JOB PROFILE: Infrastructure specialist
Company:
Department:
BankservAfrica
Infrastructure
Reports to:
Server manager
Subordinates:
Nil
JOB PURPOSE
Objective:
Overall responsibility for managing the team that is responsible for the BankservAfrica server, SAN and Fabric infrastructure i.e.
production, UAT, testing and development. This requires a clear understanding of BankservAfrica’ s infrastructure needs in order to drive
the design, implementation, management and support of the infrastructure for all services to internal and external clients according to
SLA’s and customer satisfaction metrics. The responsibility also includes the development of the Server, SAN and Fabric infrastructure
roadmap
Competencies:
 Essential:
- Strong and well tested analytical skills resulting in sound, research based business proposals
- Well developed problem solving skills
- Good people skills
- Good listening skills and ability to discern important issues
- Strong project management skills (including planning, organising, co-ordinating and control)
- Strong communication skills – ability to understand ones audience and communicate persuasively using fact supported arguments
 Important:
- Strong commercial ability – especially in understanding and interpreting the commercial impact of systems and processes
- Networking skills both internally and externally
 Desirable:
- Strategic thinking ability to understand the impact of systems, processes and decisions on the future effectiveness of the business
Qualifications and experience:
 Essential:
- Tertiary qualification or equivalent experience in computer science and / or information systems or related technology infrastructure
field
- At least 5 years’ experience in technology infrastructure at a senior level in a large organisation
 Important:
- At least 5 – 10 years in a large internal IT division or in a corporate IT company
 Desirable:
- Good commercial / business experience
- Strong technical skills
KEY STAKEHOLDERS:
External:
 Hardware suppliers
 Software suppliers
 Training institutions
 External customers
Internal:
 Management
 Operations
 Architects
 Business analysts
 Developers
 Product support specialists
 Testing
 Internal customers
KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS
Service delivery:
 Provides superior service in the management and support of BankservAfrica’s production SAN and Fabric infrastructure environment
and uncompromisingly adheres to SLAs in order to maintain BankservAfrica’s trusted reputation within the financial industry
 In addition, maintains and supports all UAT, testing and development Infrastructure to an equally high standard
 Conducts detailed investigative post-mortems to identify, rectify and communicate all production infrastructure related outages
 Ensures that the business has clear visibility of all performance issues through effective monitoring and reporting
 Collaborates with other BankservAfrica departments to optimise service delivery
IT expertise and solution design:
Analyses the BankservAfrica business San and Fabric infrastructure requirements in order to understand them clearly and formulate
appropriate solutions that meet the business requirements:
 Develops realistic SAN and Fabric infrastructure plans to meet the needs of the business and improve business processes
 Keeps abreast of evolving global SAN and Fabric infrastructure technologies and standards and keeps management informed on
current trends and developments in the field of IT Infrastructure
 Submits proposals and improvements to systems, processes and infrastructure that would improve cost and performance efficiency for
the good of the business
 Acts as the custodian of the SAN and Fabric infrastructure standards and procedures and ensures that they are kept current and made
known to all IT stakeholders and are applied in the business
 Motivates and where necessary drives the POCs for the business case for SAN and Fabric infrastructure technology and standards
 Evaluates new requirements and designs appropriate solutions that adhere to standards and improves the overall BankservAfrica SAN
and Fabric infrastructure capability
 Develops San and Fabric infrastructure capacity management and database infrastructure renewal plans and processes
Risk mitigation:
Evaluates the status of the SAN and Fabric infrastructure security and risks on a regular basis and ensures that the necessary processes
and disciplines are in place:
 Identifies and understands all infrastructure risks
 Formulates plans to avoid, mitigate or remove infrastructure risks
 Implements appropriate plans to mitigate identified risks
 Ensures that best practises are defined for the SAN and Fabric infrastructure and that standards and disciplines are implemented
 Monitors and ensures good governance practises are implemented, in line with the BankservAfrica governance framework and
compliant with all regulatory and legislative requirements affecting the SAN and Fabric Infrastructure
 Monitors and manages known infrastructure risks in addition to conducting regular reviews to identify new risks
 Ensures that the required back-up processes have been defined and are implemented, tested and monitored
 Ensures that daily system health checks are conducted for all SAN and Fabric infrastructure that run within the infrastructure
 Ensures that the necessary steps are taken and processes implemented for uninterrupted business continuity
 Ensures that all agreed and committed internal and external audit review action items are carried out as per agreed regularity
IT projects:
Assumes overall project management for the agreed internal SAN and Fabric infrastructure projects:
 Proposes and obtains executive approval for the appropriate SAN and Fabric infrastructure projects
 Devises project implementation plans for the approved key SAN and Fabric infrastructure initiatives
 Monitors progress against agreed milestones and submits progress reports to the relevant management teams
 Identifies root-causes and takes action to address delivery shortfalls
 Takes the necessary steps to ensure that projects are delivered on time within budget parameters and in accordance with the agreed
quality specifications
IT strategy:
Provides expert input to the BankservAfrica IT strategy to ensure delivery on the strategic business priorities:
 Submits research-based strategic proposals for management consideration to effect meaningful improvements in the SAN and Fabric
arena within the infrastructure services
 Provides expert input on decisions regarding the selection of SAN and Fabric infrastructure solutions for the business; to ensure that the
optimum and most appropriate procurement decisions are being made from an IT perspective
 Ensures effective and regular communication on SAN and Fabric infrastructure issues to the various business stakeholders, including:
management, company staff, vendors and other relevant technology resources
 Responsible for the drafting, proposal and communication of Strategic SAN and Fabric infrastructure roadmaps