Platform Lead - SAS administrator at Absa Bank Limited

SAS Viya Platform Management:

• Design, deploy, configure, and maintain SAS environments to meet business needs and performance requirements.
•  Provide ongoing support and troubleshoot issues for SAS system administration
• Perform regular patch upgrades for SAS environments to ensure system stability.
• Automate alerts for system errors or issues to enable quick response.
• Ensure high availability and disaster recovery capabilities are in place for SAS environments by managing disaster recovery processes, ensuring system readiness.
• Optimize system performance through routine monitoring and tuning.
• Maintain up-to-date documentation on administrative processes and system configurations.
• Coordinate with IT teams to ensure the seamless integration of SAS with other systems.
• Ensure compliance with security policies and manage user permissions effectively
• Manage user access, security configurations, and permissions within SAS platforms, adhering to Absa Bank's security policies and standards.
• Installation & Configuration: Set up the SAS software environment, including server configurations and customizations according to business needs.
• User Management: Create and manage user accounts, roles, and permissions to ensure secure access to SAS resources.

System Integration and Automation:

• Integrate SAS platforms with other banking systems, applications, and data sources as required.
• Develop and maintain automation scripts and workflows for routine administrative tasks, such as backups, updates, and monitoring.
•  Implement best practices for configuration management and version control within SAS environments.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Collaborate with business stakeholders, data analysts, and other IT teams to understand requirements and translate them into SAS Viya solutions.
• Provide technical expertise and guidance to project teams and stakeholders on SAS capabilities, limitations, and best practices.
• Participate in cross-functional teams to drive innovation, process improvements, and knowledge sharing related to SAS administration.

Performance Optimization and Capacity Planning:

• Analyze system performance metrics and usage patterns to identify opportunities for optimization and capacity planning.
• Recommend and implement improvements to hardware, software configurations, and infrastructure resources to enhance SAS Viya performance and scalability.
• Conduct regular capacity assessments and proactively plan for future expansion or upgrades as needed.

Documentation and Training:

•  Maintain comprehensive documentation of SAS configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting guides.
•  Provide training and knowledge transfer to junior administrators, support staff, and end-users on SAS administration best practices and usage guidelines.

Team management and leadership

• The ability to lead and manage a team of SAS admins to achieve team and organisation objectives managing performance, development and providing mentorship

Experience and Educational requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field. Advanced degree or relevant certifications (e.g., SAS Certified Viya Platform Administrator) preferred.
• Proven experience (5+ years) in administering SAS platforms with specific experience in Viya 3.5 and 4 in enterprise environments, preferably within the banking or financial services sector.
• In-depth knowledge of SAS architecture, components, and administration best practices.
• Proficiency in scripting languages (e.g., Python, Shell) for automation and integration tasks.
• Strong understanding of Linux/Unix operating systems and experience with server virtualization technologies (e.g., VMware, Docker).
• The ability to create Terraform scripts as a code tool that lets you build, change, and version cloud and on-prem resources safely and efficiently will be advantageous.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills and ability to troubleshoot complex technical issues in SAS environments.
• Experience and knowledge with cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure) and containerization technologies (e.g., Kubernetes,) is a plus.
• Knowledge and experience in the following SAS components will be advantageous:
• SAS Data Integration (ETL) Studio, SAS Management console, SAS OLAP Cube studio, SAS Information map Studio, SAS-Add inn for Microsoft office, SAS Enterprise Guide, SAS Customer Intelligence Studio, Web Report Studio (WRS), SAS Visual Analytics(VA),Dashboard. SAS/Macro, SAS/SQL, Stored Processes