Manager: Core Infrastructure Support

Vodafone Group; Midrand; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading telecommunications company is seeking an experienced manager to lead a technical team responsible for the operations and support of its core applications and network infrastructure. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in mobile operations, as well as strong leadership skills, a relevant degree, and knowledge of telecommunications standards.

Benefits

Enticing incentive programs

Exclusive 13th cheque

Retirement funds

Medical aid benefits

Cell phone and data benefits

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years' experience in mobile operations support.
• At least 5 years' experience with Core Network Elements.
• 2 years in a management or leadership role.

Responsibilities

• Manage operations and support for core applications and infrastructure.
• Oversee infrastructure fault management and project handovers.
• Coordinate acceptance testing and new infrastructure rollout.

Skills

Team Management

Infrastructure Management

Application Support

Technical Communication

Vendor Management

Budget Planning

Education

3-year degree/diploma in Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent

Matric qualification

Tools

MS Office

Job description

When it comes to putting people first, we're number 1.

The number 1 Top Employer in South Africa.

Certified by the Top Employer Institute 2025.

Role Purpose/Business Unit:

Manage a team of technical and operational resources responsible for operations, support, and maintenance of core applications and infrastructure, primarily for the national network and international network instances.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing a team of individuals.
• Overseeing functions such as infrastructure and application fault management, emergency restorations, daily operations, infrastructure project handovers from engineering, infrastructure optimization, and VNF onboarding.
• Coordinating and executing acceptance testing and managing the rollout of new infrastructure and application environments.
• Providing high-level support to internal and external customers.
• Developing tools to assist with planning and optimization.
• Communicating technical information clearly to internal teams, external customers, and suppliers.
• Maintaining relationships with vendors and divisions.
• Managing contracts, SLAs, spare parts, etc.
• Planning and managing short- and long-term operational expenditure budgets.
• Managing overtime and standby schedules.

The ideal candidate for this role will have:

• Matric qualification (Essential).
• A 3-year degree/diploma in Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or an equivalent qualification (Essential).
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a mobile operations and support environment (Essential).
• At least 5 years’ experience with Core Network Elements (Essential).
• At least 2 years in a management or leadership role.
• Working knowledge of Telco over cloud stack and Voice core applications is desirable.
• Knowledge of NFVi is an added advantage.

Core competencies, knowledge, and experience:

• Relevant GSM Core systems.
• Voice core, Mobile Convergence, NFVi, Orchestration, and SDN.
• Telco over Cloud Infrastructure operating models.
• VIM/Hypervisor Design (KVM, OpenStack, VMWare, etc.).
• GSM/GPRS/UMTS/LTE protocols, SS#7, and other IP Protocols.
• Knowledge of telecommunication industry standards, legislation, and developments within ETSI/3GPP, IETF, and ITU-T.
• Business acumen and ethics.
• Proficiency in MS Office.
• Understanding of 3GPP and non-3GPP call flows.

We make an impact by offering:

• Enticing incentive programs, competitive benefits, and an exclusive 13th cheque.
• Retirement funds, risk benefits, and medical aid benefits.
• Cell phone and data benefits, fiber connection discounts, and staff discounts in collaboration with partner companies.

Closing date for applications: 13 June 2025

The role is based at Midrand Vodacom Campus.

Our Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered during recruitment. We encourage applications from people with disabilities. Vodacom values diversity and inclusion.