Mid-Level Computer Systems Engineer (CPT)

Datafin; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 446,400 - 669,600; Full time

Job summary

A prominent technology organization in Cape Town seeks a Mid-Level Computer Systems Engineer to support and maintain critical computer systems. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in data center environments and a strong understanding of systems engineering principles. Responsibilities include infrastructure management, performance optimization, and collaboration with diverse teams. Various educational qualifications are considered, and familiarity with advanced tools like Docker and Kubernetes is advantageous. Join a team driving innovations in technology and data processing.

Qualifications

• 7+ years experience in IT or related field.
• Practical experience in data centers.
• Hands-on knowledge of server installations.

Responsibilities

• Install and maintain computer systems and infrastructure.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Monitor systems and contribute to optimization efforts.

Skills

System monitoring and maintenance

Data center experience

Basic networking

Infrastructure management

Automation and scripting

Education

National Diploma in IT, Computer Science, or related field

BTech / BSc in related fields

BEng / MTech in related fields

MEng in related fields

PhD in related fields

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Terraform

Ansible

GitLab CI

Job description

Mid-Level Computer Systems Engineer (CPT)

IT - Software Development, Cape Town - Western Cape - South Africa

ENVIRONMENT

Join a cutting-edge scientific and technology organisation driving advancements in large-scale data and signal processing. The team is seeking a Mid-Level Computer Systems Engineer to support the development, integration, and maintenance of computer hardware and associated systems that underpin complex technical and operational objectives. In this role, youll help implement and maintain robust, secure, and high-performing infrastructure under the guidance of senior engineers. Youll contribute to the ongoing delivery and optimisation of systems by deploying, monitoring, upgrading, troubleshooting, and restoring key components applying sound Systems Engineering principles throughout.

DUTIES

• Install, implement and maintain computing systems and infrastructure.
• Monitor the infrastructure in place.
• Contribute to infrastructure planning and system integration efforts.
• Assist in performance tuning and reliability improvements.
• Apply basic automation and scripting to improve operations.
• Support containerized environments and cloud infrastructure.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and contribute to documentation and knowledge sharing.

REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications

• National Diploma in Information Technology, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Electronic Engineering, or a related field, with 7 years relevant experience;
• BTech / BSc in the above fields, with 6 years experience;
• BEng / MTech in the above fields, with 4 years experience;
• MEng in the above fields, with 3 years experience;
• PhD in the above fields, with 1 years relevant experience.

Experience

• Practical experience working in data centres or server room environments.
• Proven experience with server installation, monitoring, diagnostics, and maintenance.
• Skilled in hardware upgrades, component replacement, and repairs.
• Hands-on experience with Operating Systems and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) tools.
• Proficiency in asset management, including maintaining asset registers, system and architecture mapping, warranty tracking, and related documentation.
• Basic networking experience, including cabling, configuration, and fault isolation.
• Exposure to SANs and storage systems.
• Experience collaborating in international or cross-functional teams, especially those focused on data platforms, networking, or systems engineering.

Knowledge

• Solid grasp of systems engineering principles, including performance optimisation and fault tolerance.
• Hands-on experience with hardware monitoring, diagnostics, and break/fix repairs (HPE, Dell, Supermicro, etc.).
• Skilled in managing component and spare part inventories, tools, and workspaces for system assembly.
• Experience working with service levels (SLAs) and familiarity with frameworks such as SRE, ITIL, and COBIT.
• Proficient in remote infrastructure management and monitoring.
• Working knowledge of networking fundamentals and troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with containerisation tools (Docker, Podman), orchestration platforms (Kubernetes, Helm), and container runtime environments.
• Understanding of Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) and CI/CD methodologies, using tools like GitLab CI, Ansible, and Terraform.
• Sound knowledge of IT security principles, including change management, access control, and physical/logical security.

Advantageous

Practical experience in infrastructure design and automation, distributed systems, observability, CI/CD, container orchestration (e.g., Kubernetes), DevOps/SRE practices, and cloud-native technologies.