Senior Specialist - Cloud Infrastructure Operations.Technology Information at MTN

Job Requirements (Education, Experience and Competencies) 

• Creativities (improvement/innovation inherent)  Indicates the potential for improvement and / or innovation inherent in a position. 
• Research new Infrastructure Technologies and Conduct Proof of concept Projects to demonstrate possible value to Business  
• Business improvements to meet operational and in turn organizational requirements 
• Knowledge transfer between Senior Infrastructure Architects with different Specialties 
•  Problem-solving and lateral thinking 
• Continuous reassessment, improvement and analysis of existing processes and policies 
• Continuous improvement in cost, quality, service, and Operational product innovation 
• Automation of manual tasks which results in efficient resource utilization and improved service availability 
• Be proactive in anticipation of new technologies resulting in continuous service improvement 
• Utilize MTN SA Academy/U-learn platforms to grow Technical experience and knowledge
• Vulnerabilities (control span) Refers to the latent difficulties or things that could potentially go wrong that affect a specific position. Such vulnerabilities may / may not be under the control of the incumbent. Direct implication or first level of impact.

Budget constraints 

• Downtime approval for the upgrade or refresh of existing production environments 
• Short deadlines for implementing change 
• MTN SA / MTN SA Group expansion 
• Re-prioritization of resources and projects 
• Cross-functional teams and command thereof. 
• Systems interdependencies and complexities   
• Outsourced  and external service provider support as well as operational dependencies 
• Obsolete technology 
• Pace of changing customer requirements 
• Exchange rate fluctuations affecting budgeted Capex 
• Changes in supplier alliances and technology roadmaps 
• Business pressures based on fluctuating prioritization of projects 
• Business understanding of planned or implemented technologies

Independent thought and Judgment: Relates to the decision-making constraints placed upon a position or conversely, the degree of freedom in decision-making. At the discretion of the Line Manager 

• Decision-making and ownership of problems & projects 
• High-stress environment where faith in staff & good judgment is required 
• Contracts and tenders evaluation, recommendation and sign-off 
• Escalation, technical liaison, report generation 
• System selection and motivation 
• Ability to plan and coordinate  
• Board paper submission - Ability to present  
• Personal discretion in determining appropriate approach to identify gaps relating to infrastructure building blocks and Business systems

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 
• Ability to analyze problems, drive issues to resolution 
• Strong interpersonal, communication skills are essential 
• Must be able to lead and drive collaborative work sessions 
• Must work well in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and be able to manage multiple tasks, projects, and initiatives all with different priorities at the same time 
• 5 years of working with WebLogic, Oracle DBMS, WebSphere, and network devices and firewalls, either as a project manager, technical coordinator, engineer, or system administrator

Training: 

• IT-related training and Technology specific certification 
• Architecture framework-related training – eg TOGAF 
• Project Management, General Management 
• ITIL Foundation Certificate 
• Infrastructure-related training or certifications

Competencies  

• Knowledge: 
• Knowledge of the Telecommunications industry is an advantage. 
• Ability to understand how the IT technology supports the business 
• Solid understanding and technical expertise in a broad range application and technical architecture components (applications/OS, database, network)  
• Ability to assimilate information into an actionable model and plan 
• Strong OS, DB, Storage, HW and Networks knowledge 
• A good understanding of available and emerging IT technologies

Skills / physical competencies: 

• People management skills. 
• Business acumen 
• Strong Negotiating skills 
• Project Management and Planning skills 
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and conceptual skills 
• Good interpersonal skills for written, oral and face-to-face communications 
• A good understanding of statistical and analytical principles and processes 
• Ability to work effectively with clients, management and staff members 
• Resourceful 
• Be Innovative 
• Integrity 
• Perseverance

Authorities 

• Authorities: At the discretion of the Line Manager 
• Head disciplinary actions 
• Staff performance assessment 
• Supplier selection 
• Payment of invoices 
• Negotiation of Service Level Agreements 
• Department Budget 
• Huge Influence on how to spend IS CAPEX and maintenance/operating budget

Collaboration (Formal and Informal Relationships) 

• Responsibility towards:  who are they and what do they receive from the incumbent. 
• All MTN SA divisions: Group, EBU, Service Delivery, Enterprise Services and Commercial Management 
• Key Customers: All functions within the IS division and shared technical support areas within the business 
• Key Suppliers: Supplier representatives from key vendors to handle technical specifications, contracts and orders 
• Matrix reports: Influence and work with senior technical professionals in developing infrastructure design and strategies. May lead cross-functional and divisional teams