IT Operations Manager

Job Summary

Azule Energy is Angola's largest oil and gas producer that runs around the clock across office environments, onshore facilities, and offshore FPSOs where technology failure isn't just an inconvenience, it's a safety and business event.

As the IT Operations Manager, you'll lead the function that holds the whole technology estate together: infrastructure, cloud, networks, service desk, workplace services, and the managed providers who underpin much of it. You'll report directly to the CIO, own service performance and operational risk, and be the person the business looks to when things go wrong and when they need to go right.

The environment is genuinely complex. Hybrid cloud across Azure and on-premises platforms, enterprise connectivity spanning Luanda and remote operational sites, a demanding user base with low tolerance for downtime, and a supplier landscape that requires commercial sharpness as much as technical judgement.

Responsibilities

1. IT Operations Leadership and Governance

• Lead the IT Operations function covering infrastructure, cloud, networks, service desk, workplace services and core IT operations, ensuring day-to-day services remain stable, available and supportable.
• Lead operational governance forums, service and risk reviews, incident reviews, change governance, action tracking and periodic performance reporting to the CIO and relevant stakeholders.
• Set priorities and expectations for coordinators, advisers, suppliers and support teams; strengthen coverage, succession and capability; and lead major operational escalations and business communications.

2. Service Management and Workplace Services

• Ensure service desk, onsite and remote support, end-user assets, Intune, Windows lifecycle, device readiness, joiner-mover-leaver support and workplace technology meet agreed service levels and business expectations.
• Ensure ServiceNow enables effective incident, request, problem, change, knowledge, asset, configuration, service catalogue, workflow, reporting and dashboard processes.

3. Infrastructure, Cloud and Connectivity

• Govern hybrid infrastructure and cloud services, including Microsoft Azure, on-premises platforms, servers, storage, database operations, Microsoft 365, automation and Azure Stack HCI where applicable.
• Govern enterprise network operations, telecommunications, monitoring, service restoration, changes and managed provider performance across office, onshore and offshore locations.

4. Operational Resilience and Cybersecurity

• Own operational resilience and continuity readiness, including backup and restore governance, disaster recovery, connectivity resilience, recovery testing, evidence, escalation paths and critical-service procedures.
• Work with Cybersecurity to strengthen operational controls, support cyber incident readiness, coordinate access-related actions, validate technical risks and maintain secure recovery capabilities.

5. Supplier, Commercial and Financial Management

• Manage supplier performance, tender support, contract renewals, call-offs, purchase requisition inputs, service reviews, transition plans, acceptance evidence and remediation of supplier issues.
• Support budget planning, cost control, contract funding visibility, licence and service renewal tracking, invoice and purchase order follow-up, and supplier spend review within delegated authority.

6. Change, Operational Readiness and Continuous Improvement

• Ensure new or changed services are operationally ready before handover, with monitoring, documentation, support models, runbooks, change records, escalation arrangements, security requirements and user communications in place.
• Drive continuous improvement through automation, standardisation, better reporting, ticket routing, self-service, knowledge management and clearer user communication.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Telecommunications or a related discipline is required.
• A postgraduate qualification in Information Technology, Business Administration, Management or a related discipline is highly preferred.
• Relevant professional certifications in IT service management, cloud, cybersecurity, operational resilience, project management or vendor management are advantageous.

 Experience

• Minimum 12+ years of relevant experience in IT operations, infrastructure, cloud, networking, workplace technology, service management or managed service governance, including substantial leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated leadership of multidisciplinary teams, service coordinators, technical advisers, outsourced providers and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Strong experience governing managed services, service levels, supplier performance, technical escalations, contracts, transition and service improvement plans.
• Experience with operational resilience, backup and restore governance, disaster recovery, major incident response, business continuity and critical connectivity.
• Preferred experience supporting business-critical operations across office, onshore, offshore, remote or high-availability environments.
• Strong commercial awareness, analytical judgement, executive communication, stakeholder management and evidence-based decision-making capability.

 Core technical capabilities:

Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of hybrid infrastructure, Microsoft Azure, on-premises platforms, servers, storage, backup and recovery, Microsoft 365, automation and cost optimisation.
• Good understanding of enterprise networks, wide and local area networks, software-defined networking, Wi-Fi, voice, telecommunications, offshore communications, monitoring and operational handover.
• Strong knowledge of incident, request, problem, change, knowledge, asset, configuration and service-level management, preferably using ServiceNow.
• Ability to govern suppliers through performance reviews, evidence packs, service-level tracking, contract boundaries, remediation plans, transition and acceptance controls.
• Working knowledge of operational security controls, access management, cyber incident collaboration, recovery readiness, risk assessment and secure change.
• Ability to manage dashboards, service reports, metrics, automation and knowledge to improve service quality and management decisions.

