Vacancies at Safaricom Kenya

JOB DESCRIPTION

Reporting to the Technical Team Lead – Core Network Regional Support, the individual is responsible for providing 1st line support for the core network elements and systems hosted in the data center and general data center management. This role involves 1st line fault management on core network systems and infrastructure (including MSSs, MGWs, SGSNs, MMEs, GGSNs, PGWs, PCRFs, CSDB, STP, DRA, Cloud Infra, Routers and Switches) as well as other systems hosted in the data center. The individual is expected to handle assigned Incidents, execute planned network changes, manage preventive maintenance tasks for the assigned data centers, support data center project activities to ensure they adhere to required standards, maintain inventory of all data center assets, Monitor and allocate data center resources as per laid down plans and ensure data center resources are optimally utilized.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Fault Management:

• Analyzing the NE logs, carrying out Database Audits, Troubleshooting and solving of arising core network elements faults
• Solving of core network faults assigned through NOC, as well as incidents escalated from customer facing teams
• Providing workable and permanent technical solutions to reduce the downtime and repeat core network failures.
• Ensuring incidences are resolved or escalated to the next level as per SLA.
• Carrying out on site diagnosis and troubleshooting for all systems in the data center.

 Preventive maintenance:

• Schedule and manage Preventive Maintenance tasks as per laid down standards.
• Track and monitor Network and Service KPIs to ensure delivery as per SLAs.
• Continuously improve PM tools and methods to meet required standards.
• Track performance of data center Managed Services Providers.

Change Management and Projects:

• Making configuration changes on Network elements S/W upgrades.
• Provisioning of new core network elements and services
• Scheduling automated tasks to meet service requirements
• Ensuring changes are least disruptive and change objectives are met.
• Work with other support teams, contractors and Vendors in services integrations and management
• Ensure proper documentation after acceptance of new systems in the data center.

Inventory Management

• Keeping a log of all changes carried out on site
• Ensuring maintenance and support documentation are collected and properly store at the commissioning of a system.
• Carry out Audits and keep records on assets hosted in the data center
• Keep and manage a data center networking database

Business Continuity

• Plan, Schedule and Execute business continuity management tests and activities per site.
• Document learnings and post-test actions
• Continuously monitor high availability mechanism in place to ensure least service disruption

Health and Safety

• Ensure data center visitors are well informed on safety issues prior to access of facilities
• Ensure all data center users adhere to company H&S policy
• Champion H&S Committee activities per site
• Manage data center risks and avail disaster response matrix on site
• Enforce data center access management policy

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, IT, Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications or related IT field.
• Knowledge in Core Network Systems including IMS, CS, PS and SDM.
• Understanding of VoLTE, VoBB, CS and PS interfaces and protocols.
• Knowledge in scripting or programming language.
• Cloud certification will an added advantage.
• CCNA or related certification will be added advantage.
• Good report writing skills.
• Good communication and collaborative skills.
• Strong sense of integrity, responsibility and initiative.
• Self-organized, able to prioritize and execute multiple tasks efficiently.

go to method of application »

JOB DESCRIPTION

Reporting to the Chapter Lead – Solutions Architecture the position holder will be the liaison between business system users and the technical team in as far as building automated business solutions is concerned. The role holder will also be responsible for gathering, detailing, and documenting business requirements into solution designs for business users and technical developers. Propose ways in which the existing processes and systems can be used or changed to meet new business requirements as well as identify internal systems integrations needed to meet business requirements. They must have significant business knowledge and have one or more areas of technical expertise in software development, solution architecture and/or enterprise architecture. They are viewed as a solution expert and provide knowledge/counsel to software engineers.

The role is fixed term contract (2 years).

