Infrastructure Competency

From Ian Loe Academy Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Background

Competency Framework

As infrastructure technologies are evolving rapidly, we need to develop a competency framework to evaluate staffing and for pipeline development.

This competency framework can be used to develop customised training programmes for individuals (or teams) and also for evaluation of skills for promotion considerations.

Principle Considerations

Key points when creating this framework

  • Enable focused development to build deep capabilities
  • Relevant to business needs
  • Set skills expectations for job-grade

Competency Mapping

Role Categories

As the infrastructure domain is very wide and most organisations may not have specialist in every type of skills, the mapping will be categorised to 5 main types of roles:

  • Network Engineers
  • Cloud Specialist
  • Data Centers and Servers
  • Systems Administration
  • DevSecOps Specialist

Competency Areas

The skill areas for each competency can be viewed as such:

Network Cloud Computing Systems Administrators DevSecOps DC & Servers
Network Engineering Cloud Native Technologies Windows Administration Pipeline Management Hyperconverged Infrastructure
SD-WAN Technologies Public CSP skills Linux Administration Site Reliability Engineering Data Center Management
Firewall Adminstration FinOps Audit & Compliance Quality Engineering Server Management
Middleware Management

Level of Competency

The level of competency can be categorised into 5 levels:

Level Description Test Question
L1 Understanding Can you explain the subject ?
L2 Application Tell me how you would apply this knowledge?
L3 Analysis How would you perform root-case analysis related issues?
L4 Synthesis How would you apply lessons learned to re-design the approach?
L5 Evaluation How would you assess the effectiveness of your applied strategy?

Roles

Head of Infrastructure

Head of infrastructure is a job which requires broad knowledge across infrastructure domains, and deep competencies in areas of consulting and governance, to support the business leaders.

Job Description As the Head of Infrastructure, you will be responsible for overseeing the strategic planning, implementation, and management of all aspects of the organisation's infrastructure. This critical role requires a blend of technical expertise, leadership skills, and strategic vision to ensure the reliability, scalability, and security of our infrastructure environment.
Responsibilities
  • Build out expertise in the infrastructure domains
  • Lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of scalable, secure, and highly available infrastructure systems.
  • Oversee the operation of data centers, networks, servers, storage, and cloud services to ensure optimal performance and reliability.
  • Manage vendor relationships and hold vendors accountable for deliverables and service quality.
  • Develop disaster recovery and business continuity plans to mitigate risks and ensure operational resilience.
  • Lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of scalable, secure, and highly available infrastructure systems.
Relevant Areas
Grade Competencies
Assistant 2 X L2

2 X L3

1 X L4

Deputy 3 X L2

2 X L3

1 X L4

Senior 5 X L2

4 X L3

1 X L4

Network Cloud Computing Systems Administrators DevSecOps DC & Servers
Network Engineering Cloud Native Technologies Windows Administration Pipeline Management Hyperconverged Infrastructure
SD-WAN Technologies Public CSP skills Linux Administration Site Reliability Engineering Data Center Management
Firewall Adminstration FinOps Audit & Compliance Quality Engineering Server Management
Middleware Management

Infrastructure Specialist

INfrastructure Specialist is a role which requires deep expertise in a particular domain  to support the needs of a particular function.

Relevant Areas
Grade Competencies
Intern 1 X L1
Associate 1 X L1

1 X L2

Junior 2 X L1

1 X L2

1 X L3

Senior 3 X L1

2 X L2

1 X L4

Network Cloud Computing Systems Administrators DevSecOps DC & Servers
Network Engineering Cloud Native Technologies Windows Administration Pipeline Management Hyperconverged Infrastructure
SD-WAN Technologies Public CSP skills Linux Administration Site Reliability Engineering Data Center Management
Firewall Adminstration FinOps Audit & Compliance Quality Engineering Server Management
Middleware Management