Soft Skills

• Accountable and decisive leadership, with ownership of service outcomes, operational risks and escalations.
• Strong executive communication and the ability to present complex operational matters in clear business language.
• Effective stakeholder management and collaboration across business functions, technology teams and external providers.
• Strong analytical judgement and evidence-based decision-making under operational pressure.
• Service-minded approach focused on reliability, user experience and business continuity.
• Ability to influence, negotiate and challenge suppliers constructively while maintaining clear accountability.
• Integrity, safety awareness, adaptability and a continuous-improvement mindset.
• Ability to develop teams, set clear expectations, build effective coverage and promote consistent ways of working.

Main Interfaces

• Internal: CIO; Cybersecurity; Strategy and Governance; Business Applications; Technical Applications; Enterprise Architecture; Procurement; Finance; Human Resources; Legal; Operations; Projects; service coordinators; technical advisers; Service Desk; and business stakeholders.
• External: Managed service providers, cloud and technology suppliers, telecommunications carriers, original equipment manufacturers, specialist support vendors, consultants and other delivery partners.
• Purpose of engagement: Maintain cross-functional alignment, direct operational priorities, manage service risk and escalations, secure decisions and funding, challenge supplier performance, and communicate service impacts and recovery actions clearly.

Location:

Luanda – Angola

Languages

Professional proficiency in Portuguese and English, both written and spoken.

Working Conditions

 Based primarily in an office environment, with flexibility to support business-critical operations outside normal working hours when required. The role may require travel to onshore, offshore or remote Azule locations and participation in major incident, disaster recovery and operational readiness activities, subject to applicable safety, medical and site-access requirements.

Azule Energy, a new journey!

We are a new international energy company located in Angola 

Our ambition is to provide energy for the Angolan people and partner with the country to navigate its energy transition. We will strive to create value for all stakeholders and put Angola at the core of what we do.

Why Azule

Combining the assets and workforces of bp and Eni in Angola, Azule Energy is a new standalone integrated energy company.

Our vision is to be a safe, responsible, diverse company that will pioneer cost-efficient oil and gas production, as well as help expand Angola’s renewables sector to support local energy consumption.

Azule is a leading upstream player, with exploration and production activities in 16 licensed blocks. Azule’s growing focus on natural gas plays will support Angola in its role as a global LNG exporter. In addition, Azule is developing new opportunities from renewables with a new solar business.

We are:

Partnering with Angola to enhance the country’s access to energy, creating employment and generating economic growth investing in new infrastructure and new technologies to drive the Angolan energy industry forward leveraging our unique expertise in exploration and fast-track project development operating in a way that is environmentally responsible, socially just and consistent with bp and Eni’s journey towards Net Zero. 

Governance

Azule Energy is an incorporated joint venture (IJV) between BP p.l.c. and Eni SpA. bp and Eni each holding a 50% share. Azule Energy operates in Angola under different Petroleum agreements which set out its contractual relationship with the Angolan Government (represented by the National Concessionaire). The referred agreements provide the framework for carrying out the Petroleum operations.

Responsible operatorship

Safety

The safety of our employees, contractors and local stakeholders is a fundamental value.

Grounded in bp and Eni’s legacy safety culture, staying safe entails more than the continued adoption of world-class practices and procedures.

Azule is committed to nurturing a trusting safety culture within an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.

Environmental protection

Azule Energy is committed to preserving the environment and to promoting carbon neutrality . Our policy remains consistent with bp and Eni’s environmental values and goals to reach Net Zero 2050.

Azule’s emissions will follow a sustainable trajectory in line with both companies’ environmental targets. Hydrocarbon production and greenhouse gas emissions are reported by the two parent companies on an equity share basis.

Social Sustainability

Azule is committed to promote the sustainable development of communities in the country, in line with the Government’s development plans and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

We have a portfolio of diverse social initiatives inherited from bp and Eni which target key development areas across access to energy, access to water, health, education and agriculture.

If you have any queries get in touch with us at recruitment@azule-energy.com