Manager: DevOps Engineering

As a Senior DevOps Engineer, you will drive the design, implementation, and optimization of scalable, secure, and reliable platform solutions across hybrid environments, including Azure, Alibaba Cloud, and on-prem Kubernetes platforms such as vStack and TKGI. You will play a pivotal role in enabling seamless build and deployment processes, automating infrastructure provisioning, and ensuring the resilience of both production and non-production systems. This role supports multiple Fintech OPCOs with a strong focus on platform engineering, CI/CD, observability, workload identity integration, and governance.You will work across cross-functional teams to enforce best practices in configuration management, release automation, and secure connectivity, balancing agility with compliance. Your contribution will ensure end-to-end delivery quality, platform reliability, and alignment with enterprise architecture standards across Group and OPCO-level initiatives, while actively mentoring DevOps and platform to adopt modern practices. Key Performance Areas Core, essential responsibilities / outputs of the position (KPA's)Strategy Development and Implementation • Execute the Fintech DevOps and Environment Strategy in alignment with the broader business objectives and Fintech platform roadmap. • Translate high-level goals into actionable initiatives for Production & Non-Production environments, automation, tooling, and platform resilience. • Ensure the delivery and evolution of infrastructure-as-code, GitOps, observability, and deployment processes that support high availability, scalability, and performance. • Drive adoption of modern DevOps practices and secure software delivery approaches across business units and engineering teams. • Establish governance and performance metrics to ensure continuous tracking of strategy execution, reporting on progress, identifying gaps, and adjusting plans in response to internal and external shifts. Operational Delivery • Define and execute CI/CD strategies, ensuring frequent and reliable software releases. • Design and maintain automated deployment pipelines and infrastructure-as-code (IaC) using tools like Kubernetes, Docker, Bicep and Terraform. • Collaborate across teams to manage infrastructure needs in both cloud and on-prem environments. • Ensure robust monitoring, alerting, and incident response to maintain system performance and availability. • Enforce DevSecOps practices including vulnerability management, access control, and compliance. • Oversee environment provisioning and release readiness for production and non-production. • Lead troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and continuous performance tuning. • Support system upgrades, patching, and technical testing (e.g., stress/load tests). • Drive process improvements, cost optimizations, and DevOps maturity. • Promote a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and cross-functional collaboration. Governance, Tactical Execution & Performance Management • Participate in strategic and operational meetings, providing input and facilitating decision-making for tactical changes and internal initiatives. • Review and contribute to internal/global projects, target setting, and budget planning aligned with sub-functional strategy. • Manage and resolve critical escalations, consulting stakeholders and escalating high-impact issues as necessary. • Monitor team and vendor performance against KPIs and SLAs, driving corrective actions and continuous improvement. • Oversee functional and project budgets, ensuring alignment with business objectives and cost control measures. • Track and report on progress, risks, and outcomes periodically and on demand, using defined metrics and governance standards. Job Requirements (Education, Experience and Competencies)Education: • Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Computer Science, IT, or Electronics & Communication (4 years). • Relevant certifications such as: • Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) • Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert • Alibaba Cloud DevOps Engineer • OpenShift Administrator Certification • vStack Platform Operations or Administration Experience: • Proven experience as a DevOps engineer or similar role, with strong understanding of software development and operations principles. 4-5 years of experience in technical architecture and application development, or operations • Experience with public and private cloud platforms (Azure, Alibaba, vStack, Apsara, OpenShift) is a plus • Proficiency in infrastructure automation tools e.g., Bicep, Terraform etc. • Experience with containerization technologies such as Docker and orchestration tools like Kubernetes • Experience with microservices architecture and serverless computing • Experience with Azure DevOps CI/CD or similar tools, infrastructure automation, monitoring systems and incident management. • Previous experience in Agile/Scrum environments • Experience in a Fintech or financial services environment preferred • Worked across diverse cultures and geographies • Pan Africa multi-cultural experience is advantageous Functional Knowledge: • Strong scripting and automation skills using Bash, Python, and PowerShell to support infrastructure provisioning, configuration, and troubleshooting. • Hands-on experience with CI/CD tooling such as Azure DevOps, GitLab CI/CD, Alibaba Cloud DevOps, and pipeline automation in Kubernetes-native and hybrid environments. • Deep understanding of cloud-native infrastructure and infrastructure as code (IaC) using Terraform, Bicep, or Ansible across Azure, Alibaba Private and Public Cloud, vStack, and OpenShift. • Solid knowledge of networking, firewalls, DNS, and security best practices across hybrid environments. • Expertise in containerization and orchestration using Kubernetes, OpenShift, and Helm, with focus on multi-OpCo platform delivery. • Experience in observability and monitoring using tools like Grafana, Prometheus, Loki, Azure Monitor, and Alibaba Cloud SLS, ensuring proactive service visibility and alerting. • Proficient in platform environment design, automation of provisioning workflows, and lifecycle management of dev/test/prod environments. • Integration of cloud-native services (e.g., APIM, Key Vault, Event Grid, Service Bus) into scalable application delivery. • Familiarity with modern identity and access management, particularly Azure AD, role-based access control (RBAC), and Zero Trust principles in cloud platforms. • Solid understanding of incident, change, and problem management, embedded within CI/CD and DevSecOps practices. • Experience supporting platform adoption by application teams through reusable templates, guardrails, and automation. Core Skills • Strategic Thinking – ability to align platform evolution with Group and OpCo priorities. • Analytical Mindset – capable of interpreting platform metrics and telemetry to drive improvements. • Digital and Agile Delivery – applying agile practices to infrastructure delivery and DevOps maturity. • Decision Making – comfortable making tactical and strategic decisions under constraints. • Project Leadership – driving cross-functional platform initiatives to successful delivery. • People Enablement – supporting team growth through coaching, collaboration, and knowledge sharing. • Executive Communication – skilled in translating technical updates into business impact for stakeholders. Behavioral Qualities • Operationally focused – balancing engineering innovation with platform stability and uptime. • Detail-oriented – ensuring compliance, consistency, and reliability in configurations and deployments. • Results-driven – delivering tangible outcomes through automation and standardization. • Proactive and accountable – anticipating issues and resolving them before impact. • Collaborative – working closely with Dev, Ops, Security, and external vendors in a multi-OpCo setup. • Organized and adaptable – able to manage multiple initiatives across cloud and on-prem simultaneously.