Team Lead, Data Centre Operations at IpNX Nigeria Limited

ipNX Nigeria Limited is a leading provider of infrastructure-based Telecommunications and Information Technology services here in Nigeria. Leveraging more than a decade of experience, the company was formed by the divestment of the telecommunications services division of Telnet Nigeria Limited and has been in operation for many years. ipNX currently provides a range of communications and IT services to Corporate organizations within Nigeria on its IP (Internet Protocol) based communications network using both radio and satellite communications technologies. As part of its growth strategy, ipNX seeks to also extend its services to small and medium sized businesses and residential customers. In the long term, ipNX has determined that it needs also to have a strategic presence in the wire line market to ensure that we will be able to provide future services, which require high bandwidth in the last mile.

Deliverables
Expected Key Results:

• Successfully manage Data Centre layout and Environment

Key Activities

• Ensure adequate management of all data centre operations by adhering to all set Service Level Agreements on all Key Performance Indicators.
• Negotiate with Service providers, ensuring delivery of efficiencies
• Capacity and Property Management and cost savings as well as conducting capacity planning, general capacity reviews, driving infrastructure efficiencies across the various
• Implementation of heat and smoke detection and fire suppression to fully achieve efficiencies and compliance to IPNX standards
• Ensure adequate cooling and power availability at all Data Centres, Collocated sites and all Central Office locations.
• Ensure 99.5% power and cooling availability across board.
• Ensure adequate review and sign-off of all collocation and facility contracts; ensuring favourable clauses apply for ipNX.
• Ensure effective engagement of all collocation service contracts and enforcing all penalty clauses when and where required.
• Organise and ensure monthly governance meetings with service providers to review performance and point out areas of improvement and ensure corrections are made where necessary.
• Proactively detect and proffer solutions that would enhance the operations of all data centres.
• Drive the setup, supply and installation of air conditioning, fire defense and power reticulation for new Central Office builds in line with specified project delivery timeline.
• Ensure efficient contractor management, ensuring all contractors achieve service delivery in line with specified contract terms.
• Provide governance and adequate over-sight on the performance of all service delivery in line with the contracts agreements.
• Ensure adequate and timely processing of all contractor payments and ensuring payments are made as at when due.
• Ensure strict adherence to Infrastructure division Contractor Management Index and ensure there are no cases of contractors 'downing tools' due to lack of payment.
• Ensure timely delivery of all customer services at the data centres.
• Ensure that there is a process in place to review risk assessments and method statements for work delivered as part of the facilities management service
• Ensure adequate monitoring of all POP sites, Data centres and Central office sites to proactively detect and resolve faults in order to avert avoidable outages
• Drive end-to-end processes and procedures to manage Network infrastructure capacities and capabilities
• Plan and execute maintenance of Network infrastructure and physical property, including management of leases, contracts and statutory/ regulatory
• Management of site acquisition agents to ensure timely acquisition and preparations of lease agreements for site rollout
• Ensure legislative and statutory compliance of assets and services are maintained, including Schedule examinations, inspections and monitoring
• 4 Work with Head of Tx/Core & Facilities and key stakeholders to approve the planning structure, identification of the roles of certain individuals, necessary teams responsible for developing and executing the business continuity plan, and prioritizes critical business operations
• Implement a carefully planned and detailed business operations that will include identifying all possible threats and risks, recovery processes which are already in place by the organization, and appropriate response to the disruption by teams that are knowledgeable in their area of responsibility and in the event of relocation to an alternate facility
• Ensure quality assurance and is performed both on the internal and external level to ensure effectiveness in the event of disruption of services
• Stakeholder Proactively identify opportunities for technical and business management and process improvement and innovation, developing business Disaster Recovery Plan cases and Investment Papers where required (DCP) •
• Control and operational management of the partners to deliver optimal end-to-end network availability and KPI target
• Provide engineering support and participate in investigations of incidents relating to failure of any infrastructure
• Hold contractors to be accountable, ensuring that assets are suitably managed and maintained in accordance with their contract and legalisation, undertaking PPMs, proactive and reactive maintenance
• Support the implementation of a Disaster Recovery Plan for infrastructure facilities and ensure the processes used for facilitating recovery are more flexible, context based and collaborative
• Activate and coordinate a Disaster Recovery Plan (DCP) support function and processes that are scalable and based on demonstrated recovery needs
• Timely issue
• Managing asset faults in a timely manner, and communicating management of reassurance to key stakeholders, end user groups, and senior facilities leadership alike

Key competencies:

• Ensure the provision of innovative ideas and solutions enabling service improvements throughout the company's Facilities
• Ensure best value and cost effective solutions relating to the provision of the Facilities and IPNX delivery model including that of the outsourced vendor service partner provisions
• Support building tours with regional teams / outsourced vendor partners to ensure issues are noted, duly recorded and followed up
• Document and present the completed outcome of issues including any corrective actions to ensure that the buildings and all associated areas of the sites are maintained to a high standard
• Ensure the regular update of central records surrounding space utilisation and occupancy levels including surveys surrounding utilisation

Educational Qualifications & Functional Skills

• University Degree in Telecommunications / Electrical Electronics Engineering/Computer Science (2.2/Upper Credit Minimum)
• Hands-on expertise in many disparate technologies, typically ranging from front-end user interfaces through to back-end systems and all points in between
• 3+ years' experience in Telecommunications Operations management
• 3+ years' in operation support, installations and commissioning
• Proven experience of working with multiple suppliers/vendors/ partners
• Advanced knowledge of mobile telecommunications network architecture/technologies
• Sound understanding of project management
• Proficient at report writing, creating and presenting presentations
• Strong communicator and able to clearly articulate complex issues and technologies.
• Ability to propose systems design and configuration improvements
• Curious and exposure in new and emerging technologies
• Negotiation, facilitation and consensus building skills
• Ability to work independently, be self-motivated and handle multiple priorities
• Capable of supporting hundreds of systems both virtual and physical
• Ability to plan, organize and document complex system designs
• High attention to details and strong ability to resolve systems issues
• Good communicator and able to clearly articulate complex issues and technologies
• Advanced knowledge of mobile telecommunications network architecture/technologies
• Sound understanding of project management
• Knowledge of Data Centre management will be an advantage

Work Experience and Other Requirements:

• At least 4years' experience in Customer Focus, Telecommunications Operations management, Tech savvy
• Minimum of 4+ years' in operation support
• Action orientation installations and commissioning Drive results
• Proven experience of working with multiple
• Cultivate Innovation suppliers/vendors/ partners
• Ability to optimize work processes
• Experience of supporting a business contract
• Resilience and/or providing support to a professional
• Self-Development function
• Nimble Learning
• Significant experience in developing and
• Ensures Accountability implementing new FM strategy, plans and
• Develops Talent systems
• Drives Engagement
• Experience of Safety Management systems
• Drives Vision & Purpose
• Experience in writing Asset Management
• Excellent Decision Quality Strategy, processes, procedures, Business Cases and Strategy Papers
• Strong ability to collaborate with peers and stakeholders around system designs, capacity, road maps and resource allocation
• Significance leadership experience in the planning and delivery of building and services maintenance
• Experience working in the Telecommunications industry with a track record of technical achievement
• Experience with large scale infrastructure automation
• Knowledge and understanding of the Nigerian and global Information Technology Industry especially Telecommunications
• Strong experience as a line manager and a coach leading diverse teams

Method of Application