Systems Reliability & Automation Lead

“A hands-on leadership role driving system reliability, automation, and operational excellence”

As a frontier partner, we grow through great people, smart tech, and teamwork between humans and AI.

The Systems Reliability & Automation Lead is responsible for applying software engineering and automation practices to improve the reliability, efficiency and scalability of Cloud Direct’s internal systems and managed service operations. This is a hands-on leadership role focused on reducing operational effort through automation, improving service quality through reliability engineering, and creating the capabilities required to support Cloud Direct’s continued growth. 

The role works closely with Managed Services, Business Systems, and Security teams to identify operational bottlenecks, eliminate repetitive manual activities and implement reliable, scalable solutions. The core focus will be on elements such as reducing the workload caused by monitoring and alerting. 

As the first hire in this function, you will be expected to establish the Systems Reliability & Automation capability, define its strategy, standards and roadmap, and build a future team as the function matures. 

Success in this role will be demonstrated by: 

• Reduction in manual operational effort across Managed Services. 

• Measurable reduction in alert volumes through automation and optimisation. 

• Increased percentage of operational processes that are automated. 

• Improved availability and reliability of critical business systems. 

• Reduction in recurring incidents through effective root cause analysis. 

• Establishment of a Systems Reliability & Automation function with clear standards, tools and operating procedures. 

What you’ll be doing?

Reliability Engineering: 

• Improve the availability, performance and resilience of Cloud Direct’s business-critical systems. 

• Establish monitoring, alerting and reliability standards across key platforms and services. 

• Lead or support root cause analysis activities for significant incidents, identifying opportunities for automation, resilience improvements and permanent corrective actions. 
• Define and report on key reliability and operational performance metrics. 

Automation & Operational Excellence:

• Identify and eliminate repetitive manual work across Managed Services operations. 

• Design and implement automation solutions that improve efficiency and reduce human error. 

• Improve alert management through intelligent routing, automation and remediation. 

• Develop self-service capabilities that reduce operational overhead and improve user experience. 

• Continuously identify opportunities to streamline operational processes through technology. 

Leadership & Strategy:

• Establish and lead the Systems Reliability & Automation function. 

• Define standards, tooling and ways of working for the team. 

• Build and maintain a roadmap of reliability and automation initiatives aligned to business priorities. 

• Support future recruitment, mentoring and development of team members as the capability grows. 

Collaboration:

• Work closely with Managed Services teams to understand operational challenges and identify improvement opportunities. 

• Partner with Business Systems and Security teams to deliver reliable and scalable solutions. 

• Provide leadership and guidance on reliability engineering and operational automation practices across the organisation. 

What you’ll need:

• 5+ years experience in Reliability Engineering, Platform Engineering, DevOps, Automation Engineering, Systems Engineering or a similar technical leadership role. 
• 2+ years leading technical initiatives, programmes or teams. 
• Proven experience reducing operational effort/improving operational efficiency through automation in a Managed Services, IT Operations or enterprise technology environment. 
• Strong understanding of incident management, problem management and operational best practices. 
• Experience defining and measuring service reliability objectives and operational performance metrics. 
• Strong scripting and automation skills using PowerShell, Python or similar technologies. 
• Experience working with Microsoft Azure and cloud-hosted platforms. 
• Experience implementing and improving monitoring, observability and alerting solutions using tools such as Azure Monitor, Log Analytics and Grafana. 
• Experience integrating systems and services through APIs, workflows and automation tooling. 
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps, GitHub or similar platforms. 
• Ability to balance strategic planning with hands-on technical delivery. 
• Ability to communicate effectively with both technical and operational stakeholders. 
• Must be able to work in our Cape Town office 2 days a week.

Experience and Skills Desired:

• Experience with ServiceNow, or similar operational platforms. 
• Experience with Microsoft Power Platform and Copilot technologies. 
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code tooling such as Terraform or Bicep. 
• Experience with Docker and Azure Container Apps. 
• Experience with AIOps, intelligent automation or AI-assisted operations. 
• Previous experience establishing a new technical capability or team. 

What we’re offering:

• Responsible Time off (uncapped annual leave)
• Group Life Cover /Disability Income Cover/ Trauma Insurance Cover (Injury / Disability)
• Fitness Cash Contribution
• Pension Fund Contribution
• Medical Insurance Contribution
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave
• Endless Growth Opportunities: We provide ample opportunities for professional development, mentoring, and advancement.
• Culture of Excellence: We foster a high-performance culture that recognizes and rewards exceptional talen

At Cloud Direct, we believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to our success. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and strive to build a team that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We encourage candidates of all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, ages, abilities, and socioeconomic statuses to apply.