Senior Specialist - Cloud Infrastructure Operations Technology Information at MTN

Job Description

• Primary responsibility is to ensure the smooth functioning of an organization's cloud infrastructure. They work closely with other IT professionals, such as developers, architects, and system administrators, to design, implement, and maintain cloud-based solutions. The job description for cloud computing includes migrating applications, optimizing resources, and ensuring data security and compliance
• As a Cloud Infrastructure Specialist, your role in the Information Technology industry would involve building and maintaining the infrastructure that enables cloud computing. You would be responsible for designing, planning, and implementing cloud-based solutions that meet the needs of MTNSA, ensuring they are secure, scalable, and sustainable.
• Strategic Project Execution – Own project-level cloud issues and actively drive them towards resolution whilst ensuring support and engineering readiness for key milestones.
• Utilise containerization technologies such as Docker and container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes and manage and orchestrate containerized applications to ensure scalability, resilience, monitoring, and performance.
• Work closely with development teams to understand application requirements and optimise cloud resources and documenting processes, configurations, and best practices for knowledge sharing and future reference.
• Security and Compliance needs to be developed and implement at all levels of the cloud infrastructure to protect data and systems.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a key responsibility for a Cloud Infrastructure Specialist, involving the use of tools like Terraform and Bicep to ensure the smooth functioning of cloud infrastructure.
• It's important to have a working knowledge of the Microsoft O365 platform and to understand the impact of cloud infrastructure on the company's strategic needs.

Financial Management

• Contribute to budget forecast, planning, and development in line with MTN SA's financial requirements
• Identify and eliminate non-contributory expenditures
• Completion, presentation, and approval of Business Cases for owned Projects (CAPEX)
• Provide Technical and Financial input to non-owned Projects 
• Provide the Technical Detail to Procurement, to raise Purchase Orders for the procurement of Infrastructure and Services
• Track the progress of Purchase orders with Procurement

Contract Management

• Assist Commercial and Procurement with Technical Consultation in contract negotiations with Vendors
• Provide Technical content for  RFP’s and RFQ’s
• Assist Commercial and Procurement with the Technical evaluation of RFP’s and RFQ’s

Capacity Management

•  Plan and Maintain capacity on infrastructure building blocks
• Identify initiatives that will free up capacity (over allocated environment or unused environments)
• Identify initiatives that will reduce Software Licensing requirements (Server virtualization, Core reduction on Enterprise Platforms Etc.) 
• Manage capacity based on organic growth and project-related requirements

Vendor Management

• Maintain vendor interaction for infrastructure platforms, designs and technologies
• Manage dependencies between multi-sourcing vendors
• Maintain the relevant MTN SA vendor relations 
• Ensure that the vendor provide the maximum value at a minimum cost to MTN SA

Asset and Configuration Management (Hardware and Software)

• Implement asset management lifecycle practices are followed (plan, procure, upgrade/optimize, retire)
•  Document Infrastructure assets  in the CMDB
• Ensure that the relationships between Infrastructure CI’s in the CMDB is defined to such a degree that the CMDB represents the Physical Operations Model of the Infrastructure Layers of for the infrastructure designs

Project Management

• Provide prioritisation for IS Projects
• Complete Project Terms of Reverence Documentation or review/approve Statement of Work documentation provided by Vendors
• Track Project Budgets, Sign-off Project Milestones and Invoices
• Fulfil the Role of Project Owner for Infrastructure Services - IS Planning and Scheduling owned Projects
• Fulfil the role of Infrastructure Architect, if required on non-owned Projects
• Manage team to execute on rationalisation and optimization projects so as to maximise efficiencies
• Conduct regular meetings where projects, goals, objectives, performance, risks, issues and mitigation plans are presented and discussed 
• Ensure that Policies, Procedures and Project Governance are followed in the execution of the Project
• Ensure and manage optimal performance of contracted or projected resources
• Re-prioritization of resource and projects
• Decision-making and ownership of problems, issues and risks on projects

Demand Management

• Execute on the agreed Infrastructure Services - IS Planning and Scheduling Business Plan within the constraints of approved Budgets (owned) 
• Manage demand for unplanned infrastructure requirements
• Assist other departments with Infrastructure Requirements (non-owned) by providing technical input into Business Cases, obtaining Quotes (in conjunction with Procurement) and assisting with the procurement of the Infrastructure, Services or Software Licensing
• Action day to day requests for infrastructure or services raised by Business 

Software Licence Management

• Manage Software licensing of Vendors, for example Redhat, VMware and others
• Implement initiatives that can reduce Licensing costs
• Manage Software Licensing Maintenance/Support Contracts

Continuous Improvement and optimisation

• Infrastructure Services - IS Planning and Scheduling and Infrastructure Services – Operations will function as a cohesive Unit
• Discuss Project Progress, and resolve issues that can impact Project timelines
• Resolve any capacity or operational issues raised by operations and, if required, update or change Infrastructure designs and capabilities
• Provide Operations the opportunity to provide input into the Infrastructure Roadmaps and Blueprint designs
• Meet with Vendors on a regular basis to discuss opportunities for optimization and cost reduction
• Research new Infrastructure Technologies and conduct Proof of Concept Projects to demonstrate possible value to Business 

