BSG Recruits Infrastructure Solutions Manager

BSG Africa has an opportunity for someone with an IT management background to take over the running and overall management of an IT division. This is an excellent opportunity for the successful candidate to take over a mature IT environment, to use innovative technology solutions to meet business requirements, while working with a strong technical team and having free reign to architect new ideas. A creative thinker with strong leadership ability has the opportunity to take the IT department into the future using new technologies while working with some of the best technical talent in the IT industry.

Main Purpose of the Role:
Management of the Infrastructure Solutions (IS) division including all operational aspects associated with running an IT department, including budget and cost control, line management, coaching and mentoring, strategy, performance management and overall accountability for all technical services, systems and support provided to internal and external customers.

Qualifications:

• IT diploma (e.g. Technikon) or technical certification (MCSE, A+, N+, CCNA) or IT/IS Degree
• ITIL certification an advantage
• Project management training an advantage e.g. PRINCE2
• General business management training an advantage
• People management training an advantage

Job Objectives:

• To play an active role contributing to the company leadership and strategy teams, which are comprised of other divisions and business unit heads
• Compilation, ownership and reporting against a balanced scorecard identifying all the strategic goals of the IS division which rolls up into a larger corporate strategy
• Line management, performance management, coaching and mentoring of a team of technical support staff, including goal setting, active involvement in daily operations, censure/reward and work prioritisation
• To be accountable for the growth and retention of talent through motivation, employee engagement, performance management and development
• Risk management across all technology, services and areas within the division, including risk mitigation and reporting
• Responsible for the IS organisational structure, team design, succession planning and technical skills coverage across areas within the division, including technical expertise, operational tasks, capacity planning, leadership of the team as well as developing new leaders
• Project management and involvement in all technical projects to internal and external customers including the compilation of project related management products and reporting
• To be accountable for technical work packages, implementation and change control and delivery of all technical projects according to an agreed project plan, prioritised by the strategic team within the business
• To be actively involved in project boards on internal projects requiring technical representation by attending project board meetings, reviewing project deliverables, decision making and approving project products
• Management of the Service Desk function, providing the resources/team to support systems, handling incidents, meeting SLA targets and ensuring the Service Desk function delivers the services described in all contracts including monthly reports, documentation as well as the technical hardware or software services described
• To ultimately be accountable for the operation of all technical systems, services and support provided to internal and external customers, which includes fault detection and resolution, communication, problem and incident management throughout the entire incident lifecycle all measured against SLA targets
• To provide technical coaching and mentoring on resolving complicated or high impact technical faults, not necessarily resolving the incident with hard skills but guiding the approach
• Compilation and management of the divisional budget, review of management accounts, reporting against the budget and actual spend, procurement process and spend approval, and supplier negotiations
• Maturation of the existing technical support, systems and service delivery offering to the business and customers, this includes implementing recognised standards like ITIL and COBIT into existing process as well as delivery of projects with visible business benefit and improved end user satisfaction
• To raise the profile of the IS division within the organisation to be perceived as more than an internal support function
• To increase revenue generated by technical support through being able to support all SLA requirements of the business as well as look for opportunities to leverage the technical skills within the team and perform consulting work
• To leverage the existing assets and services within the division to ensure a maximum return on investment, this includes the rental of a data centre, un-interruptible power supply service, backup generator system and the Internet hosting platform
• To define new products and technical services that the IS division can take to market in the consulting space including ensuring that the sales team is well aware of the skills within the team and existing products available to the market

Experience:

• 3 – 5 years experience in system/network administration (technical focus)
• 3 – 5 years experience in IT management (leadership focus)

Knowledge:

• ITIL principles an advantage
• Service desk incident management lifecycle
• System/network administration
• IT Management
• Department/divisional management
• Technology trends

Skills and Abilities:

• Significant experience in technical IT system and network administration at an expert, last line of support level within the last 5 years (knowledge need not be current but should form a solid foundation), examples include various server operating systems, email systems, firewalls, domains, networking, server administration, server hardware, printing, telephony, etc.
• Excellent communication skills, articulate, ability to compile presentations and present and speak to an audience, review and approval of group communication emails
• Ability to formulate and communicate goals for direct reports
• Ability to work well in a team and support team members in all areas of the division
• Ability to manage the operational aspects of the department/division as well as the people within the team
• Ability to analyse, define and elicit technical requirements to achieve business and project goals

Key Performance Areas:

• Deliver against defined milestones and benefits to be realised
• Manage delivery through others
• Relationship building at director and executive level, internally and externally (retention and expansion opportunities)
• Growth and retention of talent

Other:

• Available after hours and on weekends if required
• Willing to travel

<< Click here to apply.