Server Administrator

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

SERVER ADMINISTRATOR

PEROMNES POST LEVEL 7

In pursuit of the ideals of excellence and diversity, the University of Pretoria wishes to invite applications for the following vacancy.

The University of Pretoria's commitment to quality makes us one of the top research Universities in the country and gives us a competitive advantage in international science and technology development.

JOB PURPOSE:

The Server Administrator's role is to ensure the stable operation of the University's server, storage, and backup infrastructure. This includes responsibility for a range of server operations such as planning, developing, installing, configuring, maintaining, optimizing, and supporting the enterprise server environment. The role involves providing specialist services for the administration and implementation of server, SAN, and backup infrastructure for UP's enterprise-level systems. It also includes the complete design of server, storage, and backup infrastructure expansions to ensure high availability, security, and optimized architecture. Additionally, the Server Administrator is expected to contribute and participate in relevant projects.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The successful candidate's responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• General server administration:
• Assist in server, storage, and backup environment's design, architecture and implementation;
• Analyse the organization's server, storage, and backup environments, and system requirement;
• Review server design proposals to assess impact on cross server or multiple server performance;
• Research and analyse the server, storage, backup devices, protocols, services, and standards to support the server infrastructure activities;
• Create technical support documentation for the University's server infrastructure;
• Evaluate and recommend security improvements and system upgrades on the server infrastructure;
• Monitor the server, storage, and backup environments to ensure optimal performance;
• Troubleshoot problems with server, storage, and backup environments, and perform updates when required;

• Install, configure, support and administer server OS systems, virtualization platforms, Hyper Converged Infrastructure, load balancers, Storage Area Network, enterprise mail and backup environments;

• Server maintenance:

• Analyse and resolve server, storage, and backup environment's incidents or problems;
• Manage the planning, coordination, configuration, installation and management of all server, storage, backup environments, and server related client services within the University;
• Manage converged storage between datacentres;
• Provision and de-provision of server infrastructure resources;
• Implement patch management;
• Implement server security and vulnerability management;
• Identify trends and implement preventative solutions;
• Participate in server, storage, and backup environment's architecture planning for both project and maintenance requirements;

• Perform server, storage, and backup environment's upgrade/s;

• IT Enterprise service management:

• Respond to incidents according to service level agreements (SLAs);
• Refer requests/incidents/problems to the correct channel in a timely manner;
• Compile and submit reports to the relevant manager;
• Update enterprise service management platforms;
• Contribute and maintain knowledge articles;

• Communicate timeous to the relevant stakeholders;

• Project administration:

• Provide advice and guidance to program/project managers on the technical approach to meeting requirements that will provide optimal user benefit and server infrastructure performance;
• Test and approve design before final implementation;
• Complete installation and commissioning of equipment as per project workstreams;
• Draft documentation for projects and submit to the relevant manager;
• Keep documentation up to date;

• Provide vendors with relevant information;

• Vendor support:

• Configure and install server operating systems, protocols, and equipment as per vendor and server design;
• Liaise with vendors to troubleshoot on server infrastructure;
• Support vendors on project work as required;
• Report and escalate faults to vendors as required.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• A Bachelor's Degree / BTech in an applicable field such as Computer Science, Informatics, or Information Technology, from a recognised Tertiary institution; with
• A total of four years' experience in:
• Installation, configuration and analysis server, storage, backup engineering, operating systems, directory services setup, management, and performance skills in an enterprise environment;
• Enterprise virtualisation platforms;
• Troubleshooting the server, storage, backup, and environment issues;
• Storage management and maintenance;
• Managing email on the Google platform in an enterprise environment;
• A valid driver's license;
• Relevant Server Operating Systems certification;
• Relevant enterprise virtualisation platform application certificate;
• ITIL Foundation certification;

