Manager - IT Operations

Zain Bahrain; Manama; On-site; BHD 26,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Zain Bahrain is seeking an IT Operations Manager to lead end-to-end technology operations including infrastructure, applications, cloud platforms, and service desks in a fast-paced telecom environment.

You will own service delivery, governance, and lifecycle management for hybrid multi-cloud, DevOps, security controls, and vendor relations, driving automation, cost optimization, and continuous improvement aligned with the company’s digital strategy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in CS/IT/CE/Telecommunications or related field.
• ITIL Foundation or higher is preferred; cloud and vendor certifications advantageous.
• 8+ years in IT operations, infrastructure, cloud or service management with vendor and budget responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end Technology Operations across infrastructure, applications, cloud, digital platforms, databases, service desk and end-user support.
• Own KPIs, SLAs/OLAs, incident/problem/change/release management and continuous improvement.
• Oversee patches, upgrades, releases, vendor support, monitoring, production readiness, and business validation for enterprise applications.
• Manage on-premises, private, hybrid, and public cloud operations and FinOps activities.
• Oversee Service Desk, IT Support, endpoints, hardware, and virtualization; manage CI/CD and DevOps tooling; ensure security, governance and audit readiness.

Skills

Technology Operations Management

Cloud & Hybrid Multi-Cloud

Incident, Problem, Change & Release

Service Desk & End-User Support

Lifecycle Management

Database & Integration Ops

Backup & DR / BC

DevOps & Kubernetes

Enterprise App Maintenance

Governance, Risk & Audit

Vendor, Budget & Cost Optimization

Stakeholder Management

Education

Bachelor degree in Computer Science/IT/CE/Telecommunications

Master degree or professional management qualification

ITIL Foundation or higher

Certifications: Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, VMware, Kubernetes, database administration, cybersecurity, project management, FinOps or service management

Job description

Zain is the pioneer of mobile telecommunications in the Middle East. We began life in 1983 in Kuwait as the region’s first mobile operator, and since the initiation of our expansion strategy in 2003, we have expanded rapidly. Read more here: https://zain.com/en/about-us/overview

About the Role

The IT Operations Manager is responsible for leading and governing end-to-end IT operations across Zain Bahrain, covering infrastructure, enterprise applications, digital services, public and private cloud platforms, service desk, and operational support functions.

The role ensures availability, reliability, security, supportability, maintainability, lifecycle governance, and continuous improvement of all technology services supporting internal business operations and customer-facing platforms.

The position is accountable for IT Service Management, Enterprise Application Maintenance and Operations, Infrastructure Operations, Hybrid Multi-Cloud Operations, DevOps and Platform Operations, Database Administration, Disaster Recovery, Business Continuity, Operational Governance, Vendor Management, and Technology Lifecycle Management.

The role drives operational excellence through automation, proactive monitoring, service performance management, change and release governance, security and compliance adherence, cost optimization, and alignment with Zain Bahrain technology and digital transformation objectives.

Responsibilities

Technology Operations Leadership & Service Management

Lead end-to-end Technology Operations across infrastructure, applications, cloud, digital platforms, databases, service desk, and end-user support.

Own KPIs, SLAs/OLAs, availability, incident/problem/change/release management, service reviews, reporting, and continuous improvement.

Maintain service catalogue, documentation, ownership/escalation models, knowledge base, and coordinate priorities across Technology, Cybersecurity, Digital, business, and vendors.

Enterprise Applications & Digital Platforms

Own availability, performance, support, and lifecycle governance of enterprise and customer-facing applications.

Oversee patches, upgrades, releases, enhancements, vendor support, monitoring, SLAs/OLAs, production readiness, rollback, and business validation.

Ensure stable infrastructure operations supporting enterprise applications, digital platforms, customer-facing services, integrations, and supporting business systems.

Ensure backup, data recovery, data protection, access governance, audit evidence, continuity, capacity, performance, modernization, and customer-impact monitoring.

Hybrid Multi-Cloud & Public Cloud Operations

Manage on-premises, private, hybrid, and public cloud operations (i.e.: Azure, AWS, OCI, and other approved platforms).

