Senior Engineer: Technology Innovation

The purpose of the job is to assist with fulfilment of the overall MTN innovation strategy by conducting research and development (prototyping) of the new solutions. The candidate will use their development and creative skills to bring concepts into working prototypes and will present these to various areas within MTN. The candidate will also plan, architect and implement systems that will facilitate innovation, and integrate into traditional SS7 as well as Internet based systems. The Senior Engineer must provide technical leadership to the team working on research and development of prototypes in line with the MTN Innovation process and budgetary priorities within the Technology Innovation Area. The Senior Engineer defines, plans, architects and implements requirements with partners and vendors for various systems.

KPA duties

Research and Innovation: • Research the latest trends in Technology, providing views on how MTN can tap into these as new Revenue streams in the form of Whitepapers and Presentations • Interact with internal and external innovation stakeholders, 3rd parties, innovation hubs and partners, Universities, vendors where required to fulfil requirements • Provide input to an technology innovation roadmap that synchronizes with the mainstream technology roadmaps of CTO/CIO • Implement proof of concepts and prototypes identified by MTN’s Innovation forum within specified timelines • Ensure that Policies & Procedures are established and adhered to • Work within virtual teams where projects require allocation of existing resources from other technology areas to be part of the project • Ensure proper capturing of requirements for all projects even those conducted with Agile methodologies • Liaise with Marketing, supplying input as to systems capabilities (both current and future) • Identify customer problems and service opportunities and formulate and implement creative solutions to address these problems Product development: • Consult on product requirements analysis providing product owners with input into product documentation and strategies • Ensure that System Architectures and Functional Requirements Specifications are created to deliver on product requirements • Ensure that all systems and products have system and performance/health reporting in place • Ensure that all systems are properly documented. Documents include Technical Architectures, Installation & Operations Guides, 3rd Party Interface Documents, ATP Documents and Topology overviews • Ensure that documentation is maintained that identifies capacity upgrades that are required. • Ensure that policies and procedures around systems are in place in order to ensure MTN maintains their ISO status. • Ensure that as many systems as possible are put into in place to test subscriber experience. • Ensure that Customer and project issues are identified timeously, documented, resolved and communicated • Ensure that Customer satisfaction is monitored regularly and rectified if required Intellectual Property: • Contribute to the Intellectual Property assets of MTN • Contribute to an environment for proper knowledge management. Supervisory / Leadership / Managerial Complexity: • In all matters and decisions to seek consensus with, and contributions from, as wide a group of stakeholders as possible • Ensure that Customer and project issues are identified timeously, documented, resolved and communicated • Track all System licensing making sure that MTN is not paying for licensing that is not used. • Ensure that the capture of Business Requirements and the Analysis thereof takes place and proper Functional Requirements Specifications for all projects. • Ensure that Innovation Systems have up to date documentation • Ensure that Policies and Procedures are maintained • Work with Line Management to ensure that the Technology Innovation area maintains an up to date presentations that covers the Innovation enablement platforms. • Mentoring and knowledge share amongst colleagues is expected in areas of expertise • Monitor vendor performance and hold regular meetings to go through all issues. Healthy vendor relationships must be maintained at all times. Role Complexity: This role constantly requires the incumbent to perform duties that are outside the "traditional" Technical role. Additional complexity is required from this role that is not usually inherent in such a position. This role will require agile development capabilities using a wide range of technologies (Telecoms and other), platforms (Operating Systems, mobile, Open Source and Other) and programming languages (including back-end enterprise, front-end, scripting, web, mobile).

Educational requirements

• A Matric and a relevant 3 year Degree in Electrical Engineering, Information Technology or Computer Science (or SAQA accredited equivalent) is essential • A Masters Degree with a strong research component is desirable

Experience required

• A minimum of 5 years experience in the IT/ Telecoms industry, preferably the application of Information Technology within the ICT environment. The Senior Systems Engineer must be widely read and know about many facets of ICT as well as Telecoms. • Relevant experience in a Research and Development environment is desirable

Skills required

Knowledge: A high degree of knowledge in as many of the following areas is required • Internet Technologies – Web Design, Cloud computing, Blogging, Social Networking, Video Streaming, Gaming • Telecoms Technologies - Core TDM based SS7 incl SIGTRAN, Mobile Device Management, GPRS packet Core, IMS, IN and NGN • VAS Technologies - SMS, MMS, USSD, IVR, Voicemail, WIG, SIMS, Ringback Tones, Streaming, WAP, IM, LBS, SDP and IMS etc • Telco and IT protocols such as: SS7, POP & SMTP, FTP, SNMP, LDAP, HTTP, XML/RPC, SSL, SIP, H.323, SGCP, MGCP, RTP, Voice & Video codes (G7.X etc), IMAP, SOAP, WML, MM7, SMPP, XML, XHTML etc • System Architecture & Design Skills including: Activity Diagrams, Business Requirements Gathering and Feedback, Capacity Upgrade Planning, Deployment & Testing Planning, Flowcharting, Interaction Diagramming (Sequence), State Machine Diagramming, System Topology Diagrams and Data flow diagramming, Systems Requirement Specifications, Use Case Diagramming • Development / Scripting languages: C/C++, VBA, Erlang, Java, Perl, PHP • Unix and Linux Operating Systems • HP and SUN Hardware including Storage • Oracle and MySQL RDBMS As well as: • Knowledge of research methodologies • Knowledge of Agile Development Technologies • Good knowledge of GSM Access, Core and Transmission technologies • Good knowledge of GSM VAS and IN technologies • Good knowledge IP technologies • Strong knowledge of the Telecommunication Industry and ICT Industry • Knowledge of Planning and Optimisation principles & methodologies Skills/Physical Competencies: • Analytical and problem solving skills. • Communication and interpersonal skills. • Conflict and Stress resolution skills. • Presentation and writing skills • Leadership and supervisory skills • Verbal communication skills • Costing skills, process modelling, technical documentation skills • Project planning skills. • Facilitation and Multitasking skills. • Contract administration skills. • Decision-making skills • Project Management & co-ordination skills Behavioural qualities: • Display integrity and simplicity of values • Persuasion and Influencing • Coping with pressures and setbacks • Delivering results / results oriented • Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking • Customer centricity. • Be innovative • Resourceful • Be a strong team player • Ability to work closely with other team leaders, project leaders, project managers and managers • Self-motivated • Ability to work under pressure • Flexible thought application • Accurate and timeous reporting • Taking initiative • Perseverance • Ability to adapt to changing requirements of Business, customers and staff members • Ability to document and present strategy focused solutions that will add value to customers businesses • Results - oriented • Persuading and influencing • Relating and networking • Assertiveness • Pro-active • Internal locus of control • Structured/systems approach • Detail focused • Customer focused • Quality focused

Other information

Reference No: IRC68239 Position Type: Permanent Affirmative Action: Open to All Salary: Additional: Training • Formal training in the following areas is highly desirable: o GSM, SS7 and SIGTRAN. o SUN Solaris and Linux o Scripting language such as Python, Perl o Programming on any platforms, including mobile applications such as Android, IOS, J2ME o VAS systems, including SMS, MMS, USSD, LBS etc. o IP Networking.

Applications close 21 Mar 2012.

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