OR

• A National Higher Diploma or BTech Degree in Electronics, Computer Engineering, or Information Technology from a recognised Tertiary institution; with
• A total of six years' experience in:
• Installation, configuration and analysis server, storage, backup engineering, operating systems, directory services setup, management, and performance skills in an enterprise environment;
• Enterprise virtualisation platforms;
• Troubleshooting the server, storage, backup, and environment issues;
• Storage management and maintenance;
• Managing email on the Google platform in an enterprise environment;
• A valid driver's license;
• Relevant Server Operating Systems certification;
• Relevant enterprise virtualisation platform application certificate;
• ITIL Foundation certification.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES (SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIOURAL ATTRIBUTES):

• Knowledge of:
• Server hardware and software;
• Storage hardware and software;
• Backup hardware and software;
• Enterprise infrastructure architecture;
• ITIL;
• Project management;
• Enterprise service management;
• Technical competencies:
• Server operating system;
• Enterprise virtualized platforms;
• Oracle hardware
• Enterprise storage;
• Enterprise backup
• Endpoint security;
• Enterprise email system;
• Behavioural competencies:
• Ability to:
  • Communicate information clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing, to ensure comprehension of the message, while actively listening and responding appropriately to others to foster understanding and engagement;
  • Check work for accuracy before completion of tasks;
  • Actively participate as a member of a team to move toward the completion of goals;
  • Act to achieve goals beyond what is required;
  • Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients or customers by listening to the client/customer, and understanding and responding to the identified needs;
  • Build and maintain ongoing, collaborative, working relationships with co-workers to achieve the goals of the work unit;
  • Maintain social, ethical, and organizational norms, and to firmly adhere to codes of conduct and ethical principles;
  • Compile, assimilate, organize, and store printed and electronic information;
  • Coordinate and manage facilities, equipment, supplies and related resources as necessary for the project;
  • Manage disappointment and/or rejection while still working effectively;
  • Deal with high stress situations calmly and effectively;
  • Stay with a job or plan until the desired objective is achieved or is no longer reasonably attainable;
  • Be relied upon to ensure that projects within areas of responsibility are completed in a timely manner;
  • Use efficient and cost-effective approaches to integrate technology into the workplace, and improve program effectiveness;
  • Listen to symptom descriptions, analyse problems, respond effectively, and provide constructive feedback to the client on problem resolution;
  • Generate innovative solutions in work situations;
  • Identify problems, determine possible solutions, and actively work to resolve the issues;
• Be in possession of knowledge of program procedures, methods and practices, and their application to specific situations, usually acquired on the job.

ADDED ADVANTAGES AND PREFERENCES:

• An Honours Degree in an applicable field such as Computer Science, Informatics, or Information Technology;
• Four years' experience with a Bachelor's degree, or six years' experience with a National Diploma in:
• Hyper converged infrastructure;
• Security implementations for server, storage, and backup systems;
• Backup certification.

The annual remuneration package will be commensurate with the incumbent's level of appointment, as determined by UP policy guidelines. UP subscribes to the BESTMED and UMVUZO medical aid schemes and contributes 50% of the applicable monthly premium.

Applicants are requested to apply online at

In applying for this post, please attach:

• A comprehensive CV;
• Certified copies of qualifications;
• Names, e-mail addresses and telephone details of three referees whom we have permission to contact.

CLOSING DATE: 04 December 2025

No application will be considered after the closing date, or if it does not comply with at least the minimum requirements.

ENQUIRIES Ms V Makhubele, Tel: for application-related enquiries, and Mr Z Adam, Tel: , for enquiries relating to the post content.

Should you not hear from the University of Pretoria by 28 February 2026, please accept that your application has been unsuccessful.

The University of Pretoria is committed to equality, employment equity and diversity.

In accordance with the Employment Equity Plan of the University and its Employment Equity goals and targets, preference may be given, but is not limited to candidates from under-represented designated groups.

All candidates who comply with the requirements for appointment are invited to apply.

By applying for this vacancy, the candidates consent to undergo verification of personal credentials and related information including, but not limited to, qualifications, criminal record, credit record, current and historic disciplinary proceedings as part of the selection process.

The University of Pretoria reserves the right to not fill the advertised positions.