Careers at Safaricom Kenya

Key Responsibilities 

• Engage current and potential customers to understand demand on Metro Fibre for upcoming Fibre connectivity requirements 
• Forecast Fibre capacity requirements both for the short and medium term 
• Ensure Fibre networks are designed and to the agreed Technical and Safety Standards 
• Engage Partners/Stakeholders in the Planning and Design of Optimal Metro, Inter-City, New Sites, Data Centre site networks to support customer requirements 
• Release Metro network plans to cater for the next 1-3 years in liaison with the transmission team 
• Develop and seek approval of efficient design methodology and tools for Fibre networks to ensure high availability and cost efficiency in Maintenance 
• Drive innovation in Fibre planning in line with the best practices worldwide 
• Develop, document and maintain the standards and processes to be used in Fibre Design 
• Enforce standards in the fibre materials used network to ensure optimum QOS and network lifespan 
• Maintain quality and up-to date design standards that ensure high availability and resiliency 
• Generate and share the Metro fibre network footprint with customer departments within technology and the Business units to enable them to integrate other network elements and enable them to commercialize the Fibre network 
• GIS data analysis generating reports and insights informing metro fibre rollout prioritization  
• TCO analysis for Major CAPEX investments to ensure that it is in line with CAPEX strategy in the business. 
• Drive CAPEX and OPEX Savings initiatives 
• Keep up-to-date documentation on Fibre route plans 
• Train fiber planners on Safaricom Design and Safety by Design standards 
• Metro Fiber Designs, BOM and BOQ approval 

Qualifications

• First Degree in Electrical and Electronics or Geospatial Engineering with a strong Fibre telecoms content  
• 3 years of experience in GIS based Fibre network design and at least 2 years in Metro Fibre projects planning, deployment and support 
• Familiar with ROW acquisition process 
• Great understanding of the metro fibre network 
• GIS proficiency; ArcGis, QGIS, Mapinfo 
• Certifications in Project Management will be an added advantage  
• Great Communications skills 
• Ability to work within a team 

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About the Role

This role is responsible for overseeing the controlled introduction of changes and software releases into the MPA environment. This role ensures that changes are well-planned, tested, and implemented while minimizing disruptions to business operations. The Change and Release Specialist collaborates with various teams to ensure that changes and releases align with business goals, maintain system stability, and comply with regulatory requirements. 

Responsibilities:

Technical Review:

• Ensure the smooth running of daily technical review calls for Normal Changes (ITIL)
• Ensure minimum service disruption due to technical issues with changes
• Ensure clear and factual feedback to change initiators on issues during review
• Offer support to the L1 team with technical review of minor changes
• Support the Operational teams on technical topics
• Offer technical guidance to Operational Acceptance Tests (OAT) team

Change and Release Management:

• Develop and implement change and release management processes, policies, and procedures
• Review and evaluate proposed changes for potential impacts, risks, and benefits
• Coordinate change approval and ensure that changes are properly authorized
• Communicate change plans, schedules, and status updates to stakeholders
• Ensure all changes presented to the CAB are discussed and critiqued as per the Assessment criteria
• Ensure all major and critical changes discussed in the CAB have a deployment plan and CRQ which is duly completed and approved
• Ensure all changes are broadcasted to CAB, local Markets contacts and other related stakeholders by COB of every CAB or E-CAB meeting
• Oversee the release process and ensure correct patch is applied and on time

Risk Mitigation:

• Identify potential risks associated with changes and releases and develop mitigation strategies
• Assess the potential impact of changes on existing systems and services
• Implement controls to minimize risks and disruptions during the change and release process

Documentation:

• Maintain comprehensive documentation of change and release processes, approvals, and outcomes
• Create clear and accurate records for auditing, troubleshooting, and knowledge sharing

Compliance and Governance:

• Ensure that changes and releases adhere to regulatory requirements and internal governance standards.
• Implement security measures to protect data and maintain compliance.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Technical SME or architect role with international companies – minimum 8 years 
• Technical analysis and risk assessment of complex IT changes - 8 years 
• Strong knowledge of high availability application and infrastructure architectures
• Subject matter knowledge of mobile payments applications and infrastructure
• Technical understanding of mobile telecommunications, mobile payments or similar financial system operations
• Operational experience in IT or telecommunication industry, knowledge of industry best practices and experience in technical assessment of complex changes