Disaster Recovery Specialist Job Rochester area,New York USA,IT/Tech

Overview
This role is responsible for making sure the organization's IT services can withstand disruptions and be restored quickly when incidents occur. You will design, implement, and maintain disaster recovery (DR) and IT service continuity strategies, working closely with IT, business units, and external partners to protect critical business operations.

Key Responsibilities

Develop, implement, and maintain the organization's Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) and IT Service Continuity Plan (ITSCP) in alignment with business objectives and risk tolerance.
Define and manage Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs) for critical systems.
Perform Business Impact Analyses (BIA) to identify critical services, dependencies, and risks.
Design, lead, and document DR tests and service continuity exercises to validate recovery capabilities.
Partner with infrastructure and application teams to ensure robust backup, replication, and recovery strategies are in place and regularly tested.
Collaborate with enterprise Business Continuity Management (BCM) teams to integrate IT service continuity plans into broader business continuity strategies.
Define, track, and report KPIs and metrics that measure the effectiveness of DR and service continuity.
Serve as Incident Response Lead during actual disaster events, coordinating recovery efforts, technical teams, and communication with stakeholders.
Participate in IT Operations on-call / after-hours support as needed.
Ensure DR and continuity practices comply with relevant regulations and standards (e.g., ISO 22301, NIST, GDPR, HIPAA) and internal policies.
Develop and deliver training and awareness for IT and business teams on DR and continuity best practices.
Manage relationships with vendors and service providers to ensure third-party solutions meet DR and continuity requirements.
Perform other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Education & Experience

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Continuity, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
5+ years of experience in Disaster Recovery, IT Service Continuity Management, or a closely related discipline.
Hands-on experience with DR tools and technologies (e.g., VMware SRM, Azure Site Recovery, enterprise backup and replication platforms).
Experience in regulated industries (e.g., healthcare, finance, government) preferred.
Experience implementing automation for DR and recovery processes preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Strong knowledge of the ITIL framework, ITSM processes, and business continuity methodologies.
Solid understanding of cloud and hybrid infrastructure and associated recovery strategies.
Proven project management skills with the ability to lead cross-functional DR and continuity initiatives from planning through execution.
Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and decision-making skills.
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
Relevant certifications preferred, such as CBCP, ITIL, or ISO 22301 Lead Implementer.
Familiarity with Lean Six Sigma, Agile, or Dev Ops methodologies preferred.
Knowledge of cybersecurity resilience and its connection to DR and continuity preferred.

Preferred Licenses & Certifications

Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) or Certified Disaster Recovery Engineer (CDRE).
Advanced ITIL certifications (e.g., ITIL 4 Managing Professional, ITIL Service Continuity Management).