Tech Infrastructure Manager- EM South at adidas Group

PURPOSE & OVERALL RELEVANCE FOR THE ORGANIZATION

• As our Tech Infrastructure Manager, you will be responsible for managing and maintaining the organization's IT infrastructure, ensuring seamless operations and driving innovation.
• Your role will involve a combination of hands-on technical support, service management and project management tasks to deliver exceptional results, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the company's technology systems.
• This is a high-impact role where you'll make a real difference. Local travel within South Africa may be required.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Service Delivery Management

• Responsible for day-to-day IT services, ensuring business systems are operating effectively.
• Implement infrastructure to support business needs and ensure customer satisfaction.
• Retail store lifecycle projects for new openings, remodels and closures, as well as events.
• Monitor the organization's office and retail infrastructure, managing network outages with the global support teams to minimize downtime and disruption to business.

Business Analysis

• Ensure that the appropriate mix of people, processes, and technology are in place to provide value.
• Identify, support and drive IT innovations and standard, best practice IT solutions.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and make recommendations for IT infrastructure improvements to enhance operational efficiency.
• Investigate operational needs and problems, and opportunities, contributing to the recommendation of improvements in automated and non-automated components of new or changed processes and organization.

Service Level Management

• Monitor service delivery, performance metrics and liaise with managers and customers to ensure that service level agreements are not breached without the stakeholders being given the opportunity of planning for a deterioration in service.
• Follow-up to ensure that end-user IT requirements or issues are resolved promptly for optimal performance.

Stakeholder and Vendor Management

• Manages internal and external stakeholders through appropriate communication and reporting.
• Manage external vendor and service provider relationships.

Release and Deployment

• Collaborate with internal teams to identify IT requirements for upcoming projects and provide technical expertise during project planning and execution.
• Execution of global infrastructure rollouts in partnership with the functional infra-areas to completion so that expected business benefits are realized.
• May carry out early life support activities such as providing support advice to initial users.

Service Acceptance

• Engage with project management to confirm that products developed meet the service acceptance criteria and are to the required standard. 
• Feed into the change management processes.

People / Resource Management

• Ensure appropriate leadership skills are present through creating a motivational and supportive work environment in which employees are coached, trained and provided with career opportunities through development.
• Allocate tasks to the respective team members considering experience, complexity, workload, and organizational efficiency.
• Continuously monitor and evaluate team workload and organizational efficiency with the support of 
• IT systems, data analysis and team feedback, making appropriate changes to meet business needs.
• May be involved and provide input on hiring decisions.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

• Global IT, Market and Infrastructure Delivery Hubs
• Business Tech Consultants / Analysts and Project Managers
• Respective business functions (GOPS, Finance, HR, Brand Marketing, Wholesale/Retail)
• External vendors and service providers

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Ability to translate business requirements into cost efficient IT solutions.
• Experience in managing and leading small/medium sized IT projects.
• Technical proficiency and awareness.
• Familiarity with Agile / ITIL framework and IT service management principles.
• Experience with cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure) and virtualization technologies

REQUISITE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE / MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years’ experience in ITSM with at least 2 years of experience in a team management role.
• Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or equivalent practical experience.
• Proven experience with retail sales tech and project delivery in a corporate environment.
• Strong knowledge of infrastructure operations, service management, networking, hardware/software and security best practices.
• Proficiency in project management methodologies and tools.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Understanding of different cultures, and ability to work with people from other functions/markets.