About the position
The Infrastructure Manager is responsible for the strategic planning, implementation, and operational
management of our client hybrid IT infrastructure. This includes on-premises and cloud environments
enabled by Microsoft Azure, HP and Aruba networking equipment, HP servers and SAN storage,
Windows and Linux operating systems, and SQL Server databases. The role ensures high availability,
performance, scalability, security, and continuity of the infrastructure supporting all the company divisions.
Responsibilities:
Infrastructure Strategy & Planning
- Develop and maintain the company’s infrastructure roadmap aligned with business goals.
- Lead infrastructure projects including upgrades, migrations, and capacity planning.
- Evaluate and recommend new technologies and solutions to improve efficiency and resilience.
Hybrid Environment Management
- Oversee the management of Windows and Linux servers, Microsoft Azure, and on-premises data centres.
- Ensure seamless integration between cloud and on-prem environments.
- Manage virtualization platforms, storage systems, and backup solutions.
Network & Connectivity Oversight
- Manage core network infrastructure including HP/Aruba switches, firewalls, and WAN/LAN connectivity.
- Ensure network performance, security, and redundancy across the company locations.
- Collaborate with the Firewall Engineer and Security teams on perimeter and internal network controls.
Landscape Documentation
- Maintain comprehensive infrastructure landscape documentation, including topology diagrams, system dependencies, and configuration records.
- Ensure documentation is up-to-date and accessible for audits, troubleshooting, and planning.
- Align documentation with CMDB standards and change management processes.
Desktop Computers
- Oversee procurement of desktop computers, monitors and peripherals.
- Manage the lifecycle of desktop hardware including deployment, maintenance, upgrades, and decommissioning.
- Maintain an accurate inventory of desktop assets, including tracking usage and replenishment.
- Coordinate with vendors and suppliers for warranty claims, replacements, and service agreements.
- Implement standards and policies for desktop configurations and user access.
- Monitor performance and usage trends to inform future procurement and support strategies.
Security and Compliance
- Ensure infrastructure compliance with the company’s security policies and regulatory requirements (POPIA, GDPR, FSCA, Joint Security Standard).
- Support patching, firmware updates, and vulnerability remediation.
- Collaborate with the Information Security Manager on risk mitigation and audit readiness.
Monitoring, Maintenance and Lifecycle Management
- Oversee infrastructure monitoring, alerting, and performance tuning.
- Plan and execute hardware replacements, firmware updates, and preventative maintenance.
- Maintain accurate asset records in the Configuration Management Database (CMDB).
Incident and Change Management
- Manage infrastructure-related incidents and service requests via JIRA Service Management.
- Participate in change advisory board (CAB) meetings and ensure proper documentation and testing of changes.
- Lead root cause analysis and post-incident reviews.
IT Continuity Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain the company’s IT Continuity Plan, ensuring alignment with business continuity and disaster recovery strategies.
- Identify critical infrastructure components and ensure redundancy and failover capabilities.
- Conduct regular continuity testing, including backup restoration, failover simulations, and recovery drills.
- Collaborate with business units to define RTOs and RPOs for key systems.
- Ensure continuity documentation is integrated with landscape and operational documentation.
Cloud Integration and DevOps
- Design and manage CI/CD pipelines for infrastructure deployments.
- Utilize JIRA DevOps tools to track deployments, automation tasks, and issue resolution.
- Collaborate with development teams to integrate infrastructure with application delivery workflows.
- Implement cloud-native monitoring and alerting solutions.
Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
- Use Terraform, ARM templates, and Bicep for infrastructure provisioning and automation.
- Automate deployment and configuration across hybrid environments.
- Integrate IaC into CI/CD pipelines for consistent and repeatable infrastructure delivery.
- Maintain version control and documentation of infrastructure definitions.
Internet Connectivity
- Oversee the company’s internet services, ensuring high availability and performance.
- Coordinate with service providers for connectivity issues and upgrades.
- Monitor bandwidth usage and implement optimization strategies.
Audio Visual
- Manage AV systems for hybrid meetings and collaboration spaces.
- Ensure proper functioning and support for video conferencing equipment.
- Coordinate AV setups for internal and external events.
Telephony
- Administer VoIP systems and mobile communication platforms.
- Integrate telephony services with Microsoft Teams and other collaboration tools.
- Monitor and maintain telephony infrastructure for reliability and cost-efficiency.
Financial Management
- Compile and manage departmental budgets for IT infrastructure.
- Approve vendor and service provider invoices related to infrastructure operations.
- Track and report on infrastructure spend, ensuring alignment with financial forecasts.
Team Leadership & Vendor Management
- Lead and mentor infrastructure engineers and support staff.
- Manage vendor relationships, contracts, and SLAs for infrastructure services and hardware.
- Coordinate with service providers for installations, maintenance, and escalations.
Operational Reporting
- Produce regular reports on infrastructure health, capacity, performance, and risk posture.
- Present insights and recommendations to IT leadership and governance committees.
Minimum requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
- 8+ years of IT infrastructure experience, with 5+ years in a leadership role.
- Certifications: Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect or Administrator, Aruba Certified Switching Professional, Red Hat or Linux equivalent.
- Strong knowledge of HP servers, SAN storage, Windows/Linux OS, and SQL Server.
- Experience with hybrid cloud environments and Azure services.
- Experience in designing and executing IT continuity and disaster recovery plans, including conducting DR drills and ensuring alignment with business continuity frameworks.
- Familiarity with scripting (PowerShell, Bash) and automation tools.
Experience in the following technologies and concepts:
- Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online
- HP Synergy / Server Blade Infrastructure
- Storage Technologies – Preferable HPE and Fibre Channel
- Hyper-V and Hyper-V Clusters
- Failover Clusters for MS SQL Server
- IP Telephony
- Proficiency with various operating systems, windows, linux etc
- LAN/WAN/VPN Technology
- In-depth understanding of TCP/IP and internetworking with heterogeneous technologies
- Familiarity with DevOps practices and tools (e.g., CI/CD pipelines, Docker, Kubernetes).
- Understanding of scripting and programming languages, including but not limited to PowerShell, Python, Perl, Bash, Java, PHP, etc.
- Technical documentation
Competencies required:
- Strong leadership and problem-solving skills.
- Attention to detail
- Decision making
- Leadership
- Attention to detail
- Resilience
- Good verbal and written communication skills
- Time management skills
- Deadline driven
Desired Skills:
- IT infrastructure
- Azure services.
- HP servers
- SAN storage
- Windows/Linux OS
- SQL Server
