MFT Platform Engineer

Title: MFT Platform Engineer- Globus

Work Location: 100% Remote

Client: Mayo Clinic

Engagement Overview

Mayo Clinic has selected Globus as a strategic Managed File Transfer (MFT) platform to address critical gaps in secure, large-scale research data movement. The Globus platform is currently being installed in the GCP Cloud Data DMZ and is nearing completion of initial implementation. The Enterprise Interfaces team within the Enterprise Data organization has been designated as the operational home for Globus, alongside existing MFT solutions (Signiant and Cleo).

The contractor will embed within the Enterprise Interfaces team and serve as the primary technical resource for completing Globus operationalization, onboarding initial research customers, establishing operational support processes, and building the team's institutional knowledge of the Globus ecosystem. This engagement is designed to bridge an immediate capacity gap while the organization plans for long-term staffing through Phase 2 positions.

Key Architectural Elements:

• Globus SaaS control plane with user authentication via Entra ID (restricted to allowed identity providers: mayo.edu, globus.org, approved external institutions)
• Two internally hosted Compute Engine VMs running Globus Connect Server (GCS) v5 in the GCP Data DMZ
• GCP ingress and egress S3 storage buckets with a defined 30-day data lifecycle/retention rule
• GridFTP parallel transfer protocol across 443 and TCP ports 50000 51000 for high-performance data movement
• Globus Storage Gateways (Google S3 connectors) linking collections to GCP bucket storage
• Data movement performed by Globus-managed service accounts - no direct user access to underlying buckets
• User provisioning managed via Sailpoint
• Flat-fee licensing model for unlimited data transfer and unlimited endpoints (cloud and on-premises)

Globus Platform Expertise (Critical)

• 3+ years hands-on experience with the Globus platform, including Globus Connect Server v5 deployment, configuration, and administration
• Deep understanding of the Globus ecosystem: endpoints, collections (managed and guest), storage gateways, storage connectors (S3, POSIX), and the Globus Web App
• Experience with GridFTP protocol - concurrency, parallelism, data channel tuning, and performance optimization for large-scale transfers
• Familiarity with Globus Auth - OAuth 2.0 / OpenID Connect integration, federated identity management, and identity provider configuration
• Experience with Globus Flows for workflow automation and scheduled/recurring transfer operations
• Experience with Globus CLI and Globus Python SDK for scripting and automation
• Familiarity with Globus vendor support engagement processes

Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

• Hands-on experience with GCP Compute Engine (VM provisioning, management, and maintenance)
• Experience with GCP Cloud Storage (S3-compatible buckets, lifecycle policies, IAM, service accounts)
• Understanding of GCP networking - VPCs, firewall rules, DNS, ingress/egress controls, and DMZ architecture
• Experience with GCP IAM, service accounts, and RBAC
• Linux Systems Administration
• Strong Linux administration skills (the Globus Connect Server runs on Linux VMs)
• Proficiency with shell scripting (Bash), system monitoring, log analysis, and troubleshooting
• Experience with package management, service configuration, and security hardening on Linux

Networking & Security

• Understanding of network protocols: TCP/IP, GridFTP, DNS
• Experience configuring firewall rules for high-port-range protocols (TCP 50000 51000)
• Familiarity with Zero-Trust security principles and DMZ architecture patterns
• Understanding of HIPAA compliance as it applies to data transfer and PHI handling in healthcare environments
• Data Transfer & MFT Concepts
• Broad understanding of Managed File Transfer principles - secure transfer protocols, audit logging, compliance, and data governance
• Experience supporting large-scale data transfers (terabyte- to petabyte-scale) in research, academic, or healthcare environments
• Familiarity with other MFT tools (Signiant, Cleo, or similar) is a plus

5. Preferred / Nice-to-Have Skills

• Experience deploying Globus in a healthcare or regulated environment (HIPAA, NIST)
• Familiarity with Azure DevOps (ADO) for config/state management and CI/CD pipelines
• Experience with Terraform / Infrastructure as Code for GCP resource provisioning
• Knowledge of Sailpoint or similar identity governance platforms for user provisioning
• Experience with Entra ID (Azure AD) federation and SSO integration
• Familiarity with High-Performance Computing (HPC) environments and research data workflows
• Experience with monitoring/observability tools (Prometheus, Grafana, GCP Cloud Monitoring)
• Understanding of Box.com integration patterns (Globus + Box complementary architecture)

6. Other Requirements

• Self-directed problem solver Identifies issues, researches solutions, and proposes fixes without waiting for detailed instructions. Globus troubleshooting often requires deep dives into different layers of the stack (application, performance, networking, user-support).
• Strong communicator Able to explain complex technical concepts to both technical staff and research customers; produces clear, concise documentation.
• Enables others Actively transfers knowledge to internal team members; creates operational runbooks and training materials that enable the team to assume full ownership.
• Customer-oriented Comfortable working directly with research users to troubleshoot issues and guide them through data transfer workflows.
• Governance-aware Navigates Mayo Clinic change management, approval processes, and security review requirements effectively.
• Proactive Anticipates operational needs, identifies process improvements, and proposes solutions for long-term platform sustainability.

About TekNinjas

TekNinjas is a global IT staffing partner placing skilled professionals with leading enterprises and system integrators across the US, Canada, UK, India, and the EU. We focus on the right fit - not just the fast fill - and stay engaged with our consultants well beyond the start date.

We're the right partners in your success.

TekNinjas is an Equal Opportunity Employer.