Smelter Operation Readiness - Superintendent Systems Management

The purpose of this position is:

The Superintendent Systems Management will be responsible for managing a team of systems administrators overseeing the installation, maintenance, configuration, and reliable operation of servers, storage, backups, and disaster recovery environment, to ensure the efficient and uninterrupted operation of the compute environment, as well as to maintain the security and integrity of the data stored within.

This position will oversee the day-to-day operations of the team, ensuring that the team is able to maintain and troubleshoot the business and process control compute environments, monitor the performance, and respond to technical issues in a timely and effective manner.

This supervisory position is to ensure that the server infrastructure is secure, stable, operates effectively and efficiently, with minimal downtime and disruptions, so that the organization can rely on it to process, store and manage its critical data.

The key duties and responsibilities of this position are:

• Manage user accounts, permissions, and access rights.
• Ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements including Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) related to data retention, security, and privacy.
• Collaborate with other IT teams to ensure that all systems are integrated and working together seamlessly.
• Implementing procedures for backup and disaster recovery to ensure the data centers operations can be restored in the event of a system failure or other catastrophic issue.
• Leading and supervising system administrators, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the data center, providing guidance and technical support to ensure that they are meeting their responsibilities effectively.
• Planning and implementing server and storage infrastructure upgrades, such as upgrading hardware, software and ensuring these upgrades are implemented in a timely and efficient manner.
• Patching, ensuring the Environment is continuously updated and patched to remediate all known vulnerabilities and reducing the risk of zero-day attacks.
• Participate in the development and implementation of IT projects related to server and storage infrastructure.
• Monitoring server and storage performance as well as event logs to identify any issues or potential problems and take steps to address them before they impact the organization.
• Budgeting and resource management, of the server administration team and ensure that resources are used effectively to support the organizations goals and objectives.
• Recruiting, training and mentoring new and existing system administrators and evaluating the performance of system administrators.
• Ensure the timely and accurate reporting of system related issues and resolutions in accordance with ITSM standards.
• Managing the installation, maintenance and repair of data center hardware and software.
• Managing data center security, ensuring that the data center is secure from unauthorized access or cyber-attacks.

The key challenges in this position include:

• Data Security: The metals industry relies heavily on data to make informed decisions. As a systems administrator supervisor, you will need to ensure that the servers and storage are secure from unauthorized access and that sensitive data is protected from cyber threats.
• Managing a Team: One of the biggest challenges will be managing a team of system administrators, including subordinates from various ethnicities, religions, and cultures, to maximize their full potential, this includes hiring, training, coaching and performance management. This can be challenging, especially when dealing with conflicts and differing highly technical opinions.
• High Pressure Environment: Mining and smelting operations are often high-pressure environments where downtime can result in significant financial losses, and as a supervisor, you may need to deal with high-pressure situations where time is of the essence. You need to be able to make quick decisions and take appropriate actions to resolve issues promptly.
• Keeping up with Technological Advancements: Data center technology is constantly evolving, and it can be challenging to keep up with the latest trends and best practices. It is important to stay up to date with industry trends and advancement to ensure that the team is providing the best possible support. This means you need to invest time and resources in continuous learning and development.
• Hazardous Environment: Smelting operations can be dangerous, the systems supervisor must be aware of and follow strict safety protocols when visiting and working in these environments, using specialized protective gear to ensure safety.
• Resolving Complex and Technical Issues: This role will be responsible for handling complex technical issues that the team may not be able to resolve on their own. This requires a strong technical background and the ability to troubleshoot and solve problems quickly.
• Ensuring Compliance with Regulations: There are numerous government regulations that govern the use and management of data. As a supervisor, you need to ensure that your team is following the regulations, including Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) and implementing appropriate security measures to protect the systems and sensitive data.
• Staff Retention: In remote locations, attracting and retaining skilled staff can be a challenge. This supervisory position must create an environment that fosters a positive workplace culture and provides opportunities for professional growth and development to retain staff.
• Meeting Service Level Agreements: Responsible for ensuring that your team meets the service level agreements set by the organization. This requires effective communication with other departments and stakeholders to ensure that service expectations are met.
• Prioritizing Tasks: This supervisory position will need to prioritize tasks and delegate responsibilities to ensure that all issues are addressed in a timely and efficient manner. You will on occasion need to prioritize urgent issues and handle conflicting demands from different stakeholders.
• Equipment Maintenance: Server and storage systems requires frequent maintenance and repairs. As a systems administrator supervisor, you will need to coordinate with maintenance teams to ensure that equipment downtime is minimized, and server connectivity is restored as quickly as possible.
• Managing Customer Expectations: Customers may have high expectations with the resources and capabilities of the team. Effective communication and managing expectations can help mitigate these challenges.

