Systems Administrator: IT Operations

UWC Online - University of the Western Cape; Bellville; On-site; ZAR 350,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent South African university is seeking a Systems Administrator for its IT Operations. The role involves supporting daily operations, ensuring data integrity, and maintaining infrastructure security. Qualified candidates should have a minimum of 3 years of experience in a datacentre environment and strong knowledge of Microsoft server technologies. The position offers a dynamic work environment aligned with the university's digital transformation strategy.

Qualifications

• 3 years of experience in a datacentre environment.
• 5 years of experience with a senior certificate and relevant certifications.

Responsibilities

• Support production and daily operations.
• Evaluate server performance and ensure data integrity.
• Maintain IT infrastructure security.

Skills

Microsoft Server Technologies

Virtualization technologies

Microsoft Azure

Office 365

Education

NQF 7 qualification or higher

Professional certifications (e.g., MCSE)

Job description

The Information & Communication Services (ICS) Department at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) delivers a broad range of best practice Information & Communication Technology services to one of South Africa’s most dynamic universities. The ICS department has identified a growth area within the IT Operations and Services unit that focuses on delivering services aligned with the University Digital Transformation strategy and as part of the Institutional Operating Plan (IOP). In order to deliver on the Department’s strategic initiatives, an opportunity exists for a suitably qualified candidate: Systems Administrator: IT Operations.

The key responsibilities of the incumbent include but are not limited to:

• Supporting production and daily operations,
• Evaluating server performance in terms of systems utilisation, availability, and reliability,
• Ensuring data recovery, maintenance, data integrity, and space requirements are met across various platforms,
• Maintaining the security of the IT infrastructure,
• Maintaining infrastructure documentation, standard operating procedures, and inventory of the datacentre,
• Providing input and recommendations on business continuity and system/process improvements,
• Using monitoring and diagnostics tools effectively to troubleshoot system issues,
• Applying best practice frameworks, change control, open-source technologies, including ITIL processes,
• Contributing to the development of procedures and processes for enterprise datacentre operations,
• Developing technology standards and best practices for the datacentre infrastructure,
• Analyzing technologies and market trends to determine potential impacts and recommend solutions,
• Collaborating closely with network infrastructure, application support teams, departments, and stakeholders.

Qualifications:

• A NQF 7 (or higher) qualification with three (3) years experience in a datacentre environment,
• Or a senior certificate (with Bachelors pass) and relevant professional certifications (e.g., MCSE, MSCA, Certified DevOps Engineer) with five (5) years of experience in a large organization or educational institution datacentre environment.

Skills and Experience:

Strong knowledge or understanding in these key areas would be advantageous:

• Microsoft Server Technologies: MS Server, MS Clustering, Active Directory Services, Group Policy, Windows Remote Desktop,
• Virtualization technologies: VMware ESX Server, Hyper-V, KVM, etc.,
• Microsoft Azure, Office 365, Entra ID.

Minimum competencies required:

• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills,
• Ability to work across interdisciplinary teams,
• Ability to analyze and resolve problems swiftly using diagnostic tools,
• Adaptability to new technologies and best practice frameworks,
• Understanding of the cyber threat landscape and mitigation strategies,
• Ability to create and maintain technical documentation, policies, and processes related to datacentre infrastructure.