Thando Mangena
IT Operations And Service Delivery Professional
Katlehong
Summary
IT Operations and Service Delivery professional with over 10 years in financial systems support, service management, and governance. Skilled in ITIL-aligned operations, compliance (SOX, GDPR, PCI-DSS), and cross-functional leadership. Proven track record of reducing incident response time by 30% and enhancing audit readiness. Remote-ready and dedicated to delivering operational excellence in dynamic enterprise environments.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
4
4
Certifications
3
3
Languages
Work History
Specialist Support Engineer - Compliance & ITIL Governance
Absa Bank Limited
07.2020 - Current
- Delivered Tier 2/3 technical support for financial systems and compliance platforms, exceeding SLA benchmarks.
- Applied ITIL best practices across incident, problem, and change management to drive service excellence.
- Facilitated Change Advisory Board (CAB) processes and authored SOPs, compliance matrices, and risk logs.
- Partnered with GRC teams to implement controls for SOX, GDPR, and PCI-DSS audits.
- Led RCA investigations and initiated CSI strategies, reducing incident recurrence.
- Mentored teams on ITIL protocols and governance standards, enhancing operational maturity.
- Enhanced audit readiness across 3 compliance frameworks.
- Reduced incident response time by 30% via process refinement and knowledge sharing.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to achieve project goals on time and within budget.
- Improved customer satisfaction rates through proactive problem-solving and efficient complaint resolution.
- Championed the adoption of new software tools that streamlined workflows across multiple departments.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop and implement IT solutions.
- Leveraged monitoring tools to proactively identify potential system challenges before they escalated into major incidents.
- Enhanced system performance by identifying and resolving technical issues promptly.
- Diagnosed complex technical problems, saving time and resources by providing effective solutions quickly.
- Conducted regular reviews of existing infrastructure components seeking opportunities for improvements or consolidation where appropriate.
- Participated in disaster recovery planning efforts, enabling quick restoration of critical services following unforeseen events.
- Implemented security measures to protect sensitive data and prevent unauthorized access or breaches.
- Created user accounts and assigned permissions.
- Maintained servers and systems to keep networks fully operational during peak periods.
- Researched and identified solutions to technical problems.
- Monitored system performance to identify potential issues.
System Analyst
Absa Bank Limited
06.2018 - 06.2020
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop innovative solutions for business challenges.
- Created detailed documentation for both internal reference and client-facing presentations, improving communication between stakeholders.
- Gathered requirements and performed gap analysis through design workshops with users.
- Provided expert technical support, reducing system downtime and minimizing disruptions to daily operations.
- Conducted comprehensive data analysis to identify patterns and trends, informing decision-making processes.
- Conducted regular system audits to ensure compliance with security protocols and best practices.
- Trained new hires on company-specific software tools, ensuring seamless integration into the team''s workflow.
- Established effective relationships with key stakeholders across departments to facilitate collaboration on critical projects.
- Managed multiple projects simultaneously, consistently meeting deadlines and budget constraints.
- Negotiated contracts with vendors for hardware and software purchases, maximizing ROI on technology investments.
- Enhanced system efficiency by identifying and resolving complex technical issues.
- Documented all system changes meticulously, ensuring knowledge was preserved for future reference.
- Simplified complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders, facilitating better decision-making processes.
- Increased system security by conducting regular vulnerability assessments and implementing necessary patches.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to gather user feedback and incorporate it into system enhancements.
- Improved user satisfaction with system upgrades and regular maintenance tasks.
- Conducted post-implementation reviews to capture lessons learned and improve future projects.
- Monitored system performance metrics, making adjustments as necessary to maintain high levels of efficiency.
- Provided critical support during system outages, minimizing downtime and business impact.
Incident Analyst
Absa Bank Limited
02.2017 - 06.2018
- Monitored enterprise systems for anomalies and outages, classifying incidents based on SLA tiers.
- Coordinated rapid service recovery with technical teams, minimizing business disruption.
- Created knowledge base articles and trend dashboards using ServiceNow.
- Participated in cybersecurity response and forensic investigations in high-risk scenarios.
- Improved SLA compliance to 98% by refining escalation and triage workflows.
- Played a key role in standardizing incident management protocols.
Quality Assurance Engineer
First National Bank, FNB
07.2016 - 01.2017
- Executed manual testing across functional, integration, regression, and UAT environments (web & mobile).
- Designed test cases based on business requirements and validated backend data via SQL queries.
- Conducted defect triage sessions and maintained traceability matrices for audit alignment.
- Collaborated with development teams under Agile and Waterfall methodologies.
- Reduced test cycle time by 25% through improved test coverage and QA process optimization.
- Mentored junior testers and documented QA standards for onboarding.
- Optimized test cases to maximize success of manual software testing.
- Met tight deadlines to satisfy client demands and project timelines.
- Participated in agile development practices such as sprint planning meetings and daily stand-ups, contributing valuable input from a QA perspective throughout the project life cycle.
- Reduced defect rates by designing and executing comprehensive test plans and test cases.
- Contributed to the continuous improvement of QA processes through regular reviews, evaluations, and updates as needed.