The background, education, and work experience needed to succeed in this job are:

Minimum Education & Experience

• Certification, Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA)
• Certification, VMware Certified Professional (VCP)
• Bachelors degree in Computer Science or related field.
• Certification, Nutanix Certified Professional (NCP)
• 5+ Years of experience in systems administration management and at least 2 years in a supervisory role.

Core Competencies (Knowledge, Skills & Characters)

• Strong technical skills in areas such as server and network administration, operating systems, databases, Active Directory, virtualization and security.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Automation, experience with scripting and automation tools to streamline repetitive tasks and increase efficiency.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English, technical and conversational.
• Knowledge and understanding of process control and data acquisition systems.
• Experience managing and maintaining a large business and or process control data center.
• Experience in mining or process automation industries is a plus.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Knowledge of safety procedures and regulations in the metal processing industry.
• Knowledge of regulations that govern data retention and privacy including Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)

The key areas in which you have decision-making responsibility are:

• Performance Optimization: Monitoring system performance, identifying areas of weakness, and implementing strategies to optimize server performance.
• Technology Upgrades: Make decisions about when and how to upgrade hardware and software. This includes assessing the impact of upgrades on end-users and control systems, developing upgrade plans, and coordinating the implementation of upgrades with other teams within the organization.
• Evaluating New Technologies: Evaluate new technologies and tools that can improve the support services provided by the team. This includes evaluating new software applications, hardware and other technologies that can enhance the user experience.
• Incident Management: Prioritizing incidents based on severity and impact, assigning incidents to support staff, and ensuring that incidents are resolved within agreed-upon service level agreements.
• Continuous Improvement: Continually evaluate the effectiveness of support service and make decision to improve processes, procedures, and training programs to enhance the quality of support provided.
• Budgeting: Manage the budget allocated for the data center, ensuring that it is being used efficiently and effectively. This includes monitoring expenses and forecasting future needs to ensure that the team has the resources it needs to deliver high quality support services.
• Compute and Storage Capacity Planning and Management: Making decisions related to compute, memory and storage capacity, management, and data archiving.
• Procurement: Making decision regarding the procurement of hardware, software, and other equipment necessary for the smooth functioning of the data center.
• Vendor Management: Make decisions about the selection and management of external vendors that provide technical support services. This includes negotiating contracts, managing vendor relationships, and ensuring that vendors meet service level agreements.
• Resource Allocation: Required to make decisions about the allocation of resources, including personnel, equipment, and budget, for system maintenance, support, and expansion.
• Managing Staff: Making decision regarding staffing, training and performance management and the allocation of resource and delegation of tasks.

Dimensions

Financial

• Repair or Replace: Making decisions as to if repairing or replacing a device would be the most cost-effective long term.
• ROI Analysis: Required to perform return of investment (ROI) analysis to determine the financial impact or support initiatives or projects as well as make decisions on repair vs. replace.
• Cost Control: Will be responsible for controlling costs associated with the data center, including identifying areas for cost savings, and negotiating vendor support contracts.
• Budgeting: Will be responsible for developing and managing an annual operating budget of approximately US$ 1 MM. Managing the budget for the team, including allocating resources for hardware, software, and other technical needs.

Non-Financial

• Maintain: The supervisor must manage the lifecycle of data center hardware and software assets as well as manage data retention.
• Leadership: The supervisor is responsible for leading the team and ensuring that they are working effectively and efficiently. This includes setting expectations, providing guidance, and motivating team members.
• Customer Satisfaction: The supervisor must ensure that their team is meeting the needs of the organizations one thousand end users, spread across several geographic locations, including users working remotely and resolving technical issues in a timely and effective manner.
• Performance Management: The supervisor will be responsible for evaluating the performance of their direct and indirect reports, providing feedback, and identifying areas for improvement.
• Process Improvement: The supervisor should be able to identify opportunities for process improvement and develop strategies for implementing changes that will increase efficiency and effectiveness.

Dateline: 27 May 2023