Server and Services Computing Specialist at Absa Bank Limited

Job Summary

Technology Infrastructure services department oversees planning, deployment and operation of state-of-the-art infrastructure services that include network, server, storage, backup, and print services that support mission critical services for the Bank.
The role holder will act as the leader a team of that is composed of technical experts on servers, storage, backup, and print platforms that support business critical financial services for the Bank.

Job Description

Main Accountabilities:

Service Availability

Key Activities

Business Liaison

Key Activities

1. Risk Management
2. People Management

Education and experience required

Knowledge and skills:

Competencies:

• The prime responsibility is for maintaining the availability and reliability of servers, storage, backup, and print platforms that support business critical financial services for the Bank and ensure that IT can effectively meet service targets in accordance with planned business objectives.
• Responsible for ensuring 99.99% uptime of servers, storage, backup, and print platforms.
• Installing, configuring and maintain servers, storage, backup, and print platforms.
• Accountable for installing, configuring, maintaining, and supporting high-performance, fault-tolerant, scalable servers, storage, backup, and print
• Manage changes impacting the team, effectively minimizing risk and exposure.
• Maintain regular contact with stakeholders during incident and problem resolution
• As a team member of the Server & Storage team, positively impact a high performing continuous improvement culture
• In-depth troubleshooting skills and root cause analysis
• Promote and develop both tactical and strategic ways to drive productivity and efficiency within the core responsibility areas.
• Understand our customers’ needs and pursue the success of our clients, enabling effortless delivery
• Able to interpret global market trends, enabling a competitive edge to drive innovation.
• Stay abreast of industry and operational trends and role players and ensure that the department is well positioned to provide competitive and industry leading services.
• Analyze effectiveness of processes, systems and technologies used in the department and make recommendations for improvements.
• Review performance of the area/unit against balanced scorecard components as prescribed by the Executive, discuss gaps and agree action plans to close gaps.
• Benchmark productivity of the department against industry standards and create measures to improve productivity.
• Single point of contact for one or more business units to represent IT services.
• Identify service needs for the Business Units represented to IT
• Escalate Business unit service issues to the Service Manager
• Communicate service status on service issues to the Business Unit
• Assist in SLA negotiation efforts with Business Unit(s)
• Report on quality of services rendered to Business Unit(s)
• Ensure that all servers, storage, backup, and printers are fully cyber compliant.
• Build relationship with country Technology Risk and Compliance team and provide support wherever required.
• Ensure that processes and controls are executed in daily work and understand the reasons for the controls and the consequences for failing to adhere to prescribed processes.
• Test a sample of activities on a weekly, monthly basis by reviewing documentation and checking work completed by team members to see if control requirements are being adhered to.
•  Coach the team members on areas for improvement and highlight major failures to the manager of the area
• Provide evidence/supporting documents to auditors or management assurance consultants during formal reviews
• Make team members aware of all changes to policies, processes and procedures that are being planned for the area and ensure that they are able to incorporate the changes on the effective date.
• Contribute and deliver to the improvement of the risk profile by delivering improved governance, risk management, controls and compliance requirements.
• Devise and implement an effective plan to deliver a satisfactory risk and audit profile for Operations & IT and achieve audit and assurance targets.
• Team leader for the server and services team.
• Work closely with IT colleagues (service desk, other third line teams, and project managers) and a variety of stakeholders to ensure required outcomes are achieved.
• Influence customers, suppliers, partners and peers.
• Positively impact a high performing continuous improvement culture
• Develop a high performing team by embedding formal performance development and informal coaching.
• Encourage frequent knowledge sharing between team members.
• Determine and analyze development needs for the team and ensure that identified training requirements are budgeted for and executed.
• Establish and maintain a succession plan for the team.
• Approve leave requests for team members and create leave plan to ensure adequate coverage.
• Motivate team members and ensure that their efforts are recognized.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in ICT related field
• At least four (4) years of experience as a Systems Administrator in a busy institution.
• High Level and practically demonstrable knowledge in Unix/Linux operating systems skills
• High Level and practically demonstrable knowledge in Windows operating systems skills.
• Experience with virtualization tools such as Vmware VSphere, Nutanix HCI
• Desirable to possess the following certifications: MCSE, CCNA and ITIL.
• Certification on Cloud Technologies preferably with AWS Architecture associate certification
• Translate Bus Requirements to technical Solutions (Solid)
• Negotiation Skills (Solid)
• Strategic Thinking (Solid)
• Communication Skills (Written and Verbal) (Solid)
• Subject matter expertise (Solid)
• Understand the IT service delivery within a corporate environment (Advanced)
• Ability to analyze, make decision and initiate act (Solid)
• Resourcefulness and problem-solving aptitude
• Excellent communication skills and high-quality customer service.
• Ability to handle multiple projects in a fast-paced environment Deciding and initiating action
• Learning and researching
• High levels of integrity.
• Adapting and responding to change
• Persuading and influencing
• Creating and innovating

Education

Higher Diplomas: Physical, Mathematical, Computer and Life Sciences (Required)