Senior Modern Workplace Engineer

Sand Tech Holdings Limited; Remote; ZAR 600 000 - 800 000; Full time

Job summary

A fast-growing enterprise AI company in South Africa is seeking a Senior Modern Workplace Engineer to enhance their end-user technology environment. Key responsibilities include managing Google Workspace, Slack, and ITSM tools while implementing security and access controls. The ideal candidate has over 5 years of experience in IT operations, strong skills in cloud administration across platforms, and a solid understanding of identity and endpoint management. This role is crucial for supporting a fast-growing team making significant impacts worldwide.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Remote work flexibility

Health benefits

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience in Modern Workplace / IT Operations / End-User Computing.
• Strong hands-on experience with GWS, Azure or AWS administration.
• Proven experience with identity, SSO, and SaaS integrations.
• Solid understanding of endpoint management concepts and tooling.

Responsibilities

• Design, operate, and improve end-user technology environment.
• Stabilize and evolve platforms such as Google Workspace, Slack, and ITSM tools.
• Implement and maintain security policies and access controls.
• Help design and mature ITSM tooling and processes.

Skills

GWS

Azure

AWS

Identity and SSO

Security Best Practices

Automation Tools

Tools

Jira Service Management

Google Workspace

Slack

Zoom

Job description

Sand Technologies is a fast-growing enterprise AI company that solves real-world problems for large blue-chip companies and governments worldwide.

We’re pioneers of meaningful AI: our solutions go far beyond chatbots. We are using data and AI to solve the world’s biggest issues in telecommunications, sustainable water management, energy, healthcare, climate change, smart cities, and other areas that have a real impact on the world. For example, our AI systems help to manage the water supply for the entire city of London. We created the AI algorithms that enabled the 7th largest telecommunications company in the world to plan its network in 300 cities in record time. And we built a digital healthcare system that enables 30m people in a country to get world-class healthcare despite a shortage of doctors.

We’ve grown our revenues by over 500% in the last 12 months while winning prestigious scientific and industry awards for our cutting‑edge technology. We’re underpinned by over 300 engineers and scientists working across Africa, Europe, the UK and the US.

About the role

We are looking for a Senior Modern Workplace Engineer to help design, operate, and continuously improve our end‑user technology environment at scale.

This role sits at the intersection of identity, devices, collaboration tooling, and IT service delivery. You’ll be a hands‑on senior engineer who can design, plan, execute and influence, helping mature our ITSM Cloud space, identity, endpoint management, and ITSM capabilities while supporting a fast‑growing, distributed workforce who’re making a real, day‑to‑day impact in the world.

You will play a key role in stabilising and evolving platforms such as Google Workspace, Slack, ITSM tooling, Zoom, endpoint management and much more, while partnering closely with IT leadership on standards, automation, and roadmap execution to define and build out a fantastic IT Operational department.

Specific Responsibilities

Modern Workplace Platforms

• Own and operate Google Workspace at scale:
• Domain management, migrations, aliases, and coexistence scenarios
• Security controls, access policies, and admin best practices
• Administer and optimise Slack:
• Workspace configuration, Slack Connect, governance, and access models
• Integrations with ITSM and identity platforms
• Manage collaboration and productivity tooling such as Zoom, Atlassian,Github, Knowb4 and other SaaS platforms

Identity & Access Management

• Design and maintain identity and SSO architecture across SaaS platforms
• Implement and troubleshoot SAML / OAuth / SCIM integrations
• Partner on device-based access controls and conditional access strategies
• Ensure access models follow least privilege and auditability principles
• Manage and evolve endpoint management for:
• macOS, Windows, and mobile devices
• Implement and maintain:
• Device compliance policies
• Security baselines
• Zero‑touch / automated provisioning
• Work closely with IT leadership on long‑term MDM strategy and tooling choices

IT Service Management (ITSM)

• Help design and mature ITSM Tooling and processes:
• Request and incident workflows
• Portal and self‑service experiences
• Integrate ITSM with collaboration tools (e.g. Slack‑based request flows)
• Improve visibility, reporting, and operational hygiene across IT support processes

Automation & Operational Excellence

• Identify opportunities to reduce manual work through:
• Workflow automation
• API integrations
• Create and maintain clear documentation, standards, and runbooks
• Act as an escalation point for complex workplace and identity issues

Work closely with:

• IT leadership
• IT GRC
• People / HR
• Provide technical mentorship to junior engineers
• Influence tooling decisions and platform roadmaps
• Balance delivery with long‑term maintainability and scale

Requirements - Essential

• 5+ years experience in Modern Workplace / IT Operations / End‑User Computing
• Strong hands‑on experience with GWS, Azure or AWS administration (Preference for cross platform exposure)
• Proven experience with identity, SSO, and SaaS integrations
• Solid understanding of endpoint management concepts and tooling
• Experience working with or implementing Jira Service Management or similar ITSM platforms
• Comfortable operating in fast‑changing, growth environments
• Sound knowledge in Security Best practices

Requirements - Preferable

• Experience with Slack administration
• Exposure to automation tools (scripts, workflows, APIs, low/no‑code tooling)
• Experience supporting distributed or remote‑first organisations
• Familiarity with security concepts such as Zero Trust and device‑based access
• Experience participating in large‑scale migrations (email, identity, collaboration)

Personal Attributes

Ownership & Accountability

Takes full ownership of initiatives from initial concept through implementation and long‑term support. Comfortable being accountable for outcomes, not just tasks. Proactively identifies gaps, risks, and improvement opportunities without needing direction.

Builder Mentality

Excited by the challenge of helping shape and mature a young IT Operations function. Enjoys turning ambiguity into structure, standards, and repeatable processes. Thinks in terms of systems, scalability, and future growth, not just short‑term fixes. Designs for simplicity and automation, rather than overcomplications.

Remote‑First Operator

Highly effective working in a remote‑first environment. Communicates clearly and proactively in async channels. Comfortable collaborating across time zones and distributed teams. Able to self‑manage priorities, delivery, and momentum without close supervision.

End‑to‑End Thinking

Able to design solutions holistically: Technical implementation, User experience, Security and compliance, Ongoing support and maintenance. Considers operational impact before making changes. Balances speed with stability and long‑term maintainability.

Able to explain technical concepts clearly to non‑technical stakeholders. Works well with leadership to align execution with shared vision and strategy. Partners effectively with GRC, HR, and People teams. Provides mentorship and raises standards within the team.

Pragmatic & Outcome‑Driven

Makes sensible trade‑offs based on business context. Focuses on solutions that are “right for now” while building for what’s next. Avoids over‑engineering, but doesn’t cut corners that will create future debt.

Actively looks for ways to: Reduce manual effort, Improve reliability, Increase transparency and clarity. Comfortable iterating, refining, and improving systems over time. Open to feedback and driven to improve both personally and professionally.

Cultural Fit

Calm, measured, and professional under pressure. Approaches problems with curiosity. Values trust, autonomy, and shared ownership. Motivated by building something meaningful alongside leadership, not just “running what exists.”