Key Responsibilities

• Carry out full business requirements discovery that includes interviewing relevant stakeholders and end users i.e., requirements elicitation.
• Collect, classify, analyze and document business requirements as per set standards.
• Create solution designs to meet business requirements by exploiting the functionality available in IT systems already in Safaricom, or by filling missing gaps with appropriate new systems, in accordance with enterprise architecture.
• Lead a project team composed of designers and developers to drive the business needs and expectations by ensuring business intent is understood and delivered by IT.
• Ensure best practices are adhered to such as reusability, monitoring, performance, security etc.
• Collaboratively oversee the development of solutions as per agreed architecture, evolving them throughout the delivery in the face of changing requirements and feedback from the team.
• Collaboratively develop test-driven business requirements and functional specifications with business, technical, and testing team members.
• Participate in technical/functional evaluation of bids for new systems.
• Ensure sensible consensus is reached for all requirements/specifications and help business, IT, and test leads to have the same mutual understanding thereof.
• Liaise with other sections/departments in the delivery of services and projects as well as maintain good working relations between the Squad & Tribe team and all stakeholders.
• Provide support to the Business Unit by assisting in the development/reviewing/translating of User Requirement Specifications into a baseline BRD (Business Requirements Document) and building design documents.
• Promote proper release planning, guaranteeing adherence to business needs, change management governance and priorities.
• Follow a prioritization process that is transparent and understandable for all parties involved.
• Participate in innovation to improve delivered products and services and to explore new technologies and their applications to the enterprise space.

Qualifications

• A “hands-on software architect” capable of sharing software development experience with the rest of the team, which in turn helps them better understand how the architecture is viewed from a development perspective.
• Expert-level development in at least 1 language such as Java, Python, NodeJs, GO or .NET.
• Mastery of at least one Web Framework and for their language of choice
• Deep knowledge and use of fundamental database concepts
• Ability to run user requirement workshops and capture complex business requirements across multiple domains.
• Strong business acumen and leadership mindset with ability to communicate and influence others.
• Has analytical skills to picture an end-to-end solution derived from a design document.
• Ability to drive initiatives without any formal authority in an ambiguous environment.
• Exposure to multiple, diverse technologies and processing environment
• Certification in TOGAF and/or Public Clouds will be an added advantage.
• Prior experience in Agile ways of working will be an added advantage.

go to method of application »

JOB DESCRIPTION

Reporting to the Manager - Enterprise Cloud & ISP Systems, the Specialist - Enterprise Cloud DevOps will build and optimize a robust Enterprise Cloud DevOps model and standards to support consistent and reliable deployment of enterprise Cloud Services. The DevOps Specialist will Work on Cloud Deployments with various internal and external teams including Cloud Solutions Architects on Cloud Implementations to realize the intended business objectives and value.

The specialist shall develop and build Enterprise Cloud Infrastructure, Automate Cloud Service deployments, Install and Configure DevOps tools for Cloud Operations, implement re-usable components and involved in all stages of Software Service and Product development pipelines.

The DevOps Specialist role  will also be to make modules ready for production, which entails moving them according to specific procedures and documenting knowledge transfer. Ultimately, he/she will execute and automate operational processes fast, accurately and securely.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and champion Enterprise Cloud digitization activities as part of predictive maintenances on the Enterprise Cloud and ISP Systems
• Lead and champion Automation of Cloud Service deployments both Internal and external Cloud and ISP portals.
• Advocacy of DevOps Principles and Practices within the Department.
• Lead Adoption of Robotic Process Automation and Network and Process automation.
• Automate Monitoring and Performance management to achieve service uptime targets.
• Develop and Automate Configuration management tools to reduce repetitive maintenance tasks for Enterprise Cloud Solutions including Solarwinds, AWS, Cloud Orchestration
• Automate and simplify Enterprise Cloud order fulfillment processes to enable Customer Self Service management.
• Employ Data science analytics tools to simplify and Analyze Enterprise Cloud and ISP Systems to resolve and report running faults before they become service affecting.
• Lead agile collaboration activities in conjunction with Enterprise ICT Squads on Enterprise Cloud deliverables.
• Be a custodian of Cloud documentation and improvements of the versions.
• Conduct proof of concepts, drive technology & product selection, support pilot implementations and support enterprise wide adoption of cloud, technology, processes & toolsets
• Design and optimize cloud strategies for the cost-effective delivery of scalable and reliable systems up to 99.999% uptime SLA
• Work across a wide range of stakeholders, application subject matter experts, architects, technology and business leaders to harness perspectives, influence & drive consistent cloud practices.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree in Telecoms, Engineering, Physics or Math or any other relevant qualification.
• 3 years’ experience in technical support and a minimum of two years technical support management experience, preferably for an Internet Service provider or equivalent
• Certifications on Professional level on two or more certifications on AWS, VMware, Azure, GCP, Terraform, Openstack, Redhat, Windows Servers Administration, Containers, Docker/Podman/LXC and Container Orchestration – Kubernetes, Openshift
• Ability to manage/troubleshoot a large Service provider Cloud network
• Knowledge in ISP services; DNS, SMTP, POP3, RADIUS/PPPoE, Web Hosting, Logs – ELK, Graylog,
• Hands on experience with DevSecOps tooling stack -Ansible, Jenkins, chef, puppet,IaaC - terraform, powershell, CloudFormation, scripting 
• Working knowledge of any scripting and Programming languages - Python, Java, php, Perl, shell/bash, JavaScript
• Conversant with DevsecOps principles
• Minimum 3 years’ Experience in a busy ISP in managing large IP & Transport networks.
• Knowledge of data networking and networking protocols in reference to the WAN and LAN environments.
• General knowledge in all layers of data communications, customer applications and associated technologies.

