Job Description

Resp & Qualifications

PURPOSE:

The Disaster Recovery Principal is responsible for the overall management, strategy, and execution of CareFirst's Disaster Recovery (DR) program. This individual contributor role works closely with a managed services provider and internal stakeholders to ensure the resilience and recoverability of CareFirst’s critical and non‑critical business applications and infrastructure. The position oversees the development, maintenance, and execution of DR policies, standards, procedures, and exercises, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and alignment with organizational objectives. The role is expected to drive innovation by leveraging AI, automation, and cloud‑native technologies to enhance disaster recovery capabilities and future‑prove the organization’s resilience strategies.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Program Management & Innovation

• Establish and maintain core DR program policies, standards, and procedures.
• Set program strategies and publish program metrics, leveraging AI‑driven analytics for predictive risk assessment and continuous improvement.
• Complete program assessment responses for internal and external audits.
• Document new standards for program, plans, and exercises, incorporating emerging technologies and best practices.
• Update and maintain current policies, procedures, strategy, and work instruction documents.
• Publish monthly DR metrics and respond to program assessments and audits, utilizing automated dashboarding and reporting tools.
• Evaluate and implement AI‑powered solutions for automated failover, incident response, and predictive modeling.

Disaster Recovery Planning

• Provide consultation and direction to application and infrastructure owners for DR strategy and planning, with a focus on cloud‑native and hybrid environments.
• Maintain oversight of critical and non‑critical enterprise business application DR plans.
• Conduct annual review and update of enterprise environment DR plan documents, integrating lessons learned from automated and scenario‑based exercises.
• Facilitate plan reviews and feedback sessions with owners.
• Collaborate and coordinate with core teams (e.g., Enterprise Architecture, Change Advisory Board, Enterprise Risk, IT Quality, IT Service Readiness, Technology Operations Center).
• Support real‑time dashboarding of environmental changes affecting DR strategies.
• Align DR program with industry standards such as NIST SP 800‑34, ISO 22301, and FFIEC guidelines.

DR Exercise Management

• Coordinate, plan, execute, and close large‑scale DR exercises, including automated and chaos engineering‑based tests.
• Collaborate and consult with application owners for single system and business application DR exercises.
• Drive automation and orchestration to conduct complex exercises with multiple interdependencies.
• Provide exercise consulting and assistance as required.
• Ensure continuous validation of DR plans through frequent, automated testing and scenario‑based exercises.

Metrics, Reporting, and Continuous Improvement

• Develop and maintain advanced dashboards for real‑time DR metrics using business intelligence and AI tools.
• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for DR readiness, recovery time objectives (RTO), and recovery point objectives (RPO).
• Analyze DR program data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.

Collaboration and Vendor Management

• Collaborate with cybersecurity, cloud architecture, and DevOps teams to ensure DR plans are integrated with broader enterprise resilience strategies.
• Manage relationships with third‑party DR service providers, including contract negotiation and performance monitoring.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education Level: Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science or related field OR in lieu of a Bachelor's degree, an additional 4 years of relevant work experience is required.

Licenses/Certifications:

• ITIL Foundations v3 within 180 Days Preferred

Experience: 10 years of relevant IT systems engineering experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience managing DR programs and exercises in large enterprise environments.
• Strong understanding of disaster recovery planning, policy development, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience working with managed services providers and cross‑functional teams.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and project management skills.
• Familiarity with automation tools, AI‑driven analytics, and dashboarding for DR metrics.
• Experience with cloud‑based DR strategies and hybrid environments.
• In‑depth knowledge of disaster recovery industry standards and frameworks, including NIST SP 800‑34, ISO 22301, and FFIEC guidelines.
• Proven ability to align DR programs with current industry best practices and regulatory requirements.
• Professional certifications such as CBCP, DRII, ABCP, CFCP, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect, or similar.
• Experience with AI/ML technologies in DR planning and execution.
• Knowledge of chaos engineering, automated DR testing, and advanced cloud security practices.
• Continuous learning mindset with a focus on emerging DR technologies and industry trends.

Salary Range: $146,000 - $260,975

Salary Range Disclaimer

The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the work is being performed. This compensation range is specific and considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education/training, internal peer equity, and market and business consideration. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at the top of the range, as compensation decisions depend on each case's facts and circumstances, including but not limited to experience, internal equity, and location. In addition to your compensation, CareFirst offers a comprehensive benefits package, various incentive programs/plans, and 401k contribution programs/plans (all benefits/incentives are subject to eligibility requirements).

Department

DR Hosted Environment

Equal Employment Opportunity

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield is an Equal Opportunity (EEO) employer. It is the policy of the Company to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

Where To Apply

Please visit our website to apply:

Federal Disc/Physical Demand

Note: The incumbent is required to immediately disclose any debarment, exclusion, or other event that makes him/her ineligible to perform work directly or indirectly on Federal health care programs.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The associate is primarily seated while performing the duties of the position. Occasional walking or standing is required. The hands are regularly used to write, type, key and handle or feel small controls and objects. The associate must frequently talk and hear. Weights up to 25 pounds are occasionally lifted.

Sponsorship in US

Must be eligible to work in the U.S. without Sponsorship

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