IT Operations Manager

The Focus Group; Johannesburg; Hybrid; ZAR 800,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance company is looking for a Senior IT Ops Manager to oversee the IT Infrastructure, Support, and Facilities teams. The role involves ensuring compliance, establishing processes, and managing team performance to achieve strategic goals. Candidates should have a bachelor’s degree and at least 5 years of leadership experience in IT operations. A hybrid work model is available.

Benefits

Performance-based annual bonus

Subsidised Life and Disability Cover

Funeral Cover

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a similar leadership role.
• Proven track record in managing multiple teams in infrastructure.
• Expertise in developing IT policies.

Responsibilities

• Manage three teams: IT Infrastructure, Support, and Facilities.
• Ensure all systems are maintained and compliant.
• Create processes for team efficiencies.

Skills

Team management

IT operations

Facilities management

Cyber security

IT infrastructure management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in IT or related field

Tools

IT service management tools

Facility management software

Job description

Overview

Department: IT Infrastructure and Support

Reports To: Chief Operations Officer

Employment Status: Permanent

Location: Bedfordview (With possibility of hybrid)

Company Overview:
An established player in the South African long term insurance market with over 25 years of experience in non-traditional sectors. We sell and administer a full range of funeral insurance products in the trade union environment and have a very close working relationship with NEHAWU. We are focused on client centricity and solving needs for South Africans with innovation, unique & creative solutions, and products.

Role Description:
This role will require the candidate to manage three teams, housed under the Infrastructure department: IT Infrastructure; Support; and Facilities. The IT Infrastructure team is responsible for ensuring the following outcomes.

Responsibilities

• The IT Infrastructure team ensures servers, networks, and the company’s general IT infrastructure are available, robust, maintained, and able to handle issues that impact uptime.
• Ensure the company operates at best practice and remains compliant with applicable regulations regarding security, data storage, and privacy.
• Maintain robust, tested business continuity planning.
• The Support team ensures staff technical queries are handled within SLA.
• Ensure all systems have the required software installed and maintained.
• Maintain the Asset register for all IT assets.
• Maintain an accurate and up-to-date Active Directory.
• The Facilities team is responsible for general maintenance and upkeep of the building, including physical infrastructure, utilities and security systems.
• Logging, tracking, and ensuring resolution of any faults with the building or its components.
• Cleaning and maintenance of the building and its grounds.
• Operations of the company canteen.
• Maintain the Asset register for all building assets.

Key Responsibilities

• The IT Ops manager will ultimately be responsible for driving the success of these teams, managing the individuals therein and creating a robust foundation for the department to succeed within.
• In addition, the IT Ops manager will need to create processes and intra-team efficiencies that ensure the teams are performing optimally and driving towards the business’s strategic goals.
• This is a senior management position, responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the teams; management and adherence to service levels; mentorship and ensuring team members are continually upskilled; and the creation and implementation of projects to improve efficiency, reduce cost, and improve revenue collection within the team and the business overall.
• Managing these teams will not require deep expertise in each area, but at least foundational knowledge, experience around, and understanding of, key principles in each.

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Facilities Management, or a related field
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a similar IT operations or facilities management leadership role.
• Proven experience and success in the management of multiple teams in the Infrastructure space.
• Expertise in developing IT policies, managing technical and facilities teams.
• Specific experience or expertise in the following would be advantageous:
• Cyber security
• IT Infrastructure management
• General building/facility management
• Experience with IT service management tools, monitoring systems, and facility management software is highly desirable
• Maintenance of solar power, battery back up and generators
• Technical knowledge of IT infrastructure, security, maintenance and building management

Success Criteria

• Each team successfully manages to achieve targets for their designated areas of responsibility. Outcomes for each team are achieved.
• Company servers, networks, general infrastructure (including the building) remain well maintained and available. Proactive steps are taken to identify faults, issues or vulnerabilities ahead of time, and any downtime is handled swiftly and efficiently.
• The company maintains a robust and well-tested business continuity framework.
• The company takes an active approach to ensure security and integrity of company systems and complies with industry and regulatory standards.
• Technical tickets are handled professionally, and within stated Turnaround Times (TAT).
• The building is kept clean and well maintained.
• Teams within the Infrastructure department collaborate to ensure a well-functioning, efficient unit.
• Policies and processes are created, documented and maintained to ensure good governance.
• Individuals in the teams are well managed, according to objective KPI criteria, and are upskilled and trained to ensure effective performance of the above criteria.

Remuneration & Benefits

• Performance-based annual bonus.
• Subsidised Life and Disability Cover.
• Funeral Cover