Manager, IT Infrastructure Operations

Location: Lagos

Job Summary

Hands-on Expert to take charge of the entire lifecycle of our mission-critical Linux, Unix, Storage, Backup, and Virtualization infrastructure. This role is pivotal in delivering the carrier-grade (99.999%) reliability, performance, and agility required to host Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs), business support systems (BSS/OSS), and customer-facing applications. We need a proactive problem-solver who thrives in a fast-paced environment and has a deep technical background. 

Roles and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

* Evaluate and select new technologies, managing vendor relationships and contract negotiations to ensure value and performance.

* Oversee the evolution from traditional siloed infrastructure towards a modern, automated, and software-defined platform.

* Own the infrastructure lifecycle, including capacity planning, technology refresh cycles, and the annual hardware, software, and support budget.

Operational Excellence & Management:

* Ensure all infrastructure systems' availability, performance, and security meet or exceeding defined SLAs for internal and external customers.

* Lead the quick response to incidents, driving restoration of service and conducting thorough post-incident reviews to prevent recurrence.

* Champion a culture of automation, continuous improvement, and operational efficiency within the team.

Team Leadership & Development:

* Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of systems, storage, and virtualization engineers.

* Manage team workload, prioritize projects, and allocate resources effectively to meet strategic objectives.

* Foster a collaborative environment encouraging innovation, knowledge sharing, and professional growth.

Linux & Unix Systems Management

* Set up, administer, maintain, and optimize a large, heterogeneous environment of Linux (RHEL & SUSE) and Unix (HPUX) systems.

* Perform advanced system tuning, kernel parameter optimization, and performance analysis to ensure maximum uptime and efficiency.

* Develop, implement, and manage system automation using scripting (Bash, Python) and configuration management tools (Ansible, Puppet, Chef).

* Lead the design and implementation of high-availability (HA) and disaster recovery (DR) solutions, including clustering and load balancing.

* Manage security hardening, patching, and compliance in accordance with industry best practices and internal policies.

Storage Infrastructure

* Design, manage, and support enterprise-scale storage systems (e.g., Dell EMC PowerStore, Huawei Ocean Store Storage).

* Configure and troubleshoot multi-protocol storage environments, including SAN (Fibre Channel, iSCSI), NAS (NFS, CIFS/SMB), and Object Storage.

* Design, configure and manage Fibre Channel SAN Switches (Dell and Huawei Brocade switches).

* Implement and manage storage replication, snapshots, and backup/restore strategies to ensure data integrity and availability.

* Perform capacity planning, performance monitoring, and troubleshooting complex storage-related issues.

* Collaborate with database and application teams to provision and optimize storage for performance-critical workloads.

Backup & Recovery Governance:

* Own the end-to-end backup and recovery strategy, managing enterprise-grade software like Commvault, NetBackup and Veeam.

* Own the corporate backup and recovery strategy, define and rigorously test Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and RPOs for all critical data sets, ensuring compliance with business continuity plans.

Virtualization Platforms:

* Manage and evolve the large-scale virtualization environment (VMware vSphere, HyperV, Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization, Kubernetes and Docker containers), ensuring optimal resource utilization and performance.

* Provide a stable and efficient platform for hosting legacy applications and modern VNFs.

Automation & Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

* Champion automation efforts to streamline provisioning, configuration, and operational tasks.

* Develop and maintain Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using tools like Terraform or CloudFormation.

* Create and maintain comprehensive documentation for systems, procedures, and architectures.

Strategy & Collaboration

* Serve as a top-tier escalation point for resolving critical infrastructure incidents and problems.

* Evaluate new technologies and make recommendations for continuous improvement of the infrastructure landscape.

* Provide mentorship and technical guidance to junior team members.

* Collaborate closely with Network, Security, and Application Development teams to deliver integrated solutions.

Required Qualifications & Skills

·        Experience - 7+ years combined Telecom/IT/applications of progressive experience designing, building, and managing enterprise-level Linux/Unix, storage and backup infrastructure.

·        Operating Systems - Expert-level knowledge of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), SUSE, vSphere, vCenter, OpenShift, K8 and HP UX.

·        Storage - Deep, hands-on experience with enterprise SAN/NAS, DAS, NFS, and Brocade switch technologies from vendors like Dell EMC and Huawei. Fibre Channel networking and data replication technologies.

Backup - In-depth knowledge of enterprise backup software, architecture, and best practices. Commvault for backup, disaster recovery and business continuity

·        Scripting & Automation - Proficiency in at least one scripting language (Bash, Python) and one configuration management tool (Ansible strongly preferred).

·        Networking - Strong understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, and network services related to server and storage connectivity.

·        High Availability - Proven experience with clustering, load balancing, and disaster recovery methodologies.

·        Leadership - Proven experience in technical leadership, mentoring, and project management. Ability to lead major incidents and post-mortem reviews.

·        Security Mindset - Thorough understanding of system security principles and hardening techniques.

·        Problem-Solving - Excellent analytical and troubleshooting skills with the ability to resolve complex technical issues.

Preferred Qualifications

·        Experience with virtualization (private cloud) platforms (VMware, OpenShift, HyperV) and hybrid infrastructure models (Azure & AWS).

·        Experience with container orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes - K8S) and its storage (CSI) and networking (CNI) integrations.

·        Familiarity with monitoring tools (ManageEngine, Splunk, Grafana, Zabbix, etc).

·        Relevant certifications (RHCE, SUSE SCA, VCP-DCV, VCP-NV, CCNA, AWS/Azure Solutions Architect, Dell EMC PowerStore/Huawei Ocean Store Storage Professional). Commvault Certified Engineer/Professional/Master