Malawi Research and Education Network (MAREN)
The Malawi Research and Education Network (MAREN) is a not-for-profit institution which was founded around 2005 by the University of Malawi and Mzuzu University. It was established to create and operate an academic network interconnecting research and education institutions within Malawi and with their regional and global peers through the UbuntuNet Alliance. The organization became fully operational in 2018 through funding from the Digital Malawi Project a Project of the Malawi Government funded by the World Bank. So far, MAREN has managed to interconnect at least thirty institutions including all the public universities at higher bandwidths. To date, the organization has been managed by consultants who were hired by the Project to facilitate its operationalization. Having been fully capacitated by the Project, MAREN is now in a position to recruit its own staff. Applications are therefore invited from suitably qualified, highly skilled, experienced, competent and visionary individuals to fill the following position.
NETWORK AND INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGER
The Network and Infrastructure Manager (NIM) will report to the Chief Executive Officer of MAREN.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Supervising the build-out, integration, testing and commissioning of the MAREN network and data centre and other infrastructure.
- Development of IT infrastructure and network plans in line with MAREN’s strategy.
- Identifying potential technology partnerships in line with MARE’s plans and client demands to achieve Service level targets.
- Analyzing and identifying potential areas of service improvement for MAREN.
- Developing and assessing IT policies and procedures while monitoring trends to propose adjustments to existing Policies and procedures.
- Ensuring that policies and procedures are adhered to regarding IT infrastructure and network environments to align with IT best practices.
- Identifying areas where the network and infrastructure team can be trained to improve skills for the enhancement of service delivery to MAREN clients.
- Organizing training workshops for client institutions for in line with services offered by MAREN.
- Offering direct engineering assistance to client institutions.
- Delivery of quality internet and value-added services to MAREN clients in line with agreed objectives and targets.
- Planning, designing, and implementing network solutions on the MAREN core, edge, and access network space with a drive to achieve a resilient and high-performing network.
- Ensuring that all MAREN and client network elements, are monitored to ensure service availability, quality, performance, and reliability and that issues are logged and followed up to their logical conclusion.
- Implementing and maintaining network security, backup, and redundancy strategies in line with MARE policies.
- Liaising with upstream providers and local carriers on network performance issues to maintain the high performance of all available links.
- Managing all network management systems at MAREN.
- Producing network reports that are summarized for decision-making.
- Producing up-to-date high and low-level topology diagram
- Managing hardware inventory for MAREN.
- Managing contracts and service level agreements with clients and vendors.
- Developing and reviewing change management and incident management and procedure to align IT best practices.
- Developing strategies for maintaining server and network infrastructure.
- Performing disaster recovery operations when required.
- Ensuring that all network and data centre infrastructure is serviced, kept and maintained in good order safe from all hazards to ensure continuous availability and efficient operatons of services.
- Management of the MAREN data centres including power and cooling systems.
- Designing solutions based on available resources to align with proposed requirements.
- Managing high-performance computing facility.
- Providing input to various technical, financial, legal and regulatory plans governing MAREN operations.
- Managing project work plans, budgets and MAREN resources optimally so that project activities are implemented to cost, quality and within agreed time.
- Managing, in collaboration with the Finance and Administration Manager and other senior members of MARE Secretariat, procurement processes for network and related infrastructure needed for MAREN operations.
- Supervising network and infrastructure staff.
Qualifications and Experience
A suitable candidate shall:
- Have a minimum of a BS in Telecommunication Engineering or Information Technology, or Computer Science or equivalent from a recognized University. Those with Masters in related fields will have added advantage.
- Have a minimum of three years experience in supervising network engineers in a big and busy environment preferably an ISP.
- Have an added advantage if they ITIL or CISCO/Juniper certifications.
- Have extensive knowledge of Unix/Linux command line and Unix Operating system troubleshooting.
- Have broad knowledge and experience with enterprise server hardware and storage systems that support a multi-user environment.
- Have proven experience working with open source cloud, commercial hypervisors and storage solutions (VMware, Proxmox, oVirt, KVM, SCSI, FreeNAS, CryptoNAS, Openstack, etc.).
- Have advanced routing, switching, wireless technology, and network security hands-on experience (OSPF, BGP,IS-IS, VPNs, etc.).
- Have advanced network monitoring and troubleshooting skills.
- Have ability to initiate, build and maintain productive client relationships.
- Have leadership skills to successfully lead a team of engineers and produce the best out of them.
- Have strong collaboration skills to build teams across working boundaries.
- Have ability to contribute to a diverse team of commercial and technical backgrounds.
- Have long term experience in planning, deploying, managing, and supporting telecom systems at a senior level in a big and busy organization.
- Have ability to work under pressure
- Have ability to work as part of a diverse and inclusive team.
- Have a high degree of integrity and professionalism.
Term of office
The NIM shall be on a 3 year contract renewable based on performance.
REMUNERATION
The position above comes with a competitive compensation and benefits package in accordance with MAREN’s existing structure of benefits.
Method Of Application
Applicants are invited to submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and names and contact details of three traceable referees to the Chairperson of the Search Team by the following email: chairofsearchteam@maren.ac.mw
Applications should be received by 29th August, 2022.