go to method of application »

JOB DESCRIPTION

Reporting to the E-Commerce Lead, the Vendor Manager will facilitate and maintain relationships between the business and vendors/partners, negotiating contracts, creating standards for the vendors, and finding the best available vendors. The role will cultivate and manage tactical vendor engagement and relationships.

As a key member of the team, the Vendor Manager will be a passionate customer and category advocate within the business, possessing strong negotiation and analytical skills, together with proven commercial knowledge and experience.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Insights, Research and Analysis

• Act as the ‘new business developer’ for Consumer Electronics categories and brands, possessing a complete understanding (inclusive of the strategic context) of internal and external variables that impact the business. 
• Understand customer needs, both existing and potential, and use that knowledge to advocate for and drive delivery of site features that provide customers with an unparalleled shopping experience. 
• Determine business needs and desires by specifying the research needed to obtain market information.
• Forecast, analyze and reporting on the business in particular prospecting, conversion, and term negotiations. 
• Articulate business requirements, trends and opportunities and continuously monitor competitor/industry developments. 
• Conduct financial analysis of business opportunities to meet and exceed revenue and profitability targets.
• Identify opportunities for innovation and enhancements.

Vendor Oversight and Performance 

• Review intricate details of vendor contracts.
• Lead initial vendor contract negotiations, regular oversight, and enforcement of contractual obligations. 
• Maintain the balance of power and prevent unnecessary risks or costs to the business by ensuring vendors adhere strictly to the agreed terms. 
• Establish and monitor intricate performance metrics by considering factors like quality of goods/services, timeliness of delivery and cost-effectiveness.
• Ensure that the company receives optimal value for money and that vendors remain accountable for maintaining high standards. 
• Maximize the business and financial profitability through selection expansion opportunities.
• Proactively manage contractual risks and compliance issues.
• Manage and analyse large data sets to drive performance and process improvements. 

Relationship Building and Business Improvement 

• Search, vet, and nurture relationships with potential suppliers and ensures that the business has a broad spectrum of vendor options.
• Establish an expansive vendor network that will be a significant asset, especially during times of unexpected disruptions in the supply chain.
• Actively seek feedback from the business and vendors to craft and refine strategies to enhance the value derived from vendors.
• Primary point of contact for vendor on-boarding and ensure smooth transition to the category teams once on-boarded. 
• Re-negotiate terms, introduce new performance metrics, and change vendors if necessary. 
• Ensure vendor relationship remains dynamic, flexible, and consistently improving. 

Core competencies, knowledge and experience

Customer Obsession

• Deepen team connection to our customers and communities.
• Foster authentic relationships with customers and partners that build trust.
• Explicitly take customer-centric decisions and take personal ownership to achieve results.
• Simplify processes through digitalisation and promote a digital mindset and digital first customer experience.
• Stay focused on the big priorities, know when to make meaningful trade-offs and demonstrate brilliant execution.

Purpose

• Create an inspiring vision for your team to drive strategy and performance.
• Show ambition and courage, empowering others to go beyond the plan.
• Bold and challenge teams to reimagine how things are done.
• Prompt new thinking and ideas by asking “what if” questions.
• Use knowledge of the external environment (customers, partners, competition, external bodies) to identify and act on opportunities for growth at pace.

