Network Operations Center (NOC) Manager

Placements24; Bloemfontein; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical aid

Retirement fund

Annual leave entitlement

Professional development

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking an experienced Network Operations Center (NOC) Manager to lead its on-site NOC in Bloemfontein, ensuring maximum network uptime and performance. You will supervise a team of technicians, implement best practices for monitoring, and drive incident response and continuous improvement initiatives.

The role requires strong leadership, hands-on network expertise (TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF), and experience with SolarWinds, Nagios, or Zabbix.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in network operations, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or management role.
• Proven experience managing a 24/7 NOC environment.
• Strong understanding of network protocols (TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF) and network hardware (routers, switches, firewalls).
• Experience with network monitoring tools such as SolarWinds, Nagios, Zabbix, or similar.
• Demonstrated leadership and team management skills, with the ability to motivate and develop staff.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and decision-making abilities under pressure.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to liaise effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience with ITIL best practices is highly desirable.
• Must be able to work on-site in Bloemfontein.

Responsibilities

• Lead the NOC team, including scheduling, training, and performance management.
• Oversee real-time monitoring of network infrastructure and respond to alerts.
• Develop and implement incident management procedures for rapid resolution.
• Establish KPIs for NOC and network performance.
• Collaborate with engineering and field teams for service delivery and issue resolution.
• Manage relationships with third-party vendors and service providers.
• Implement and refine monitoring tools and processes for visibility and proactive issue detection.
• Conduct regular team training sessions to ensure staff proficiency.
• Create and maintain documentation for NOC procedures, topology, and incident reports.
• Ensure compliance with security policies and standards.

Skills

NOC management

Leadership

Network operations

Incident response

Monitoring

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree in IT/CS/Engineering

Tools

SolarWinds

Nagios

Zabbix

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a premier telecommunications service provider, is seeking an experienced Network Operations Center (NOC) Manager to lead their state-of-the-art operations hub located in Bloemfontein, Free State, ZA. This is a critical on-site role responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the network, ensuring maximum uptime and performance of all telecommunications infrastructure. The NOC Manager will lead a team of skilled technicians, implement best practices for network monitoring and incident response, and drive continuous improvement initiatives. This position requires strong leadership, exceptional problem-solving skills, and a deep understanding of network operations within a demanding, fast-paced environment. You will be the guardian of our network's integrity and reliability.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and lead the Network Operations Center (NOC) team, including scheduling, training, and performance management.
• Oversee the real-time monitoring of the network infrastructure, identifying and responding to alerts and incidents.
• Develop and implement robust incident management procedures, ensuring rapid and effective resolution of network disruptions.
• Establish and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) for the NOC team and network performance.
• Collaborate with engineering and field operations teams to ensure seamless service delivery and issue resolution.
• Manage relationships with third-party vendors and service providers relevant to network operations.
• Implement and refine monitoring tools and processes to enhance network visibility and proactive issue detection.
• Develop and conduct regular team training sessions to ensure staff proficiency in all operational aspects.
• Create and maintain comprehensive documentation for NOC procedures, network topology, and incident reports.
• Ensure compliance with security policies and operational standards.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in network operations, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or management role.
• Proven experience managing a 24/7 NOC environment.
• Strong understanding of network protocols (TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF) and network hardware (routers, switches, firewalls).
• Experience with network monitoring tools such as SolarWinds, Nagios, Zabbix, or similar.
• Demonstrated leadership and team management skills, with the ability to motivate and develop staff.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and decision-making abilities under pressure.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to liaise effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience with ITIL best practices is highly desirable.
• Must be able to work on-site in Bloemfontein.

Benefits

• Competitive annual salary of R per annum.
• Opportunity to lead a critical operations team in a well-established company.
• Comprehensive medical aid and retirement fund benefits.
• Generous annual leave entitlement.
• Professional development and training opportunities.
• Be part of a stable and growing telecommunications organization.