IT Systems Engineering Manager

We are seeking an experienced IT System Engineer Manager to support the administration and adjudication of death benefit claims in terms of Section 37C of the Pension Funds Act, read together with the Rules of the Fund, as well as ill-health/disability retirement claims where required. The role focuses on managing complex death claims, mentoring Risk Administrators, and providing technically sound recommendations to support trustee decision-making.

The position requires a strong working knowledge of Section 37C, dependency assessment principles, beneficiary identification (including minor and major dependants), and compliance with legislative and fund-rule requirements.

Strategic & Tactical Planning

• Translate IT strategy (as defined by CIO) into infrastructure and systems engineering roadmaps.
• Develop 3–5-year infrastructure modernization plans.
• Contribute to enterprise architecture decisions.
• Lead infrastructure budgeting and cost optimization initiatives.
• Support digital transformation and automation initiatives

Infrastructure & Systems Management

Oversee design, implementation, and support of:

• Data center & cloud infrastructure (IaaS, PaaS, hybrid environments)
• Servers (physical & virtual)
• Storage systems
• Network architecture (LAN/WAN/Wi-Fi)
• Active Directory & identity management
• Backup and disaster recovery solutions
• Collaboration platforms (M365, etc.)
• Endpoint management system

Ensure:

• High availability (HA)
• Business continuity
• Performance optimization
• Capacity planning

Risk Management

• Implement infrastructure security standards.
• Enforce patching, vulnerability management, and hardening.
• Collaborate with IT Security team on:

1. Threat mitigation
2. Access controls
3. Compliance requirements

• Ensure DR/BCP plans are tested annually.

Team Leadership & Management

• Lead and manage systems engineers and infrastructure specialists.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship.
• Define KPIs and performance objectives.
• Conduct performance appraisals.
• Develop succession planning and skills development plans.
• Foster DevOps culture and automation mindset.

Service Delivery & Operations

• Ensure infrastructure meets SLA targets.
• Oversee incident, problem, and change management processes.
• Reduce unplanned downtime.
• Drive root cause analysis (RCA) and continuous improvement

Vendor & Stakeholder Management

• Manage relationships with: Cloud providers, Hardware vendors and Managed service providers
• Evaluate and negotiate infrastructure contracts.
• Ensure vendor performance aligns with SLAs.

Experience in:

• Enterprise systems environments
• Cloud migration
• Infrastructure modernization
• Managing teams of 5+ technical staff
• Budget responsibility

Knowledge & Skills

• In-depth understanding of designing, implementing, and maintaining scalable, resilient enterprise IT infrastructure, including servers, storage, virtualization, and data center operations
• Knowledge of data protection methods, backup solutions, recovery planning, and business continuity practices to ensure minimal downtime and data loss
• Strong understanding of networking concepts including TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, routing, switching, firewalls, VPNs, and basic network troubleshooting.
• Proficiency in automation tools and scripting languages (e.g., PowerShell) to streamline system administration, configuration management, and operational tasks
• Understanding of core security principles, including identity and access management, endpoint protection, network security, vulnerability management, and compliance best practices.
• Working knowledge of public, private, and hybrid cloud platforms, including deployment models, resource management, cost optimization, and integration between on-premises and cloud systems.
• Experience managing technology budgets and management/ reporting

• Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, IT Engineering qualification – Mandatory
• Postgraduate qualification (MBA or MSc IT) will serve as added advantage.
• ITIL Certificate, TOGAF, Cloud, VMware/Microsoft Certificate Preferred
• Minimum of 8–12 years in IT infrastructure
• Minimum of 3-5 years in management role