ATNS Manager: IT Operations – Shape South Africa’s IT Future
| Job Title: | Manager: IT Operations |
|---|---|
| Date: | Apply by 30 September 2025 |
| Location: | Bedfordview, Gauteng |
| Salary: | Market Related (Permanent) |
| Company: | Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) |
Introduction
In the fast-paced world of aviation, reliable IT systems and infrastructure are vital. If you’re an experienced IT professional ready to lead operational excellence, the Manager: IT Operations role at ATNS is a golden opportunity. ATNS is one of South Africa’s key players in air traffic services, and this role places you at the heart of its technological backbone. You’ll be managing core systems, networks, vendors, and people to ensure smooth IT operations across the organization. If you’ve got both the technical chops and the leadership mindset, this is your chance to make a meaningful impact in the aviation industry.
About the Role
As Manager: IT Operations, your primary mission is to oversee and maintain ATNS’s operational ICT infrastructure. You’ll coordinate across multiple domains—servers, storage, networks, WAN/LAN, VoIP, databases, security, and more—to make sure that systems are always available and performant. You will lead initiatives to monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize these environments, ensuring uptime, security, and resilience.
Your responsibilities will also include governance and strategic planning: building a technology roadmap, defining key performance indicators (KPIs), capacity planning, enforcing compliance with legislation (like POPIA, GDPR), and crafting data recovery plans. You’ll interact with internal departments, vendors, and stakeholders to align IT operations with business goals. Additionally, you’ll manage budgets, audit findings, and continuously improve policies and standards to keep ATNS competitive and secure.
Who Should Apply?
This role is ideal for a seasoned IT operations leader who thrives in complexity and high-stakes environments. You should enjoy balancing strategic oversight with hands-on problem solving. Excellent communication skills are important, because you’ll liaise with executive leadership, internal departments, and external vendors. You should be comfortable making vendor and procurement decisions, setting SLAs, and holding suppliers to account.
If you are motivated by the challenge of ensuring mission‑critical systems run smoothly under pressure, and want to lead a team in a respected aviation services organization, this role is tailor-made for you. Bring your leadership, vision, and passion to this pivotal IT operations management position at ATNS.
Skills & Requirements
To succeed in this role, you’ll need a strong technical and managerial foundation. Here are the core qualifications and desired extras:
- Bachelor’s degree (B.Sc., B.Com, B.Tech) in IT or a related field
- Certifications: ITIL Foundation, Agile Scrum Master or Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
- At least 5 years’ experience in ICT infrastructure and services operations, with 3 years in a managerial role
- Advantageous skills and certifications: virtualisation platform expertise, cloud infrastructure provisioning, Linux, CCNA/HCNA, CISA
- Strong understanding of IT infrastructure management, IT service management, and operations governance
- Experience in vendor management, SLA design, budget control, and compliance (e.g., POPIA)
- Excellent leadership, communication, planning, and stakeholder management skills
Benefits
This is a full-time, permanent position at ATNS with a market-related salary and additional perks. Benefits may include a performance bonus, medical aid, retirement contributions, and other standard corporate benefits. More than that, you gain:
- A leadership role in South Africa’s air traffic services infrastructure
- Exposure to large-scale networks, mission-critical systems, and rigorous governance environments
- Opportunity to shape the technology roadmap and future of IT at ATNS
- Working in the aviation and aerospace industry with growth potential and prestige
- Possibility to influence innovation, operations, and infrastructure efficiency in a critical sector
How to Apply
If this role aligns with your ambition and experience, here’s how to proceed. Applications close on 30 September 2025. Ensure you prepare and submit the following:
- A detailed CV outlining your technical and managerial experience
- Copies of your qualifications and certifications (ITIL, Scrum, etc.)
- Evidence of prior managerial roles and ICT operations experience
- Any additional relevant certifications (e.g. CCNA, CISA) you may hold
Go to the official ATNS website, navigate to the Careers or Jobs section, and look for listing reference atns_000733. Submit your application before the deadline. Early applications are encouraged to avoid last‑minute technical issues or delays.
Closing Thoughts
The Manager: IT Operations role at ATNS is more than a job—it’s a chance to lead and safeguard South Africa’s aviation IT backbone. If you possess strong technical leadership, infrastructure acumen, and a desire to make a real impact in air traffic and navigation services, don’t let this opportunity pass. You’ll be part of a team that ensures the systems behind air transport run securely and reliably. Submit your application today and take a step toward a leadership career in aviation IT.