Cloud Management 

• Design, build, and manage the cloud infrastructure environment.
• Work closely with IT security to monitor the company’s cloud privacy.
• Offer guidance in infrastructure movement techniques including bulk application transfers into the cloud.
• Identify the top cloud architecture solutions to meet the strategic needs of the company successfully.
• Handle and resolve infrastructure issues.
• Collaborate with team members to improve the company’s cloud management and deployment plans.
• Perform cloud servers including security configurations, patching, and troubleshooting.
• Develop and organize cloud systems.
• Work closely with the development team to identify and ensure that the cloud solutions meet company standards of reliability.
• Implement and automate security controls, governance processes, and compliance validation.
• Manage disaster recovery and create backup policies.
• Utilize technology to automate tasks and reduce manual efforts.
• Design and deploy secure, scalable, and robust cloud environments
• Implement and optimize cloud infrastructure for best cost, performance, and security
• Develop scripts for automating cloud/server functions
• Ensure business continuity through effective disaster recovery and backup procedures
• Manage and troubleshoot the cloud infrastructure
• Implement cloud-specific best practices and standards
• Work collaboratively with software engineering to define infrastructure and deployment requirements
• Monitor system performance and ensure reliability and availability
• Conduct technical reviews and audits of cloud infrastructure
• Stay current with industry trends and recommend changes to maintain competitive advantage

Infrastructure Design

• Complete infrastructure designs to the appropriate level of detail, ranging from simple capacity increases, build documents (simple requirements) to complex detail Infrastructure Designs (new implementations like Exchange, LYNC and SQL 2014)
• Upgrade, revise and optimise infrastructure based on changing business and operational requirements
• Provide Infrastructure Design Services to other Business units like Group, EBU and Service Delivery
• Design, implement and optimise Infrastructure Building Blocks like Enterprise Oracle Database and Application Platforms, Virtualisation Platforms, Shared SQL Database Farms, Tapeless Backup platforms, Shared Storage Platforms
• Compile Infrastructure Blueprints and roadmaps

Infrastructure Implementation

• Manage the implementation of Data Centre Infrastructure (APC Racks, Network and Fiber Switches, Network and Fiber Cabling, Power cabling) for owned and non-owned Projects
• Assist Infrastructure Services – Operations and Data Centre Manager in A and B Power Testing in IS Data Centres
• Assist Data Centre Manager in the implementation of Data Centre Best Practices (Hot Cold Isle, Cooling, Cable management, rack utilization etc.)
• Implementation of Server and Storage Infrastructure as per IS Business Plan, BAU requirements and IS Projects

Business Continuity

• Provide the infrastructure capability to implement a Disaster Recovery Plan in conjunction with outsourcer, other IS Departments, vendors and partners

Governance

• Ensure that corporate governance is implemented and adhered
• Compliance and adherence to MTN SA Policies and Standards and remediation of audit findings
• Ensure alignment with Best Practices (ITIL, TOGAF, eTOM, CoBIT, PMP, others) and ensure updates to Practices
• Ensure focus on IT Security, Governance and Best Practice Controls via established and continuously evolving methods of mitigating current/future threats 
• Define auditable processes and governance that will ensure the delivery of quality Infrastructure deployments 

Communication and co-ordination

• Support the development and maintenance of sound interworking between Infrastructure Services - IS Planning and Scheduling, Infrastructure Services – Operations and other departments like Service Delivery, EBU and Group
• Interface with other areas of the MTN SA business for effective customer support, reporting on business KPIs as appropriate 
• Interface effectively with vendor interfaces for function specific products and services systems
• Ensure rapid response and appropriate support for high value customers and efficient and effective support is provided for all customers
• Monitor and manage overall customer satisfaction

Plan new or changed services

• Ensure planning for the new or changed services are conducted on time 
• Authorise design, development and transition activities
• Communication to relevant parties
• Identify, assess and manage risks;
• Test new or changed services;
• Expected outcomes from

Audit Management 

• Create and approve documents prior to issue
• Communicate to interested parties about new or changed documents
• Review and maintain documents as necessary
• Ensure that changes and the current revision status of documents are identified
• Ensure that relevant versions of applicable documents are available at points of use
• Ensure that documents are readily identifiable and legible
• Ensure that documents of external origin are identified and their distribution controlled
• Prevent the unintended use of obsolete documents and apply suitable identification to them if they are retained

Qualifications
Education:

• Minimum 3 year Diploma or Degree in Information Systems or Engineering (Bsc IT, Bcom IT, Diploma IT)
• Project management (PMBOK, PMP) or any other project management accreditation 
• Azure fundamentals, Azure administrator, Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions, Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies
• Virtualization, SAN, Networking certification, server Infrastructure 
• Any other qualification or certification relating to the job profile will be welcomed.

Experience:

• 5 years technical coordination or project management experience in a complex, multi-system, multi-environment role
• Extensive experience with multi-tier systems and supporting application and infrastructure deployments
• Knowledge of various infrastructure technologies such as server clustering, intra-site load balancing, fail-over replication and mirroring, and identity management