Govern workload placement, landing zones, connectivity, identity/access, monitoring, backup, resilience, support models, shared responsibility, and cloud readiness.

Implement FinOps covering cost visibility, allocation, forecasting, optimization, anomalies, and accountability.

Infrastructure, Platforms & End-User Operations

Oversee Service Desk, IT Support, endpoints, hardware, user lifecycle, and ticket fulfilment.

Manage Windows, Linux, Solaris, Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Active Directory, collaboration, messaging, identity, licensing, virtualization, and private cloud platforms including VMware, Huawei FusionCompute, and Oracle VM.

Oversee servers, storage, backup, archiving, DR, ransomware protection, business continuity, and database operations including patching, tuning, HA, recovery, upgrades, and licensing.

Ensure availability, resilience, monitoring, integrations, and vendor support for contact centre platforms.

Lead DevOps, Kubernetes, automation, and observability operations, including Rancher, cluster upgrades, governance, patching, hardening, and Linux administration.

Oversee CI/CD and GitOps tools including Helm, ArgoCD, GitLab, and Ansible; govern Prometheus, Grafana, ELK/EFK, Dynatrace, or equivalent monitoring and logging.

Drive automation across deployments, reporting, compliance, monitoring, and recovery.

Governance, Risk, Audit, Compliance & Security Alignment

Develop and enforce Technology Operations policies, standards, procedures, controls, and governance frameworks.

Maintain audit readiness through risk registers, remediation plans, lifecycle governance, access evidence, compliance tracking, audits, regulatory reviews, and security assessments.

Partner with Cybersecurity on vulnerability remediation and operational controls across infrastructure, applications, cloud, DevOps, and digital services; ensure key operational activities are approved, traceable, and auditable.

Budget, Vendor, Asset & Lifecycle Management

Own CAPEX/OPEX planning across applications, infrastructure, cloud, licenses, support contracts, end-user services, storage, tooling, and professional services.

Manage vendors, managed services, contracts, renewals, escalations, service reviews, licensing, and commercial optimization.

Forecast capacity, lifecycle refreshes, upgrades, renewals, platform expansion, and resources while driving cost optimization.

Internet Protocol (IP) Operations

From an infrastructure readiness point of view, oversee enterprise IP networks, services, and operational support to ensure availability, performance, capacity, and resilience.

Ensure integration across enterprise networks, applications, cloud, data centers, communication, and supporting technology platforms.

Monitor enterprise IP service performance and coordinate incident, problem, change, and vendor management.

Ensure appropriate security, access controls, backup, DR, documentation, and operational standards are maintained.

Perform any other tasks as requested.

Required qualifications & Experience

Qualifications:

Bachelor degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Computer Engineering, Telecommunications, or related field. Master degree or professional management qualification is preferred.

ITIL Foundation or higher is preferred. Certifications in Microsoft Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, VMware, Kubernetes, database administration, cybersecurity, project management, FinOps, or service management are advantageous.

Experience:

8+ years of progressive IT operations, infrastructure, application operations, cloud operations, or service management experience, including experience managing vendors, service performance, lifecycle governance, audits, budgets, and cross-functional operational delivery. Telecom, digital services, or regulated-industry experience is preferred.

Skills and Knowledge:

Strong knowledge of ITSM, enterprise application operations, application maintenance, service desk, systems administration, Microsoft cloud and identity, databases, virtualization, storage, backup, disaster recovery, contact center systems, API/middleware, DevOps, Kubernetes, public cloud, hybrid cloud, monitoring, automation, and operational security controls.

• Technology Operations Management
• Cloud and Hybrid Multi-Cloud Operations
• Incident, Problem, Change and Release Management
• Service Desk and End-User Support
• Infrastructure and Platform Lifecycle Management
• Database and Integration Operations
• Backup, Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
• DevOps, Kubernetes and Automation
• Enterprise Application Maintenance and Operations
• Governance, Risk, Compliance and Audit Readiness
• Vendor, Contract, Budget and Cost Optimization
• Business Technical Awareness and Stakeholder Management

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including persons with disabilities and those who may require reasonable accommodations to perform their duties. We are committed to maintaining an inclusive workplace and to ensuring that all employees are supported to succeed.