SUMMARY:
We are seeking an experienced IT Operations Manager to take ownership of our infrastructure, networking, hosting, and end-user technology environments.
This role is accountable for the stability, security, performance, and governance of the technology that supports our business operations, as well as the overall service experience of the internal teams that rely on it daily.
The technology function operates as an internal service provider, with a primary focus on supporting business users. Success in this role is measured by the reliability, security, and efficiency of technology services, enabling employees to perform at their best.
The IT environment is based within premises shared with a partner organisation, creating a strong emphasis on network segregation, access control, and robust data governance practices to ensure appropriate security boundaries are maintained.
This is a hands-on leadership position. You will inherit an established team and be responsible for delivering outcomes through effective leadership, delegation, and quality assurance. While the role requires strong people management capabilities, you must also possess the technical expertise to engage deeply with infrastructure, networking, security, and firewall-related challenges when required.
We are looking for a leader who can balance strategic oversight with technical proficiency; someone who empowers their team to execute effectively while remaining capable of providing technical direction and support when necessary.
A key component of this role is ensuring that Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) principles are embedded within day-to-day operations. You will be responsible for maintaining secure, well-governed technology environments that align with the requirements of a regulated financial services business.
POSITION INFO:
Below is a professionally rewritten, client-neutral version suitable for a job specification or candidate brief. IT Operations Manager Key Responsibilities 1. Infrastructure & Network Operations Own the operation, optimisation, maintenance, and lifecycle management of enterprise network infrastructure. Manage network architecture, segmentation, firewall configurations, and network security controls. Ensure high levels of connectivity, system availability, performance, and reliability across all sites and environments. Implement and maintain infrastructure monitoring capabilities, proactively identifying and resolving potential issues before they impact the business. 2. Cloud Infrastructure & Hosting Manage cloud-based infrastructure environments (Azure, AWS, or equivalent) and associated hosting platforms. Ensure infrastructure supports application availability, scalability, performance, and resilience requirements. Monitor cloud expenditure and drive initiatives focused on infrastructure modernisation, optimisation, and cloud adoption. 3. Service Delivery, End-User Support & Identity Management Lead the internal IT service desk function, including request intake, triage, prioritisation, escalation, and resolution within agreed service levels. Oversee endpoint management, device provisioning, patch management, hardware standards, and lifecycle processes. Administer identity and access management platforms, including Entra ID (Azure Active Directory), Active Directory, and Microsoft 365 environments. Manage employee onboarding and offboarding processes from a systems, access control, and security perspective. Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the end-user experience through increased self-service capability, reduced incident volumes, and faster resolution times. 4. Incident Management, Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Own and govern the incident management process, including classification, escalation, communication, resolution, and post-incident review. Lead major incident response activities and ensure root cause analysis and corrective actions are completed and tracked. Maintain and regularly test backup, recovery, and disaster recovery capabilities against established RTO and RPO objectives. Ensure business continuity readiness through documented recovery procedures, operational runbooks, and testing exercises. Coordinate after-hours support and on-call arrangements to ensure operational coverage when required. 5. Security, Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Embed governance, risk, and compliance principles across all operational technology environments. Manage firewall policies, privileged access controls, access management processes, and security enforcement mechanisms. Oversee vulnerability management, patch governance, remediation tracking, and security monitoring activities. Ensure technology environments comply with applicable security standards, regulatory obligations, and data privacy requirements, including POPIA. Maintain strong data governance practices and appropriate security segregation within shared technology environments. 6. DevOps & Development Environment Support Ensure secure, stable, and scalable platforms are available for development, testing, and production workloads. Support CI\/CD pipelines and DevOps practices in partnership with engineering and development teams. Maintain robust change management processes that balance agility with operational stability and governance requirements. 7. Team Leadership & Vendor Management Lead, mentor, and develop an established IT Operations team, fostering a culture of accountability, technical excellence, and continuous improvement. Manage workload planning, performance management, skills development, and succession planning. Oversee relationships with third-party technology vendors, service providers, telecommunications partners, and licensing suppliers. Manage the operational technology budget, software licensing expenditure, contract renewals, and forecasting activities. 