Innovation

• Create psychological safety so everyone can have an impact.
• Fuel innovative ideas from others and test them to enable growth.
• Explore successes and failures with curiosity and resilience; fearlessly recognizing lessons learned.
• Share your ongoing learning and personal purpose with others.
• Learn fast from digital adoption, using learnings to drive simplicity, scale and efficiency.

Collaboration

• Articulate your team’s role in making our strategy happen, prioritizing and aligning resources with current and future needs.
• Actively collaborate to break silos and hold your team accountable to do the same.
• Develop others to make the most of their talents and coach them to take ownership to get things done.
• Create an inclusive environment ensuring the safety and wellbeing of others.
• Live our Purpose and demonstrate the highest Standard of integrity.

Key performance indicators

• Adherence to set business OKRs and commitments.
• Driving achievement of Mission budget for solutions. 
• Growth and retention of agreed upon solutions. 
• Delivery of relevant target digitization projects/initiatives. 
• Optimization of vendor solutions and services.
• Delivery schedule of all vendor solutions based on their priority.
• Compliance with all relevant regulations and internal policies and procedures. KPIs could include regulatory compliance metrics, audit results, and risk management metrics.
• Agile Maturity rating, Employee Engagement (eNPS) and Productivity.

Direct Reports

• Vendor Operations Analyst
• Content Analyst

QUALIFICATIONS

• At least six (6) years’ knowledge and experience in vendor negotiations, pricing, promotion, inventory management, product development, financial analysis and P&L ownership. 
• Relevant Business or IT Undergraduate Degree or relevant field along with professional qualifications, or equivalent qualification(s) from a recognized institution of higher learning. 
• MBA or relevant Master’s degree is an added advantage. 
• Superior business understanding, with the ability to leverage technology to solve consumer, business and technical issues.
• Strong partnerships within the retail ecosystem.
• Strong stakeholder and strategic partners acquisition skills.
• Possess high professional and ethical standards. 
• Be a strategic thinker with an analytical mind.

go to method of application »

JOB DESCRIPTION

Reporting to the Infrastructure Planning & Capacity Management Team Lead, the holder of the role will be Responsible for the planning, design, implementation of business IT infrastructure including data centers, operating systems, servers, storage, SAN, backups, public Cloud (AWS, Azure, OCI, GCP), collocation and collaboration systems.

The role holder will develop and provide corresponding project documentation for handover to support team. Moreover He/ She will be responsible in monitoring capacities for all the infrastructure, provide monthly reports and recommendation on how to optimize storage, cloud, and Compute resources.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Service Quality Management: Ensure the Core Cloud platforms perform within or exceed KPIs, ensure ability of the system to support specific forms of traffic, and to support end user experience. The same should be tracked using SLAs.
• Resolve faults on all systems deployed on the Core Cloud Platform
• Escalate to supplier if needed and follow up until resolution.
• Quick Turnaround time to resolve emerging threats / issues.
• Develop & utilize new products & service acceptance criteria. Active participation in the section to enable team meet sectional and departmental Goals and objectives.
• Have a full understanding of the defined performance indicators, assign tasks, and objectives set.

QUALIFICATIONS

• BSc Degree in computer science, IT or engineering.
• 3+ years’ experience in infrastructure support and/or planning in an environment with mixed VMware and Redhat virtualization.
• 3+ Years’ Experience as Systems administrator, Network administrator or analyst in a multifaceted business environment with integrated/mixed windows and major UNIX/Linux server environment 
• System Administration Techniques – understanding OS Performance, Microsoft and UNIX/Linux enterprise hardware and storage 
• Knowledge in SAN and NAS is desirable.
• Attention to details and analytical thinking
• Extensive knowledge of enterprise Linux Server Operating Systems such as RHEL/ CentOS, Ubuntu.
• Strong oral, written, interpersonal communication and leadership skills
• Certification in any of the following Systems and Network or related trainings is an added advantage
• Cloud Technology Associate
• Cloud Administrator 
• Cloud Developer
• Cloud Security & Governance 
• Cloud Service Manager 
• Certified in Cloud Infrastructure and Services Associate (EMCCIS)
• Cloud Architect, 
• Virtualized Infrastructure Specialist 
• Network certification e.g. CCNA,CCNP 
• UNIX/Linux certification
• VMware certification e.g. VCP