Senior Specialist

**Strategic input
- Contribute to, challenge and implement the long-term IMS / VOIP strategy for the technical department.
- Participate in the translation of the IMS / VOIP roadmap design and architecture into operational/ integration plans to support MTNSA functions.
- Analyse trends and highlight areas of the business that may be developed further, identifying opportunities and matching these to market opportunities

**Operational planning and excellence
- Perform fault isolation and diagnostic assessment functions to include determination and execution of corrective actions on a real-time basis
- Perform proactive monitoring of network elements alarms and alerts to identify those components and elements that may lead to or are already causing network degradation or failure through use of network management systems and associated assets
- Interface with functional users as well as remote operations support centers in both routine and reactive monitoring situations
- **Provide 3rd line and developmental support for IMS / VOIP products and equipment**
- Provide functional guidance, technical support, training, and quality assurance review to Level I, Level II, Quality Assurance, and Development personnel
- Coordinate with configuration management and implementation groups to ensure optimum dissemination of information and deployment procedures for platform functionality and efficiency
- Implement and deploy IMS / VOIP products and solutions
- Liaise with client partners and customers on IMS solutions and support to understand the client's requirement in terms of the data network architecture, voice requirement, relevant restrictions, and be able to architecturally conceptualize, develop, propose, and implement a solution for support and stability
- **Build, test, maintain, and support IMS / VOIP hardware and software**
- VoWiFi and VoLTE testing and deployment
- Perform operator level maintenance on all components and assets associated with IMS / VOIP systems
- Enter and maintain product deficiencies and status to developmental areas and vendors
- **Configuration management control of all nodes on the IMS / VOIP platforms**
- Maintain logs and records associated with reported problems or situations
- Review load, configure, and test new features and functions of vendor hardware and software such as firmware and core operating systems
- Perform diagnostics and analysis on failed components for vendor return
- Build and maintain infrastructure diagrams
- **Build and audit reports on equipment and software configurations**
- Build and deploy daily reports using database query analysis and scripts
- Maintain and update document report repository for IMS / VOIP support operations
- Maintain equipment install records and deployment dates
- **Perform upgrades to hardware and software on industrial conference equipment and supporting servers**
- Replace and upgrade IMS / VOIP hardware with multiple vendors

**Communication and co-ordination**
- Continuously review and update best practice for IMS / VOIP architecture and implementations
- Provide input into detailed troubleshooting and root cause analysis procedures and practices
- Provide guidance to the planning & optimisation and network operations teams
- Use technical ability to advise and provide input when required
- Ensure co-operative and constructive relationship between Support and other network departments (e.g. Planning, Implementation, EBU)
- Provide input and performance related information to improve network planning & optimisation as well as fault and configuration management
- Interface with key suppliers (e.g. Nokia, Ericsson etc)

**Financial Management**
- Assist in managing IMS / VOIP expenditure in line with agreed budgets
- Continuously strive to identify and eliminate non-contributory expenditure

**Customer relationships**
- Build and maintain solid relationships with MTN stakeholders.
- Identify trends and patterns pertaining to market requirements and needs and filter this information through to the R&D Engineers.

**Project Management
- Develop and drive the execution of agreed projects
- Drive the implementation, tracking, monitoring and compliance of Projects
- Contract management in line with Procurement Policies
- Co-ordinate project reporting
- Ensure effective implementation of the integrated project management model
- Risk management

**Business Analysis
- Perform MTN SA Business Analysis in line with the methodology and guidelines
- Identify ways to fine tune policies, processes and systems in line with changing work practices
- Determine, document, and review requirements for projects within the scope of the value stream or impacting processes and systems
- Design, analyse and document workflow and make appropriate recommendations that will positively impact operational effectiveness
- Identify Business Improvement and Optimisation opportunities that will result in improvement of process performance
- Ensure that benchmarking i