Platform Services Engineer - Sandton at Discovery Limited

Key Purpose

The core purpose of this role is for the individual to take a technical lead within the PAAS team, demonstrating the ability to run and support the other team members as well as our customers at a senior level. Focusing on solving complex problems and finding solutions for new and unsolved issues.

Areas of responsibility may include but not limited to

Strategic Objectives:

• Provides input into strategic objectives for Platform as a Service with regards to one or two platform services, whether it be on-premises or in the cloud.

People Leadership:

• Liberate the best in people. Support the team and departmental objectives, delivering a high standard of results and accountability. Support and coach the other team members while supporting the team manager to achieve the team’s goals.

Operational Excellence:

• Drive operational metrics as set for the team and help maintain and improve all metrics while focusing on delivering the highest standards.

Service Availability:

• Ensure the reliability and availability of one to two platform services on-premise and in the cloud by ensuring that operational metrics are monitored.

Technical Leadership:

• Demonstrate technical leadership to his or her fellow team mates as well as support to the team manager. Keeps abreast of technological advancements impacting the platform services of the team.

Execution / Project Delivery:

• Drives the successful delivery of medium sized projects, with impact to the team or department, or multiple smaller projects for the team, within the agreed, communicated timelines and budget.

Business Astuteness and Prudence:

• Support the teams mandate to work within the allowed budget by optimizing where possible.

Customer Experience:

• Monitor metrics and work closely with our customers to improve the customer experience of the platform services for the team.

Vendor Engagement:

• Work with vendor Technical Account Managers and Solution Architects to uplift the stability and effectiveness of the supported platforms.

Technical skills

• Deep technical skill in supporting the core platform that support the services offered. The ability to own complex problems and drive to resolution
• Strong technical skills with the ability to support a team of technical resources to achieve team and departmental goals
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Demonstrated ability in people relationships, risk management, project management and change management across all platform services or products and typically within a single team.
• Good Communication and interpersonal skills, dealing with people at Specialist level and below
• Good cross-functional collaboration skills and relationship building skills
• Ability to achieve results in supporting large-scale projects impacting multiple teams in the department or multiple smaller projects within a team context
• Strong Customer Focus
• Ability to prioritize in a complex fast-paced environment

Education and Experience

• Completed Matric
• At least 3 years of IT experience in a technical support role.

One of the following:

• Working within a team that provision, maintain and operate Platform Services which may include virtualization through VMWare or Cloud Services in AWS and/or Azure, or Containerization
• Working with a team utilizing VMWare virtualization, automation, logging, networking, storage or cloud management products
• Working with a team utilising and operating services in AWS
• Exposure to Kubernetes and Public cloud services like AWS
• VMWare or similar Associate level Qualification in Virtualization, Automation, Networking, Operating Systems, Storage or DevOps
• AWS or similar Associate level Qualification in Solutions Architecture, SysAdmin, DevOps, Security or networking
• VMWare certification in virtualization, networking, storage, operations, automation, security and/or containerization (Advantageous)
• AWS Associate and/or professional level certification in solutions architecture, systems administration, DevOps, security and/or networking (Advantageous)
• ITIL Certification (Advantageous)