- Established effective communication channels between QA, development, and project management teams to foster a collaborative working environment focused on delivering high-quality products.
- Supported successful product launches by conducting extensive pre-release testing and validation activities.
Quality Assurance Analyst
LTI
01.2014 - 06.2016
- Supported company in maintaining work environment focused on quality, communication, collaboration, integration, and teamwork.
- Streamlined QA processes for increased efficiency and reduced time spent on redundant tasks.
- Participated in regular meetings with cross-functional teams to discuss progress updates, communicate concerns or challenges, and ensure alignment of project goals.
- Reported progress, test metrics and results to project stakeholders.
- Ensured customer satisfaction by verifying that products met specifications and functioned as intended before release.
- Improved product reliability by executing rigorous test plans and ensuring software met established requirements.
- Collaborated with development teams to identify, track, and resolve software defects in a timely manner.
- Reduced defect rates through meticulous attention to detail during code reviews, working closely with developers to address any identified issues quickly.
- Developed and maintained comprehensive documentation, including test cases, results, and improvement recommendations, for stakeholder review.
- Increased stakeholder confidence by presenting detailed QA reports and insights during project review meetings.
- Facilitated transition to Agile methodologies, enhancing team flexibility and project turnaround times.
- Enhanced software quality by meticulously executing detailed test plans and identifying critical bugs before product releases.
- Identified and documented discrepancies between expected and actual outcomes, contributing to overall software quality improvement.
- Authored and maintained well-organized, efficient and successful manual test cases for entire team.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Computer/Information Technology Admins /Management
Heriot-Watt University
Johannesburg, South Africa 05.2001 -
Skills
ITIL v4 Framework
Certification
ISTQB Foundation Phase (Test Analysis)
Remote Work Readiness
- Experienced in remote collaboration with teams across time zones
- Proficient with async-first communication via Slack, Teams, Zoom, and Confluence
- Adept at documenting workflows, RCA, and governance protocols for distributed teams
- Strong initiative, self-discipline, and ownership in independent work settings
Documentation And Governance Contributions
- Authored SOPs, test plans, RCA logs, change requests, and compliance documentation
- Maintained ITSM knowledge base and traceability logs supporting audit and governance alignment
- Developed process templates to standardize documentation practices across service teams
- Authored SLA's, OLA's and Support models for multiple applications including annual reviews of each document.
- Performed RCA's on Major incidents.
- Authored and managed TRI's and DR test artifacts and evidence.
- Maintained Application Criticality Assessments
Core Competencies
ITIL v4 Framework (Trained), Incident / Problem / Change Management, SLA & KPI Management, Continual Service Improvement, Service Desk Optimization, SOX, PCI-DSS, GDPR, Basel III, Audit Readiness & RCA, Policy Documentation (SOPs), Governance Frameworks, ServiceNow, Jira, SQL, HP ALM, TestRail, SharePoint, Confluence, Windows, GitHub, Agile, Scrum, DevOps (trained), CI/CD (theory)
Accomplishments
- Reduced incident response time by 30% through process refinement.
- Delivered 99%+ SLA performance for mission-critical support tickets.
- Enhanced audit readiness across 3 major compliance frameworks (SOX, GDPR, PCI-DSS).
- Reduced test cycle time by 25% through improved test coverage and QA process optimization.
- Built new documentation standards for governance traceability and audit trails.
- Achieved 14 distinctions during the BSc Computer Systems Qualification from Heriot-Watt University.
- Served as Student Ambassador for the Mathematical and Computer Science Faculty.
- Held multiple leadership roles, including Student Leader, Prefect, and Deputy President of the Interact club.
Professional Accomplishments
Academic & Leadership Accomplishments
Technical Skills
- ITSM Platforms: ServiceNow , Jira , Remedy
- Testing & QA: HP Quality Center 11, HP ALM , TestRail
- Databases & Querying: SQL, SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
- Collaboration & Documentation: SharePoint , Confluence, Microsoft Teams Planner
- Operating Systems: Windows Server, Windows
- Methodologies: Agile & Waterfall Methodologies
Timeline
Specialist Support Engineer - Compliance & ITIL Governance
Absa Bank Limited
07.2020 - Current
System Analyst
Absa Bank Limited
06.2018 - 06.2020
Incident Analyst
Absa Bank Limited
02.2017 - 06.2018
Quality Assurance Engineer
First National Bank, FNB
07.2016 - 01.2017
Quality Assurance Analyst
LTI
01.2014 - 06.2016
Bachelor of Science - Computer/Information Technology Admins /Management
Heriot-Watt University
05.2001 -
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Work Preference
Desired Job Title
Specialist Support Engineer - Compliance & ITIL GovernanceSystem AnalystIncident AnalystQuality Assurance EngineerQuality Assurance AnalystWork Type
Full TimeLocation Preference
RemoteImportant To Me
Career advancementWork-life balanceCompany CulturePersonal development programsWork from home option4-day work weekQuote
Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed.
Cavett Robert
Websites
Languages
English
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
zulu
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
Xhosa
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)