System/Server Engineer - Cloud Services (ACRN) - Harare or Johannesburg

Location: Harare or Johannesburg South Africa - On site at one of these locations 

Hours: Full Time 

Reports to: Chief Technology Officer – Africa Clinical Research Network

Our Mission:  

The African Clinical Research Network (ACRN) is an African-led and African-driven clinical research organisation. Our work not only promotes and supports a vibrant life sciences ecosystem but also profoundly impacts Africa's health and economic development. By facilitating sustainable, innovative, collaborative, and community-oriented research, ACRN is poised to transform healthcare and improve lives across Africa, inspiring a new era of clinical research.  

We provide high-quality data, harmonise regulatory processes to improve timelines, support capacity building within the existing ethics and regulatory systems, and enhance community trust and research participation. These are some of the first key steps to making Africa more competitive in the global life sciences industry, a goal we are proud to contribute to.  

The ACRN drives clinical research excellence by connecting researchers to opportunities, enhancing research capacity in existing facilities, implementing high-quality trials and research, and leveraging a robust digital infrastructure.    

We are committed to fostering the community's understanding of research. Through our community engagement network, we significantly increase stakeholder buy-in of clinical results, thereby enhancing the transparency and credibility of our research.

Job Summary: 

We are seeking a highly skilled System / Server Engineer – Cloud Services to manage, maintain, and optimize our cloud infrastructure and server environments. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in cloud computing platforms, virtualization, and system administration, ensuring high availability, security, and performance of enterprise cloud services and data warehouse.

Key Responsibilities:

Cloud Infrastructure Management

Design, implement, and maintain cloud-based solutions in AWS, Azure Office 365, Google Cloud, Oracle cloud environments.

Manage cloud networking, security groups, IAM roles, and storage solutions

Optimise cloud resources for cost efficiency and performance.

Drive delivery of automation through cloud whilst managing cost efficiencies.

Server Administration & Virtualisation

Deploy, configure, and manage Windows and Linux servers in on-premise and cloud environments.

Implement and maintain virtualization technologies such as VMware, Hyper-V, or KVM.

Monitor system performance and troubleshoot server-related issues.

Manage resources and storage.

Security & Compliance

Ensure compliance with industry security standards (ISO 27001, NIST, GDPR, etc.).

Configure firewalls, VPNs, and identity management solutions.

Implement security best practices, including patch management, vulnerability assessments, and access controls.

Understand the data governance of the countries ACRN is represented in ensuring compliance of medical data whilst achieving our data and AI strategy.

Backup & Disaster Recovery

Develop and maintain backup strategies and disaster recovery plans.

Conduct periodic failover testing and data restoration drills.

Drive the ACRN RTO/RPO for near real time disaster management.

Automation & Scripting

Automate system provisioning and maintenance using PowerShell, Python, Ansible, or Terraform.

Implement Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) methodologies.

Investigate and present new technologies for high availability compute in resource constraint settings.

Manage the business requirements and translate into actionable outcomes.

Monitoring & Incident Management

Utilise monitoring tools (Prometheus, Nagios, Zabbix, CloudWatch, etc.) to track system health.

Respond to incidents, conduct root cause analysis, and implement preventive measures.

Collaboration & Documentation

Work with DevOps, networking, and application teams to ensure seamless cloud integration.

Document system configurations, policies, and procedures.

Qualifications & Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, IT, or related field (or equivalent work experience).

5+ years of experience in system engineering, cloud services, or IT infrastructure.

Hands-on expertise in AWS, Azure, Oracle or Google Cloud (certifications preferred: AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Microsoft Azure Administrator, Oracle Cloud Engineer).

Strong knowledge of Linux (RHEL, Ubuntu) and Windows Server environments.

Experience with Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Group Policies and Office 365

Familiarity with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) is a plus.

Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Skills:

Experience with Hybrid Cloud & Multi-Cloud environments.

Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and DevOps tools.

Understanding of database management (SQL, NoSQL).

Exposure to cloud cost optimization strategies.

Why Join Us?

Work on cutting-edge cloud technologies.

Collaborative and innovative team environment.

Career growth opportunities with certifications and training support.

If you’re passionate about cloud services and system engineering, apply now to be a part of our growing team!

Work Environment: 

This position can be based in Zimbabwe or South Africa, with occasional travel to other office locations as necessary. The role may require flexible working hours to support remote teams and ensure systems are running smoothly across time zones. 

Please apply online providing a covering letter specifically highlighting how your existing skills and experiences support fulfilling the responsibilities of this role.