Senior Specialist: Telecoms Support Service - JHB at Vodafone Global Enterprise

Role Purpose/Business Unit:

• Do you have a vision for how technology can empower businesses and individuals alike? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you! 
• We are on the lookout for a dynamic and visionary Telecom Support Services (TSS) Senior Specialist who will be a Technical Lead for all TSS Operations and Project implementations. You will be required to provide input to solution architecture, strategy and system design for the USSD systems, Intelligent Network Services (INS), Location Based Services (LBS) and MyVodacom USSD environment.
• In this role you will be part of a team that will shape the future of Vodacom’s technology landscape by providing input to products and services development team. Work with other divisions and departments on the roadmap for all the Telecoms Support Services including backend systems that are integrated to these services. You will be expected to be proactively involved and participate in the network and system integration, network optimization and enhancement, technology evolution and innovation, and to provide key technical recommendations to management and business teams on technology trends and evolving network architectures in the field of USSD, INS, LBS and MyVodacom USSD environment.
• In addition, you will be proactively involvement in projects related to architecture changes, upgrades and the implementation of new systems and services. Engage with Assurance, Regional Operations and Network Performance teams to understand and address network concerns. Perform cost-benefit analysis associated with specific technical scenarios and trials under consideration. Evaluate and implement new supporting technologies in the TSS environment.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Routine system preventative and corrective maintenance on USSD, INS, MyVodacom, LBS applications, and constantly look at ways of being proactive to issues that occur on system and application level.
• Provide high level support to customer care regarding customer queries. Liaising with WASPs, ASOC, Suppliers/Vendors, and other divisions within Vodacom on a daily basis.
• Focus on system, application and database administration and optimisation. This includes all possible tasks required on supported systems. 
• Monitor and manage Telecoms Support Services availability of 99,98%. Including proactive monitoring and detection of problems, improved means of ensuring resilience/redundancy and improved means of restoring service when interruptions to service are experienced.
• Implement and maintain BCP, Disaster/Recovery processes and procedures.
• Evaluate and optimise application tools and dashboards (i.e., Grafana, App Dynamics, etc.) that are currently used. Identify new tools that are required. Evaluate and implement new Data Analytics and present to management and business teams.
• Arrange and conduct periodic meetings with suppliers to obtain the latest product updates and trends. Manage relationships with other technology departments within Vodacom and Vodafone. 
• Proactively monitor and manage configuration management, risk management, capacity planning, and event and fault management in the TSS department.
• Proactively monitor, manage and optimize resource/capacity utilization in the TSS department.
• Performing system security patching and Backup Administration, SOX Compliancy, and administration on supported systems.
• Ensure that systems and applications are performing optimally. This includes collecting data, analysis and executing required actions.
• Research and investigation into latest technologies to optimise supported systems and services in TSS environment.
• Follow ISO Quality Assurance Procedures. Maintain technical library and documentation and compiling and distribution of job orders as per change management procedures.
• Provide inputs to the CAPEX, Opex budget formulation, and investigate ways to reduce costs (Cost efficiency) 

The Ideal candiddate for this role will have:

• Must have technical/professional qualifications: 
• 3-year Degree/National Diploma related to engineering field of study (minimum).
• 5-8 years Telecommunications experience and in a support/operations environment.
• 3-5 years advanced experience on Java based applications and UNIX related systems and applications.
• Advanced Experience in UNIX, UNIX ADMIN, and TCP/IP.
• Advanced Experience in Database admin on MySQL 

The candidate must have the following key core competencies:

• Analytical thinking
• Problem solving
• Interpersonal skills
• Technical writing
• Learning, researching and being innovative.
• Adapting and responding to change
• Coping with pressures and setbacks
• Delivering results, and meeting customer expectations.
• Special Requirements:
• Must be available 24/7 to support the team afterhours and over the weekends and holidays.
• Must be willing to travel.
• Must be in possession of a valid driver’s license.