Mgr IoT Systems Performance & Optimization

Job Description

Join Us

At Vodafone, we’re not just shaping the future of connectivity for our customers – we’re shaping the future for everyone who joins our team. When you work with us, you’re part of a global mission to connect people, solve complex challenges, and create a sustainable and more inclusive world. If you want to grow your career whilst finding the perfect balance between work and life, Vodafone offers the opportunities to help you belong and make a real impact.

What you’ll do

By connecting people, places and things, Vodafone IoT helps organisations succeed in a digital world. With our expertise in connectivity, our leading IoT platform and our global scale, we can deliver the results our customers need to progress and thrive. We are helping businesses of all sizes and sectors connect for a better future.
The Vodafone Internet of Things (IoT) suite of products and services are designed specifically to meet the needs of new and evolving business verticals. Its connection base has grown 20 % per YoY to reach more than 200 million connections at the end of financial year 2025. Vodafone IoT is a leader in the IoT Connectivity Gartner Magic quadrant and has been for 11 consecutive years. To fulfil the Technology requirements of IoT, Vodafone has developed its own world leading IoT Connectivity Management Platform to target the key strategic growth opportunity specifically to meet the needs of IoT customers globally.
Vodafone has also carved out the IoT Connectivity business to secure additional external investment and maintain our leading position in the industry through the following:

• Continue accelerating and enhancing our Platform as a Service for Vodafone customers on footprint
• Launch service proposition in markets that are off Vodafone’s current footprint (US and France)
• Address long tail lower volume segment through digital self-service platform globally

We are looking for a Senior Manager – IoT System Performance & Optimisation for the carved-out IoT Business, that will lead a team accountable for designing and delivering the following enablers and engineering functions for the GDSP platform:

• Automation
• Observability
• Performance Optimisation
• Software Engineering tools
• Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery – BCDR

The role holder is a senior stakeholder in all relationships with internally and externally sourced IoT Platform Engineering capabilities. This person will create, evolve and innovate mid to longer term plans based on internal and external insights and will apply leadership to coach their direct reports in creating specific delivery plans to execute against:

• Lead platform-wide initiatives to improve reliability, scalability, code quality and development tools
• Set goals and standards for software development practices (including code quality, lifecycle management, security) and track progress using clear KPIs
• Manage collaboration with Engineering application domains, Infrastructure and Operations to ensure software performs reliably in production and meets defined SLAs
• Support IoT Operations teams in incident analysis and root cause investigations including post-mortem incident analysis. Providing technical insight, document findings, and deliver clear outcomes and recommendations as part of a root cause analysis
• Drive automation initiatives to minimize the impact of recurring and manual issues, streamlining processes across deployment, integration and related operational workflows
• Identify, evaluate and implement modern observability tools and diagnostic processes, to ensure E2E visibility and insights across the entire IoT systems. This includes gathering requirements and aligning with IoT stakeholders to consolidate existing monitoring solutions into a centralized observability platform
• Develop and maintain Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) strategies to ensure critical IoT platform systems can recover quickly and operate reliably during disruptions

As a key member of the senior leadership team in the Platform Engineering team, this role contributes to the development and execution of the wider technology strategy for IoT Technology.
System Performance & Optimization Strategy & Roadmap

• Define and lead the vision, strategy, and long-term roadmap to ensure GDSP performance, establishing the proper enablers for continuous improvement.
• Streamline the software development lifecycle by identifying bottlenecks and productivity barriers, and driving initiatives to improve efficiency, quality and developer experience.
• Ensure alignment with business objectives and emerging IoT industry trends.

Software Engineering Best Practices

• Promote modern development practices, tooling, and methodologies across platform engineering teams, ensuring alignment with enterprise standards and evolving tech strategy.
• Drive automation by building and maintaining CI/CD processes and culture that reduces manual effort, boots developer productivity, and support agile, high-quality software deliveries.
• Lead the adoption and integration of developer portals and tools that enhance software discoverability, ownership, and operational efficiency o Ensure IoT Platform Performance & Reliability Strategy
• Ensure that IoT Platform is reliable, scalable, and high-performing, aligned with business and expectations.
• Ensure effective and proactive monitoring of IoT systems.
• Support Operations teams with technical insights during incidents; lead post-mortems and ensure actionable recommendations and fixes are deployed.
• Establish and maintain effective BCDR plans to ensure resilience and rapid recovery of critical IoT systems during outages, incidents, or major disruptions.

People Leadership & Organizational Development

• Build, mentor, and lead high-performing engineers across the IoT System Performance & Optimisation team.
• Drive a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.

IoT Software Engineering Technology Choices

• Make final decisions on platforms, frameworks, and tools to support IoT Platform Engineering.

Investment & Resource Allocation

• Own budget allocation, headcount planning, and prioritization of key projects.

Strategic Vendor & Partner Selection

• Participate in selection and manage technology vendors, tools providers, and system integrators.

Operational Excellence & Incident Resolution

• Support the build and evolution of major incident response strategies and drive continuous service improvement

Who you are

• Master's or bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, a related field, or equivalent experience
• Ten or more years of experience in Software Development Practices
• Five or more years of leadership responsibilities, including strategy, budgeting, and leading talent
• Strong talent management skills including talent development, coaching, mentoring, and team motivation, for geographically distributed teams
• Strong ability to build and maintain cross-functional partnerships at all levels of the organization
• Strong business acumen and ability to understand and drive business objectives
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical information in a condensed manner to various stakeholders verbally and in writing
• Strong organizational skills, including an ability to perform under pressure and manage multiple priorities with competing demands for resources
• Understanding of software development methodologies and best practices
• Understanding of relevant tools and platforms (e.g. cloud platforms, web technologies, client-server technologies, continuous integration and deployment), with na eagerness to learn about new and unfamiliar technologies
• Ability to lead teams through technical transformation, tools adoption and process modernization

Not a perfect fit?

Worried that you don’t meet all the desired criteria exactly? At Vodafone we are passionate about empowering people and creating a workplace where everyone can thrive, whatever their personal or professional background. If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align exactly with every part of the job description, we encourage you to still apply as you may be the right candidate for this role or another opportunity.

What's in it for you

• Hybrid Work Model - Flexible hybrid work model with 8-10 in-office days per month, managed by team leaders
• Vodafone Products and Services - Employees get a mobile phone, free communication plan, data card, and various discounts on services and products
• Recognition - Recognition programs for innovative, creative, high-potential employees and exemplary behaviors
• Health and Well-being - Well-being Program offers nutrition and psychological consultations, webinars, workshops, and discounts on various services and products
• Learning - Access to Communities of Practice and a customizable digital training platform with high-quality content (namely Harvard Business Publishing and Skillsoft)
• Local and International Mobility - Internal recruitment with local and international rotation opportunities across departments and roles

Who we are

We are a leading international Telco, serving millions of customers. At Vodafone, we believe that connectivity is a force for good. If we use it for the things that really matter, it can improve people's lives and the world around us. Through our technology we empower people, connecting everyone regardless of who they are or where they live and we protect the planet, whilst helping our customers do the same.

Belonging at Vodafone isn't a concept; it's lived, breathed, and cultivated through everything we do. You'll be part of a global and diverse community, with many different minds, abilities, backgrounds and cultures. ;We're committed to increase diversity, ensure equal representation, and make Vodafone a place everyone feels safe, valued and included.

If you require any reasonable adjustments or have an accessibility request as part of your recruitment journey, for example, extended time or breaks in between online assessments, please refer to https://careers.vodafone.com/application-adjustments/ for guidance.

Together we can.