Production Support Lead

Ninety One; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 800 000 - 1 200 000; Full time

Job summary

A global asset management firm in Cape Town is seeking a Lead of Production Support to ensure the stability, security, and availability of the investment platform. The ideal candidate will drive AI innovations in incident management while leading a team. Responsibilities include maintaining SLAs, monitoring platform performance, and fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. Candidates should have a solid background in IT operations, excellent leadership skills, and a deep understanding of AI tools and ITIL practices.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in IT operations or production support.
• 5+ years in a leadership role.
• Proven experience in AI/ML tools for incident management.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of Production Support Analysts.
• Ensure platform meets high availability SLAs.
• Monitor platform performance and data integrity.

Skills

AI-driven process innovation

Leadership

Operational excellence

Problem-solving

Client-focused collaboration

Education

Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or Engineering

Tools

ServiceNow

Azure DevOps

MS SQL

Power BI

Job description

About us

Ninety One is an independent, active global asset manager with R3,4 trillion of assets under management. Established in South Africa in, as Investec Asset Management, the firm started offering domestic investments in an emerging market.

In

, almost three decades of organic growth later, the firm demerged from Investec Group and became Ninety One. Our distinctive capabilities sit within differentiated fixed income and credit as well as specialist equities, and we have a unique perspective and approach to investment opportunities presented by emerging markets and the energy transition.

as at 30 June

Ninety One is an equal opportunities employer.

Our imperative is to attract and retain the best talent by providing a corporate environment where people from varying backgrounds can develop professionally and build a rewarding career.

About the team

Ninety One's Digital Technology team are currently recruiting for a Lead of Production Support who will be responsible for ensuring the security, stability, and availability of Ninety One's Investment Platform.

This role requires a strong emphasis on AI-driven process innovation, operational excellence, and empathetic leadership.

The successful candidate needs to be a visionary and disciplined leader who continuously seeks to reinvent support operations using AI, while aligning with ITIL standards and business goals.

In this role you will

Leadership & Team Development: Lead and mentor a team of Production Support Analysts.

Foster a culture of discipline, empathy, and continuous improvement.

Build team capabilities in AI, automation, and modern support practices.

Promote collaboration across Product stakeholders.

Platform Stability, Availability & Security: Ensure the platform meets high availability SLAs and uptime targets.

Own and evolve incident, problem, and change management processes.

Drive root cause analysis and post-incident reviews.

Monitor and proactively address risks to platform performance, availability, and data integrity.

AI-Driven Incident Management

Lead the transformation of incident management using AI and automation.

Implement AI tools for real-time anomaly detection and predictive failure analysis.

Use machine learning to classify and prioritize incidents based on severity and impact.

Deploy AI-powered root cause analysis and resolution recommendation engines.

Integrate conversational AI agents to assist support teams with diagnostics and resolution.

Establish feedback loops to continuously improve AI accuracy and reduce false positives.

Align AI capabilities with ITIL processes to enhance service delivery and operational maturity.

Operational Excellence & ITIL Practices

Implement and refine ITIL-aligned practices (Incident, Problem, Change, Release, Configuration).

Ensure consistent use of ServiceNow and Azure DevOps.

Maintain comprehensive documentation, runbooks, and knowledge bases.

Monitor and report on support KPIs, SLAs, and improvement metrics.

Drive automation and self-service initiatives to reduce manual support overhead.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

Champion a "Zero-Touch" support vision where AI handles routine incidents autonomously.

Drive shift-left strategies by enabling self-service and automation at the earliest stages.

Stay abreast of emerging AI trends and proactively apply them to support operations.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

Act as the escalation point for critical production issues.

Communicate clearly and confidently with business stakeholders and technology teams.

Provide regular updates on platform health, incident trends, and innovation initiatives.

Ensure user expectations are effectively managed, and support experiences are positive.

You should consider applying if you have

Technical Experience / skills: Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field.

Experience

10+ years in IT operations or production support, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.

AI & Automation

Proven experience implementing AI / ML tools for incident management, anomaly detection, and support automation.

ITIL Frameworks

Strong background in ITIL-aligned practices (Incident, Problem, Change, Release, Configuration).

Investment Platform Knowledge

Familiarity with investment management processes, instruments, and regulatory requirements.

Security & Compliance

Experience in managing secure environments, data protection, and compliance in financial services.

Support Strategy

Demonstrated ability to design and evolve support models, including shift-left and zero-touch strategies.

Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills are needed to diagnose and resolve complex issues.

Business System Skills: ServiceNow (incident, change, and problem management).

Microsoft Azure DevOps (CI / CD pipelines, release coordination).

Database & Reporting: MS SQL, reporting tools (e.g., Power BI, SSRS).

Office Suite, SQL Server, and integration with enterprise systems.

Auth0 (identity management), DocuSign (digital signatures), Salesforce (CRM), InsideData.

Familiarity with modern observability stacks (e.g. Azure Application Insights).

Attributes we look for in a person

Driven by results Ability to recognise and embrace change A client focused and collaborative approach Ability to analyse, interpret and assimilate information #LI-DNI