Senior Modern Workplace Engineer

Sand Technologies; South Africa; Hybrid; ZAR 700 000 - 1 000 000; Full time

Job summary

A fast-growing enterprise AI company is seeking a Senior Modern Workplace Engineer to enhance their end-user technology environment. The role requires managing platforms like Google Workspace and Slack, and designing identity solutions while ensuring security best practices. You will also work closely with IT leadership in automating processes and improving service management tools. Ideal candidates should have over 5 years of experience in IT operations and proficiency in modern workplace technologies. The position supports a distributed workforce and focuses on meaningful, impactful solutions.

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.

Responsibilities

• Own and operate Google Workspace at scale.
• Design and maintain identity and SSO architecture across SaaS platforms.
• Manage and evolve endpoint management for macOS, Windows, and mobile devices.

Skills

Modern Workplace / IT Operations

GWS (Google Workspace)

Azure or AWS administration

identity and SSO integrations

Security Best practices

Tools

Jira Service Management

Slack

Zoom

Atlassian

Github

Job description

About Sand

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:
• User lifecycle management (joiners, movers, leavers)
• 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

Endpoint & Device Management

• 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
• Automation rules
• 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
• Identity-driven provisioning
• Create and maintain clear documentation, standards, and runbooks
• Act as an escalation point for complex workplace and identity issues

Collaboration & Leadership

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 supportComfortable being accountable for outcomes, not just tasksProactively identifies gaps, risks, and improvement opportunities without needing direction

Builder Mentality

Excited by the challenge of helping shape and mature a young IT Operations functionEnjoys turning ambiguity into structure, standards, and repeatable processesThinks in terms of systems, scalability, and future growth, not just short-term fixesDesigns for simplicity and automation, rather than overcomplications

Remote-First Operator

Highly effective working in a remote-first environmentCommunicates clearly and proactively in async channelsComfortable collaborating across time zones and distributed teamsAble to self-manage priorities, delivery, and momentum without close supervision

End-to-End Thinking

Able to design solutions holistically:Technical implementationUser experienceSecurity and complianceOngoing support and maintenanceConsiders operational impact before making changesBalances speed with stability and long-term maintainability

Strong Communicator & Collaborator

Able to explain technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholdersWorks well with leadership to align execution with shared vision and strategyPartners effectively with GRC, HR, and People teamsProvides mentorship and raises standards within the team

Pragmatic & Outcome-Driven

Makes sensible trade-offs based on business contextFocuses on solutions that are “right for now” while building for what’s nextAvoids over-engineering, but doesn’t cut corners that will create future debt

Continuous Improvement Mindset

Actively looks for ways to:Reduce manual effortImprove reliabilityIncrease transparency and clarityComfortable iterating, refining, and improving systems over timeOpen to feedback and driven to improve both personally and professionally

Cultural Fit

Calm, measured, and professional under pressureApproaches problems with curiosityValues trust, autonomy, and shared ownershipMotivated by building something meaningful alongside leadership, not just “running what exists”