The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) is looking to recruit an IT manager who will be responsible for providing IT services to the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) staff in South Africa and beyond. The role will involve close collaboration with global teams working on the SKA project. In addition, the position is ideal for someone with a technical background looking to build a team but who is also able to handle computing and networking challenges directly.
Key Responsibilities
- The IT Manager is responsible for providing IT services to SKAO staff in South Africa. They will work with the IT teams in Australia and the UK to provide a single service desk providing support across multiple time zones and countries, supporting staff and the wider SKA community. Furthermore, the IT Manager will build up a small team of IT and network technicians, transitioning from providing direct support as the main activity to overseeing and supporting where necessary as resources allow. Also, they will cooperatively manage the asset lifecycle for hardware and software assets. They will provide a level of local network support, especially in the early stages of the project. They will liaise with the Head of Information Technology to maintain strategic alignment and with the IT service manager to prioritise service delivery activities and work on continual service improvement.
- The IT manager will collaborate with and support the global SKAO staff, IT colleagues and the wider SKA community of subject matter experts.
Key Requirements
Qualification
- National Diploma in Information Technology or equivalent with 15 years experience, OR
- Bachelors’ degree in Information Technology or with equivalent with ten years experience.
Experience
- Technical experience thereby able to provide direct IT support when required;
- Experienced in the administration of local area wired and wireless networks;
- Knowledge and experience in IT service provision;
- Experience in asset lifecycle management and software asset management;
- Experience in managing resources and prioritisation;
- A flexible team player who is adaptable to change;
- Strong communication skills with international stakeholders;
- Able and willing to work out of normal working hours on occasion to meet service needs;
- Experience in Lean-Agile project management;
- Experience of working in a globally diverse team;
- Programming/scripting experience and capability across multiple platforms;
- Experience with Microsoft, Apple and Google computing devices and mobile device technologies and device management systems;
- Familiarity with Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Online services like O365;
- Proficiency using Cloud products such as Dropbox and Atlassian products.
Knowledge
Desirable additional education, work exp. & personal qualities
- Certification held in industry/community -recognised disciplines/technologies pertinent to the role;
- General interest in Astronomy and related sciences and technologies.
Organisational Values
The SKA-Mid IT manager must demonstrate the SARAO and SKAO’s values and work actively to instil those behaviours in all SKA-Mid staff in South Africa.
Specifically, SKAO’s values are:
- Diversity and inclusion;
- Excellence;
- Collaboration;
- Creativity and innovation;
- Sustainability.
SARAO’s values are:
- Passion for excellence;
- World-class service;
- People-centred;
- Respect;
- Integrity and ethics;
- Accountability.
Both SARAO and SKAO value differences and are committed to building an inclusive culture by creating an environment where you can balance a successful career with your commitments and interests outside of work. We believe that you will do your best at work if you have a work/life balance. However, some roles lend themselves to flexible options more than others. If this is important to you, please raise this during your interview, as we are open to discussing flexible working opportunities during the hiring process.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, kindly submit a comprehensive CV here before 30 January 2022. Furthermore, applications should be accompanied by a letter of motivation indicating the applicant’s suitability for the role. Also, the applicants should provide the names and contact details of at least three referees.
The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers a challenging career and competitive remuneration package commensurate with the applicants’ qualifications and experience. In addition, the NRF is committed to employment equity and redress. Lastly, the appointment to the position will be made in line with the NRF Employment Equity Plan. Accordingly, correspondence will be sent to short-listed candidates only.
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