8. Operational Reporting & Continuous Improvement Develop and maintain meaningful operational reporting across infrastructure, service delivery, security, and risk domains. Define and track key performance indicators, including system availability, incident trends, SLA performance, capacity utilisation, and operational risk. Provide clear and actionable reporting to leadership teams, enabling informed decision-making. Identify opportunities for automation, monitoring enhancements, and operational efficiency improvements to reduce manual effort and recurring issues. Required Skills & Experience Networking Strong hands-on experience in enterprise networking, including architecture, connectivity, segmentation, performance optimisation, and troubleshooting. Firewall & Network Security Demonstrated expertise in firewall administration, network access controls, security policy implementation, and network security governance. Cloud Infrastructure Proven experience managing cloud environments such as Azure, AWS, or similar platforms, including hosting, scalability, optimisation, and cost management. Identity & Workplace Technology Experience administering Microsoft 365, Entra ID (Azure Active Directory), Active Directory, endpoint management solutions, and workplace technologies at scale. Service Delivery Proven track record managing internal IT support functions and service desks against defined SLAs, with measurable improvements in service quality and user satisfaction. Incident & Resilience Management Experience leading incident management processes, root cause analysis activities, business continuity planning, and disaster recovery testing. Leadership Successful experience leading technical teams, setting standards, delegating effectively, and delivering results through others. Governance, Risk & Compliance Working knowledge of IT governance, risk management, cybersecurity controls, and compliance requirements within regulated environments. Reporting & Performance Management Ability to create meaningful operational dashboards, metrics, and reporting frameworks that provide leadership with visibility into technology performance and risk. Desirable Skills Experience supporting software engineering teams, DevOps practices, and CI\/CD environments. Knowledge of infrastructure automation and Infrastructure-as-Code technologies such as PowerShell, Terraform, Ansible, or similar tools. Familiarity with industry frameworks and standards including ITIL, ISO 27001, COBIT, or related methodologies. Relevant technical certifications in networking, cloud computing, cybersecurity, or IT service management. Experience leveraging AI-powered tools to improve operational efficiency, including: Alert triage and noise reduction Automated documentation and runbook generation Anomaly detection and monitoring optimisation Ticket classification and service desk automation AI-assisted scripting and Infrastructure-as-Code development using tools such as GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, or equivalent Candidates should be able to demonstrate practical examples of AI-driven improvements, including measurable business benefits, while understanding the governance, security, and compliance considerations associated with automation. Qualifications Education Bachelor's Degree, Diploma, or equivalent qualification in Information Technology, Computer Science, Networking, Information Systems, or a related discipline preferred. Experience 6-10 years of experience in IT infrastructure, networking, cloud, or operations environments. Minimum of 2-3 years' experience leading technical teams. Demonstrated experience across enterprise-scale environments with responsibility for operational continuity, security, and service delivery. Certifications (Advantageous) CCNA, CCNP, Azure Certifications, AWS Certifications ITIL Foundation or higher Cybersecurity certifications such as CISSP, CompTIA Security+, or equivalent What Success Looks Like in the First 12 Months Trusted infrastructure and service health reporting is established and regularly reviewed by leadership. A mature incident management framework is implemented, including consistent root cause analysis and corrective action tracking. Backup, recovery, and disaster recovery capabilities are tested against defined recovery objectives, with documented outcomes and improvements. Internal service delivery metrics demonstrate measurable improvements in SLA achievement and user satisfaction. Team structure, ownership, accountability, and development plans are clearly defined and actively managed. Key operational risks are identified, monitored, and mitigated through effective governance and control processes. Personal Attributes Strong sense of ownership and accountability for operational stability, security, and service quality. Balances strategic leadership with technical credibility and hands-on capability when required. Skilled at delivering results through effective delegation, coaching, and quality assurance. Communicates confidently with technical teams, business stakeholders, and executive leadership. Remains calm, structured, and decisive during high-pressure incidents and operational challenges. Customer-focused and committed to delivering an excellent internal service experience. Adaptable and forward-thinking, with an interest in emerging technologies, automation, and AI-enabled ways of working. Apply now! For more IT jobs, please visit I also specialise in recruiting in the following: Software Development Data Engineer Data Analyst Infrastructure Architecture ... and more! If you have not had any response in two weeks, please consider the vacancy application unsuccessful. Your profile will be kept on our database for any other suitable roles \/ positions. For more information contact: Sfundo Shoba
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