Plessey (a Dimension Data Group Company) is a leading solution provider focused on the planning, building and support of innovative ICT infrastructure across Africa. Since starting out in 1917, Plessey has continually adapted to meet the changing needs of our clients. Over nearly a century of delivering infrastructure solutions, our focus has remained the same: client- cantered innovation. Ultimately, the power of what we do positively impacts our client’s ability to deliver to their customers. We measure our success by their successes.

As a Service Operations Manager for the Advanced Infrastructure business unit, you will:

Manage the AI Centre of Excellence in the Western Cape Operational Services structure and will be accountable to maintain a right sized capable team that’s trained, certified and motivated to perform Operational, Managed Services and Professional Service tasks. The Resources Team Lead has excellent verbal and written communication skills. Resources Team Leads use and produce reports. They are resourceful and demonstrate business understanding. They have well developed interpersonal skills, work well within a team context and display keen attention to detail. 

What we will expect you to do:  

The role of Services Operations Manager for the Advanced Infrastructure (AI) Line of Business (LOB) forms part of the Western Cape Operational Services Management team. The position is responsible for managing the delivery of the services in the AI line of business to Dimension Data’s clients that the business has contractually committed to provide.  

This involves the following:

• Creating and delivering AI service offerings which maximize revenue and profitability.
• Sell AI products and services and actively build and grow the AI business.
• Lead and manage Services to achieve relevant People and Culture targets and ambitions. 
• Recruiting, maintaining and managing a work force of sufficient, appropriately skilled, motivated employees to ensure maximum organisational profitability as well as employee and customer satisfaction.
• Drive a culture of high performance, commitment and professionalism throughout Services
• Service Excellence: Lead and manage Services to achieve and exceed on relevant LOB client satisfaction targets.
• Creating and maintaining structures and processes to ensure that all client commitments are met with maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
• Working closely with the AI LOB to ensure smooth transition between pre-sales/architecture and service/project delivery.
• Build partnership and close relationship with Line of Business and closely align to Line of Business strategy
• OLA – Logistics, Finance, Service Desk
• Interacting with the rest of Dimension Data to ensure co-operation, symbiosis and efficiency within the organisation.

Managed Services

As manager of the AI COE you are required to plan and execute delivery of the services that Dimension Data are contractually bound to deliver ito the contracts held with clients. 

 To this end you are required:

• to work with the relevant personnel in the AI LOB to create, define and catalogue service offerings,
• to present these service offerings to the sales force and to customers,
• to provide accurate pricing and quotes for services on AI technology,
• to negotiate SLA’s and the details of contracts,
• to be fully conversant with the details of any and all of the contracts which contain services to be delivered to clients by the COE,
• to schedule tasks and teams to ensure that the details of the contracts are delivered upon,
• to compile and collate the reports stipulated in the contracts,
• to meet and interface on a regular basis with clients so as to fully understand customer requirements and ensure customer satisfaction,
• to manage incidents, problems and escalations,
• to maintain accurate and complete information pertaining to the services and clients of the AI COE,
• to manage the calls logged on the COE to effective and timeous conclusion,
• to interface with Account Managers, SDM’s, PM’s, Line of Business personnel and other groups and individuals within the organisation to ensure:
• a united front to the client
• efficient and harmonious service delivery to the client
• accurate handover between sales to service/project delivery

Projects

As manager of the AI COE you are required to:

• Interface with the sales force, project office and the AI LOB to provide expertise from the COE in determining project time lines and costs.
• Interface with the sales force, the project office and the LOB so as to plan for and provide sufficient, correctly skilled technical staff to meet the engineering requirements of the various projects taken on by the organisation.
• Meet with customers as a part of the sales and opportunity development process specifically to explain to customers our approach to project and service delivery.
• Recruit suitable contractors to AI projects where we need to supplement the core team.
• Ensure that timesheets are being accurately captured, signed off and invoiced at the appropriate times.

Manage vendors to ensure service delivery to Dimension Data and customers which involves the following:

• Holding regular and frequent vendor and sub-contractor meetings using measurable criteria to report and manage performance
  
• Compile and maintain accurate documentation on vendor and sub-contractor processes and procedures and incorporate these into the Dimension Data processes so to ensure seamless and efficient service delivery to the client
• Understand the various vendor’s and sub-contractor’s call logging process and manage calls that are logged through this mechanism to closure.
• Maintain a relationship with key vendor and sub-contractor contacts.
• Understand vendor and sub-contractor partner requirements ito the following and ensure that Dimension Data complies with these requirements to ensure maximum benefit for the organisation:
• Certification requirements and structures
• Partner status structures and the benefits thereof
• Secure partner portal access
• Training available
• Partner events
• Available discounts and the criteria to obtain them.

People Management

• Recruit and manage a motivated, appropriately skilled and equipped, operationally ready pool of engineers. Success to be measured by means of employment satisfaction surveys and staff retention rates. This includes the following:

Documenting job requirements

• Maintaining a database of skills in the market
• Planning ahead for personnel requirements so as to not put undue pressure on existing employees
• Maintaining a team that has a balanced skill set across LOB strategic focus areas
• Recruiting suitable staff to fit and meet the requirements of the organisation
• Creating and maintaining a database of skills in the COE
• Efficient and effective administration of the personnel in the COE 
• Understanding and applying appropriate remuneration standards to staff
• Understanding staff’s personalities and ambitions so as to create an effective team dynamic and personal sense of achievement within individuals.

 Financial Management

• Building and growing the AI business and selling AI technologies, products and solutions.
• Understand the financial position of, and provide input into, the following areas of the business:
• Professional Services – this includes all projects and installations including the resources in the AI COE team. The COE Manager must understand profitability of all engagements in this area.
• Managed Services – includes the delivery of all managed services of contracts. The COE Manager must understand profitability of all engagements in this area.
• Resource Utilisation and Profitability – involves understanding the profitability of all services engagements and relative utilisation of individual team members.
• Resource costing – understand resource cost rates and determine appropriate selling rates in order to achieve optimal profit margins.
• AI Services Budgets – provide input into the budget setting process and provide regular feedback during the financial year around how the actual achieved metrics are tracking against budget.
• Keep record of and maintain financial metrics relating to the COE.

Key requirements:

• 10 years working experience in the Advanced Infrastructure Environment 
• At least 5 years management experience.
• Excellent customer relations and skills.
• Financial acumen. 
• Sales experience.

Key abilities required:

• Ability to work under pressure.
• Excellent communications skills.
• Good problem solving skills.
• Innovative in finding solutions to clients’ needs. 
• Excellent people and general management skills.

Other 

• Have a strong understanding of ITIL methodologies.
• Have a broad understanding of AI technologies, products, services and consistently work to improve technical knowledge. 
• Keep up to date with market trends and competitor organisations.
• Act as the after-hours standby manager for the Western Cape on a regular basis during which time you will be required to:
• Be contactable telephonically 24 x 7 for the duration of the standby period.
• Co-ordinate and manage escalated incidents and problems that occur after hours.

Dimension Data embraces the principals of the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998.  The company is committed to the goals articulated in its Employment Equity Plan.

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