Senior Manager – Data Centre Planning

At Bayobab, we are Lead with Care, Can-do with Integrity, Collaborate with Agility, Serve with Respect and Act with Inclusion.

Bayobab formerly MTN GlobalConnect is a Pan-African digital wholesale and infrastructure services company founded in 2017, and an operating company in the MTN Group. Bayobab formerly MTN GlobalConnect manages MTN's international and national major wholesale activities, in addition to offering reliable wholesale and infrastructure solutions for fixed connectivity and wholesale mobility solutions that include international mobile services, Voice, SMS, signaling, roaming and interconnect.

Contract duration: 12-month contract

Mission/ Core purpose of the Job:

The
Senior Manager – Data Centre Planning
plays a pivotal role in Bayobab's ambition to build Africa's largest and most trusted digital infrastructure network.

This role is responsible for driving the
planning, coordination, and technical execution of large-scale data centre developments
in South Africa — ensuring they are delivered on time, within budget, and in alignment with Bayobab's commercial and sustainability goals.

Beyond technical project management, the role acts as a
strategic enabler
, translating market demand and technology trends into robust, scalable infrastructure solutions that underpin cloud growth, enterprise connectivity, and digital inclusion across the continent.

The incumbent will operate at the intersection of
engineering, energy, and digital ecosystems
, ensuring that every data centre build strengthens Bayobab's position as Africa's wholesale infrastructure backbone — connecting people, businesses, and nations to opportunity.

Key success in this role will depend on the ability to integrate multiple disciplines (engineering, power, fibre, regulatory, and commercial), promote strong partnerships with EPCs and strategic partners, and apply innovation to deliver next-generation, sustainable data centre facilities.

Key Performance Areas:

The Senior Manager: Data Centre Planning will be accountable to achieve the following objectives:

Project Delivery & Execution

• Lead and track end-to-end delivery of new data centre builds from site acquisition through commissioning.
• Oversee design development – concept, detailed and as-built ensuring alignment with global best practice and hyperscaler requirements.
• Manage discussions with EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) contractors and ensure compliance with technical, safety, and sustainability standards.

Power & Energy Infrastructure

• Assess and secure utility power, renewable energy integration, and backup generation capacity for data centre projects.
• Engage with power utilities, regulators, and IPPs to ensure resilient and scalable power supply.
• Drive energy efficiency, sustainability, and cost optimisation strategies.

Location, Connectivity & Site Infrastructure

• Evaluate and validate proposed sites based on power availability, fibre/connectivity presence, land readiness, and regulatory environment.
• Ensure sites are well integrated with terrestrial and subsea fibre routes to meet hyperscaler and enterprise requirements.
• Oversee permitting, zoning, and environmental assessments for new builds.
• Ensure site layouts, civil works, and supporting infrastructure (roads, drainage, security) meet operational needs.

Market & Demand Awareness

• Understand Enterprise, Wholesale, and Government demand drivers for colocation and cloud services.
• Ensure project builds align with regional connectivity ecosystems (carriers, ISPs, cloud providers, and government digitalisation initiatives).
• Contribute insights into market demand mapping to inform site selection and capacity planning.

Stakeholder Management

• Collaborate with internal teams (network, commercial, operations)
• Co-ordinate with Strategic partners, and collaborate with external partners (consultants, utilities, government bodies).
• Serve as technical lead for discussions with hyperscalers, enterprise clients, and regulators.

Programme & Risk Management

• Track project budget, schedules, and deliverables.
• Identify risks (technical, regulatory, market) and develop mitigation strategies.
• Report progress to senior management with clear visibility on timelines and risks

Job Requirements:

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in electrical, Mechanical, Civil Engineering, or related discipline.
• Project/Programme Management qualification (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2) preferred.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7–10years experience in data centre or critical infrastructure project environments, including at least 3 years within a relevant industry or sector.
• 5 years in a managerial capacity, with a demonstrated track record of successfully delivering two or more large-scale data centre builds exceeding 10 MW.
• Proven expertise in power distribution systems, including high-voltage (HV) and medium-voltage (MV) networks, cooling systems, backup generation, and renewable energy integration.
• Experience in managing complex, multi-stakeholder infrastructure projects, ensuring alignment across engineering, operations, and commercial functions.
• Experience engaging with key external stakeholders, such as utilities, regulators, and technical partners, particularly within the energy or telecommunications sectors.

Competencies:

• Deep knowledge of telecoms, fibre, and connectivity ecosystems (metro fibre, long-haul, subsea, carrier-neutral interconnection).
• Project management expertise (PMP/Prince2 certification desirable)
• Strategic thinker with hands-on project delivery expertise.
• Strong understanding of South African regulatory frameworks (NERSA, municipal utilities, environmental laws).
• Awareness of Enterprise, Wholesale, and Government market needs in Africa.
• Experience managing EPC contractors and consultants across multi-million-dollar projects.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Willingness to travel regionally and manage on-site delivery as required.