IT Operations Lead

At Ecowize, we rely on our IT systems to keep the business running reliably every day. We are seeking an experienced IT Operations Lead who can take full ownership of the day-to-day stability, performance, and security of our infrastructure.

In this role, you will act as the primary escalation point for all operational issues and manage our vendor and consulting ecosystem.

High-Level Job Objectives:

Incident & Problem Management

• Establish, maintain, and execute the Business's incident response framework, acting as the primary escalation point for all operational issues.
• Act as the "Crisis Commander" for outages, the final line of defence before an issue reaches the Head of IT.
• Build and own a formal on-call rotation and 24/7 alerting coverage, closing the current gap in after-hours monitoring.

Vendor & Consultant Governance

• Hold external partners to account for delivery quality and contracted service levels, ensuring SLAs are met and issues are resolved without unnecessary escalation.
• Serve as the primary interface for external MSPs and IT consultants (including Netsurit, First Technology, and Vikele), ensuring SLAs are met.
• Progressively insource security alert triage, reducing the Business's reliance on external partners over time.

Team Development & Leadership

• Mentor and manage the internal service desk / tactical team (IT Engineers), building a culture of autonomy and technical ownership.
• Support the professional growth of team members through coaching, delegation, and structured development.
• Coordinate day-to-day workload and priorities across the operational team.

Operational Reporting & Governance

• Translate messy technical data into clean, operational health metrics for the Head of IT on a weekly basis.
• Distinguish genuine business-critical issues from operational noise, reducing unnecessary escalations reaching the EXCO.
• Flag vendor SLA items that require the Head of IT's direct relationship intervention.

Infrastructure Stability, Security & Compliance

• Own the day-to-day stability, performance, and security of Ecowize's infrastructure.

• Ensure IT operations align with cybersecurity, governance and POPIA-aligned compliance standards.

• Coordinate with IT Systems Owners on the operational health of business-critical applications.

• Grade 12 (Matric)

• IT Certification (e.g. Network+, Security+)

• ITIL Foundation

• NDip IT, BTech IT, BSc IT or similar (desirable)

• Cloud Certification (e.g. Azure AZ-104, SC-900) (desirable)

• 5+ years IT operations, infrastructure, or service delivery leadership experience.

• Experience building or running a formal incident management or on-call process.

• Demonstrated experience managing outsourced MSP relationships and holding vendors to SLA.

• Experience within a multi-site or multi-entity environment.

• Experience working in a service-intensive organisation.

• People management experience, mentoring technical staff toward greater autonomy.

• Advanced knowledge of Incident Management & ITIL principles.

• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft 365, Azure AD (Entra ID), and Azure-hosted infrastructure.

• Intermediate knowledge of network and security fundamentals (firewalls, ZTNA, SIEM).

• Intermediate knowledge of POPIA and data governance considerations.

• Intermediate knowledge of vendor and SLA management principles.

• Intermediate knowledge of change management principles.

The successful incumbent will possess the following skills:

• Incident Response & Crisis Management
• On-call Rotation & Escalation Management
• Strong Communication & Stakeholder Engagement
• Vendor Negotiation & Contract Management
• Team Mentoring & Capability Building
• Ability to Translate Technical Concepts into Business Language
• Documentation and Reporting Skills

When applying for jobs, ensure that you have the minimum job requirements.

The Company is committed to complying with legislation and to meeting strategic goals regarding employment equity. Your privacy is important to us. By submitting your personal information, you agree that this information will be handled in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (4 of 2013). The closing date for internal applications is 24 August 2026. Remember to inform your direct line manager should you be interested in this opportunity.