Integrated Operations Center (IOC) Lead

Systems Limited is seeking an experienced Integrated Operations Center (IOC) Lead to manage and oversee 24/7 IT operations. This role is critical in ensuring continuous service availability, optimal performance, and driving operational excellence across IT service functions. The ideal candidate will bring strong expertise in IT Service Management (ITSM), incident and problem management, monitoring tools, team leadership, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Lead and manage daily IOC operations to guarantee seamless 24/7 service coverage, including shift planning and effective coordination of the operations team. Oversee ITIL-aligned processes such as Incident, Problem, Change, Event, and Request Management to maintain high service standards. Take charge of major incident management, including escalation handling, stakeholder communication, and conducting root cause analysis (RCA) to prevent recurrence.

Ensure compliance with Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Operational Level Agreements (OLAs) by monitoring service performance and driving timely resolution of incidents. Manage and optimize monitoring and observability tools such as Nagios, SolarWinds, Zabbix, Dynatrace, Splunk, Datadog, and Grafana to proactively detect and address issues.

Oversee ITSM ticket workflows, automation, reporting, and dashboard management using JIRA Service Management or equivalent platforms. Maintain and update knowledge bases, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), runbooks, and troubleshooting documentation to support operational consistency.

Identify opportunities for process optimization, automation, and continuous service improvement to enhance operational efficiency. Track and analyze operational Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), incident trends, Mean Time to Acknowledge (MTTA), Mean Time to Resolve (MTTR), and overall service availability.

Collaborate closely with infrastructure, application, network, security, and vendor teams to ensure smooth and efficient operations. Prepare detailed operational reports and present service performance insights to senior management for informed decision-making.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in IT, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline. A minimum of 8 to 10 years of experience in IT Operations, Network Operations Center (NOC)/IOC, Service Desk, or IT Service Delivery roles, with at least 3 years in a leadership or supervisory capacity.

Strong hands-on expertise in ITSM processes and ITIL frameworks, including Major Incident Management. Proven experience managing 24/7 operations, shift-based teams, and escalation procedures effectively.

Proficiency with monitoring, alerting, and observability tools is essential. Experience working with JIRA Service Management or equivalent ITSM platforms is required, with a preference for JIRA.

Solid knowledge of Knowledge Base Management, SOP documentation, and operational governance practices. Demonstrated ability to drive continuous improvement, automation initiatives, and enhance operational efficiency.

Excellent leadership qualities, stakeholder management skills, clear communication, and strong problem-solving capabilities are critical for success in this role.

Preferred Qualifications and Additional Skills

ITIL v3 or v4 Foundation certification is preferred. Exposure to cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP), as well as hybrid infrastructure environments, will be advantageous.

Experience with scripting languages like Python, PowerShell, or automation tools such as Ansible is a plus. Familiarity with AIOps concepts and tools will also be considered an added advantage.

This role offers the opportunity to lead a dynamic team in a fast-paced environment, contributing to the operational excellence of a leading IT services company.