Manager SRE Operations

As Manager SRE Operations, you will lead the strategy, development, and operational excellence of our client’s most business-critical IT systems. From BSS and OSS to digital customer platforms, your mission is to ensure everything runs securely, scalably, and in alignment with business goals.

You’ll translate digital ambitions into action, working across technology, operations, and business teams to deliver high-performance, reliable solutions. With your strategic mindset, architectural oversight, and hands-on leadership, you will drive service reliability and set the standard for operational excellence in a fast-paced telecom environment.

Telecom experience isn’t optional—it’s essential. You must understand how this industry operates, where pressure points lie, and how to act decisively when it matters most.

You’ll connect the dots between technology and business, reliability and innovation, while coaching teams, inspiring ownership, and helping exceed customer expectations—today and in the future.

Every day is different. You’ll collaborate across teams, communicate clearly, and deliver solutions that improve the digital experience for customers across fixed and mobile services.

Responsibilities: 

IT Application & Infrastructure Operations:

• Lead end-to-end operations of IT infrastructure supporting mobile and broadband services, including OSS/BSS, cloud platforms, CRM, billing, and self-service portals.

• Ensure 24/7 availability, performance, and security of all mission-critical systems.

• Own and manage SLAs for incident response, change management, and service delivery, using ITIL and SRE principles.

• Manage end-to-end KPIs: uptime and performance of business-critical applications, time-to-market for new features, customer and stakeholder satisfaction, cost efficiency and ROI on IT investments, security and compliance audit results.

Strategic Leadership:

• Define and drive the IT applications roadmap, aligned with business strategy and telecom industry trends.

• Identify opportunities for innovation and digital enablement.

• Evaluate and implement emerging technologies to improve service delivery and customer experience.

Business Alignment-Based WOW:

• Define and manage IT application strategy aligned with business goals, product roadmaps, and customer experience targets.

• Partner with business units (Sales, Marketing, Network, Customer Care, Finance) to enable digital capabilities across the organization.

• Translate business requirements into scalable, cost-effective IT solutions in BSS/OSS and enterprise systems.

Application Portfolio Management:

• Oversee the full lifecycle of enterprise applications, including BSS (CRM, Billing, Order Management), OSS (Network Management, Service Provisioning), ERP systems, and customer-facing digital platforms (apps and portals).

• Lead modernization of legacy systems and integration of new solutions, including cloud-native, APIs, and microservices.

Project and Program Delivery:

• Manage complex, cross-functional projects with high business impact.

• Ensure delivery on time, within scope and budget, while meeting quality and performance standards.

AI & GenAI Integration:

• Leverage AI/ML and Generative AI for predictive monitoring and automated resolution, smart ticketing and intelligent routing, customer support bots, anomaly detection, and real-time analytics.

• Work with data teams to embed AI into operational workflows.

Stakeholder Management:

• Collaborate across Product, Network Engineering, Customer Experience, and Business Operations teams.

• Translate complex technical issues into clear business language.

• Present operational updates, KPIs, and improvement plans to senior leadership.

Vendor & Partner Management:

• Manage external vendors, including infrastructure, cloud, AI/ML, and SOC providers.

• Negotiate contracts, resolve escalations, and ensure vendor compliance.

• Conduct regular performance reviews and technical evaluations.

Team Leadership and Talent Development:

• Lead and mentor a cross-functional team of application managers, architects, product owners, developers, and analysts.

• Set clear objectives, provide coaching, and support individual growth plans.

• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and customer-centricity.

Operational Excellence:

• Ensure 24/7 scalability, resilience, and performance of IT applications.

• Implement proactive monitoring, incident management, and capacity planning.

• Embed ITSM best practices and continuous improvement programs.

• Track and improve KPIs including uptime, response times, defect rates, and incident resoluti

You will also be responsible for:

• Budget Management – Forecast, track, and optimize the IT operations budget in line with financial goals.

• People Management – Lead and develop a team of 5–10 IT Application Managers (both people and technical leadership).

• IT Audit Management – Ensure compliance with regulations and industry standards (TRAI, GDPR, ISO 27001).

• Service NPS Ownership – Drive service quality improvements with internal and external stakeholders.

• Continuous Improvement – Translate incidents into lasting process and architectural enhancements.

• Monitoring Strategy – Design and implement monitoring with Prometheus, Grafana, and Kibana to increase system reliability.

• Bridge Between IT and Business – Ensure mutual understanding and alignment between technical and business stakeholders.

• Management Reporting – Prepare reports, metrics, and KPIs on IT operations, service performance, and budget utilization.

• Advocacy – Promote IT operational excellence and mentor IT Application Managers.

Our client is the newest provider of Mobile, Fibre and TV with over 2000 team members who believe in challenging the status quo of telecommunications. They aspire to make technology accessible to everyone no matter where you are from or where you are going. Their name is a palindrome that highlights this understanding of knowing what your goal is no matter where you begin or end. They strive to ensure everyone participates in the digital world, as the largest telecommunications company in the Netherlands they make digital possible and are also a recognized Top Employer for 2023!

Some things can’t be taught, and our client values traits like empathy, decisiveness, humour, authenticity, and a people-first mindset. You understand when to coach and when to lead. You are growth-minded, challenge-driven, and team-oriented. These qualities are expected at every level of the organisation.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science, IT, Telecommunications, or related field

• 12–15 years of IT operations or SRE experience, with 9+ years in telecom management roles

• Deep technical expertise in networking (LTE, 5G, GPON), VoIP/IMS systems, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and automation (Terraform, Ansible, Python, Bash)

• Strong foundation in SRE practices, including SLOs/SLIs, incident response, and monitoring (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK)

• Experience embedding AI/ML and GenAI into operations

• Proficiency with ITIL service management frameworks

• Strong leadership, communication, and project management capabilities

• Willingness and ability to learn/speak Dutch over time

Preferred Certifications

• ITIL Foundation/Practitioner

• SRE Certifications (e.g., Google SRE, DevOps Institute)

• Cloud Certifications (AWS, Azure, GCP)

• AI/ML or Data Engineering certifications (e.g., Google Cloud AI, Microsoft, Coursera)

• PMP or Agile/Scrum Certification

• Relocation package.

• Step-by-step assistance with your relocation processes and covered virtual sessions with our relocation experts.

• Visa application and 30% tax ruling application done by Ir Olav’s Globetrotters on your behalf.

• Great South African community waiting for you in the Netherlands.

• Market related salary.

• 8,33% holiday allowance.

• Dutch Government authorized pension plan activated once you arrive in the Netherlands.

• One on one Dutch lessons up until company requirement where your partner can join lessons for free.

• Company laptop.

• Commitment for indefinite contract with our client 

• Mentoring and coaching until you go over to the payroll of our client

• Great on and offline events to meet your fellow Globetrotters and learn about the Netherlands, hosted by Ir Olav's Globetrotters.

• Pleasant working atmosphere, where you can be and stay yourself.

Are you just as excited as us about this role? Great! Then you're sure to be a good match! Applying for a job with us is very easy. Simply complete the application form below and one of our recruiters will be in touch!