environments. Implement and maintain encryption and centralized key-management solutions. Work with CipherTrust, Luna HSM, or similar KMS/HSM platforms. Perform backup and restore validation and verify RTO/RPO requirements. Support VMware, Hyper-V, SAN/NAS, networking, DNS, and firewall dependencies. Improve ransomware resilience through immutable and isolated backup strategies. Troubleshoot production issues and coordinate technical changes as needed. Create clear operational documentation and DR runbooks. Required Skills Veeam Backup & Replication Zerto Dell Avamar / Data Domain CipherTrust Manager or similar KMS Luna HSM or similar HSM technology VMware vSphere / ESXi Microsoft Hyper-V SAN/NAS storage Windows and Linux TCP/IP, DNS, and firewall troubleshooting Disaster recovery, replication, RTO/RPO, and ransomware recovery Expected Deliverables Assessment of the current backup, encryption, and DR environment Stable and optimized backup/replication configurations Encryption and key-management configuration Tested backup restores and disaster recovery workflows RTO/RPO validation Ransomware-resilient backup recommendations or implementation Technical documentation and recovery runbooks Ideal Candidate We are looking for a senior engineer who can take full technical ownership of the engagement. You should be able to investigate issues independently, design and implement solutions, test your work, and carry technical problems through resolution without requiring continuous supervision. When applying, please briefly describe your hands-on experience with Veeam, Zerto, Avamar/Data Domain, KMS/HSM technologies, VMware, and disaster recovery, along with one relevant project you personally delivered.