Messaging Specialist

The Messaging Specialist is responsible for the design, implementation, administration, and support of the DBSA's

Microsoft Exchange and Active Directory (AD) environments. The role ensures the reliability, security, performance,

and optimisation of the messaging infrastructure through proactive monitoring, troubleshooting, upgrades, and

continuous improvement initiatives.

Key Performance Areas:

Access Management

• Administer Microsoft Entra ID, Active Directory (AD), Microsoft Identity Manager (MIM), Group Policy,
  
  PowerShell, Microsoft Entra ID SSO, and Microsoft Entra Connect.
• Ensure availability of identity synchronisation, federation, and MFA services.
• Implement IAM security policies and enforce governance of the Microsoft Entra ID tenant, including
  
  monitoring, reporting, and audit readiness.
• Manage access and privileged permissions for users and applications across Azure and AD platforms.
• Perform identity and access management activities, including User ID lifecycle processes.
• Troubleshoot and resolve access management and provisioning workflow errors.
• Execute the defined strategy and roadmap for the Identity and Access Management platform.

Messaging and Collaboration Platforms

• Maintain M365 messaging and collaboration tools including MS Teams, Teams Rooms, Teams Calling,
  
  Exchange (On-premise and Online), and OneDrive.
• Manage mail flow topology and messaging configuration.
• Plan and implement hybrid configurations and migrations.
• Manage organisational settings for messaging, AD, and Microsoft Entra ID environments.
• Manage and maintain the Microsoft Exchange, AD, Microsoft Entra ID, and related environments, including
  
  upgrades.
• Contribute to maintaining the Disaster Recovery environment for messaging and identity platforms, including
  
  upgrades.
• Monitor and fine-tune critical messaging systems for performance and stability.

Service Operations and Incident Management

• Handle Incidents, Service Requests (SR), Changes, and Service Improvement Plans related to Windows,
  
  Azure platform, and M365 including Intune and eDiscovery.
• Ensure service delivery meets SLA requirements and support continuous service improvement.
• Monitor and ensure compliance with change management processes and policies.
• Adhere to and enforce DBSA ICT policies.
• Serve as an escalation point for the ICT Operations Unit and provide telephonic and remote assistance
  
  when required.

ICT Infrastructure Projects and Continuous Improvement

• Research tools to support efficient operations of messaging and AD environments.
• Contribute to the review and deployment of ICT infrastructure components.
• Recommend infrastructure service improvements and optimisation plans.
• Provide specialist ICT input into strategic projects.
• Deliver assigned individual projects aligned to the ICT Infrastructure team Balanced Scorecard.
• Support project execution by completing assigned responsibilities to milestone deadlines.
• Use collaboration tools to execute, monitor, and communicate project progress and updates.

Governance, Reporting, and Documentation

• Document ICT infrastructure designs and standard operating procedures.
• Contribute to formulation and evaluation of installation standards, methodologies, and processes.
• Identify and schedule system downtime for maintenance and upgrades.
• Provide periodic reports on system availability and performance, including daily environment health checks.
• Collaborate effectively with ICT management and team members to achieve organisational goals.

Key Measurements of Outputs:

• Successful implementation, upgrade and monitor messaging, AD, Microsoft Entra ID and related environments.

• MIM & Access and Identity Management are efficiently managed with secure and accurate provisioning.

• Exchange Online and M365 mail flow issues are resolved promptly, ensuring seamless communication services.

• Messaging and AD platforms effectively support and align to organisational objectives.

• User support requests are resolved within SLA timeframes with positive user feedback.

• Professional working relationships are maintained with internal teams and service providers to ensure effective
  
  service delivery.

Qualifications and Experience:

Minimum Qualification

• A National Diploma in IT (NQF 6)

• Microsoft Certification (MCSE) or Microsoft 365 Certified: Messaging Administrator Associate

Minimum Experience

• A minimum of 5 years' experience as a Microsoft Exchange/Messaging Administrator in a multi-site environment

• A minimum of 5 years' experience in managing Microsoft Active Directory environments

• A minimum of 5 years hands on experience deploying, migrating and maintaining Microsoft messaging
  
  technologies including Microsoft Entra ID , M365 Messaging, Exchange

• A minimum of 5 years' experience administering disaster recovery systems

• In-depth technical knowledge on Windows Active Directory, MIM, AD, Microsoft Entra ID and NTFS File System

• Proficient in PowerShell, APIs, Modern Web Authentication (including SAML and OAUTH), and Conditional Access and provide automation solutions as value add to business

• Strong technical aptitude with hands-on experience in Active Directory, Certificates, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft
  
  365 (M365), Outlook Mail and other MS tools

• Understanding and practice ITIL and Agile processes

• Understanding of Microsoft Defender XDR for M365

Desirable Requirements

• A Bachelors degree in Information Technology, Computer Science or related field

• Understanding and work experience with the Local Area and Wide Area Networks

Technical Competencies:

Planning & Organising

• Is relied on to help others plan and organise their workload.
• Effectively uses advanced time management processes to deal with high workload and tight deadlines.
• Organises, prioritises and schedules tasks so they can be performed within budget and with the efficient
  
  use of time and resources.
• Achieves goals in a timely manner, despite obstacles encountered, by organising, reprioritising and replanning

Negotiation Skills

• Understands and can apply basic negotiating skills and techniques, e.g. obtaining a full understanding of
  
  the other party's agenda and needs before disclosing own perspectives.
• Possesses an understanding of various unspoken communications from other parties and can decipher
  
  hidden agendas.
• Is able to successfully conclude negotiations which require the development of an emotional as well as
  
  factual argument.
• Is able to develop mutually-beneficial potential solutions.

c) Written Communication

• Understands that different writing styles are required for different documents or audiences.
• Write effective correspondence, prepares questions and reports, statements of circumstance and briefing
  
  notes.
• Reviews others' documents for clarity and impact.
• Has a solid mastery of writing principles such as grammar, sentence construction etc.

d) IT Support

• Contacts end-user / customer to follow up on services and/or solutions to ensure that their needs have been
  
  correctly and effectively met.
• Understands issues from the end-user/customer's perspective.
• Keeps end-user/customer up-to-date with information and decisions that affect him/her.
• Monitors services provided to end-user / customer and makes timely adjustments as required.
• Proposes new, creative and sound alternatives to improve technical services.
• Uses advanced techniques in solving technical problems.

Leadership/Behavioural Competencies:

Customer Service Orientation

• Tries to understand the underlying needs of customers and matches these needs to available or customised
  
  products and services.
• Adapts processes and procedures to meet on-going customer needs.
• Utilises the feedback received by customers, in order to develop new and/or improve existing services/
  
  products that relate to their on-going needs.
• Thinks of new ways to align DBSA's offerings with future customer needs.

b) Self-awareness and Self Control

• Withholds effects of strong emotions in difficult situations.
• Keeps functioning or responds constructively despite stress.
• May apply special techniques or plan ahead of time to manage emotions or stress.

c) Strategic and Innovative Thinking

• Experiments with new approaches, tests scenarios, questions assumptions and challenges conventional thinking.
• Creates new concepts that are not obvious to others, leveraging internal and external sources of information, to build incremental revenue and growth opportunities.

d) Driving delivery of results

• Sets challenging goals that will have a significant impact on the business or support the organisational
  
  strategy.
• Commits significant resources and/or time to ensure that challenging goals are achieved, while also taking
  
  action to mitigate risk.

e) Teamwork & Cooperation

• Acts to promote a friendly climate and good morale, and resolves conflicts.
• Creates opportunities for cross-functional working.
• Encourages others to network outside of their own team/department and learn from their experience.