Description

The International Schools Partnership (ISP) are currently looking for someone to fill the Regional IT Operations Manager role to join our truly international Technology team and support our continued growth. 

Vision

To be the leading international schools’ group of quality and scale, with schools of choice recognised across local communities and the global education sector for amazing learning, ambition, and growth.

Purpose

We are a focused, growing and financially secure group of schools. All our schools:

• Help children and students learn to levels that amaze them.
• Inspire children and students to be successful now and equip them to be successful later.
• Are truly international, working in partnerships within and across regions, cultures and languages.
• Aim to be the schools of choice for children, students and their families, wherever we are.

Principles

Our principles emphasise and underpin how we do what we do.

We:

• Begin with our children and students;

Our children and students are at the heart of our business. Simply, their success is our success.

• Treat everyone with care and respect;

We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well-being of each other.

• Operate effectively;

We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference.

• Are financially responsible;

We make financial choices carefully based on the needs of the children, students and our schools.

• Learn continuously

Getting better is what drives us.

The Role

Reporting to the Regional Head of Technology, the Regional IT Operations Manager is a crucial role focused on supporting and developing IT Service operations throughout all our schools in the region and the ISP regional office.  

The post holder will be expected to build a close working relationship with all schools technology teams as well as the local ISP Team. This role may include travel to all schools and offices on a frequent but as required basis, providing support and training where necessary.

We aim to build a global support structure throughout ISP and expect that our team to collaborate and assist other regions where the opportunity arises. As part of the global Technology team, the holder will be expected to work closely with peers in other regions to support creative thinking and drive consistencies and efficiencies globally.  

ISP is globally spread over multiple core regions comprising of over 60 schools, 50000+ students and 7500+ colleagues and growing.  Each school has a vision to become the school of choice for its local community.  It’s our job to ensure that in every function, we support and enable that.

Key Duties and Areas of Responsibility:

1. Technology Operations

The Regional IT Operations Manager is accountable for ensuring all services are available to users to the agreed SLAs. Builds a continuous service improvement plan. Ensure budgets are adhered to, with time cost and quality.

The post holder is the custodian of service stability and operation, and should be looking at mechanisms to reduce repeat incidents, build on a knowledge base and provide effective communications to the end users.

The Regional IT Operations Manager will also be expected to attend and contribute to regular functional meetings with the regional technology team.  Reporting on successes, service requests, incidents and change while bringing to the table new initiatives that other regions could also benefit from.

1. Technology Management

As Regional IT Operations Manager, the post holder will manage and support the entire regional IT Managers team.  This will range from working with each school lead to ensure policies and procedures are being met. Build upon a standardized knowledge base database. Ensure vendors are providing value with key targets and build a reward/penalty mechanism to enhance the provided service.

It is expected that the IT Operations Manager regularly meets the entire team, ensuring that school by school and personal objectives are being met along with spending time with key stakeholders within the senior leadership team at each school.

1. Technology Infrastructure

The technology infrastructure is a key focus for the IT Operations Manager and covers 5 key areas, these areas include.

1. Network Infrastructure: Wi-Fi- AP’s, Network Switches, Routers
2. Server Infrastructure: Servers, Storage, Virtualization
3. Security Infrastructure: Firewalls, Web Filters, A/V, Endpoint Protection
4. Backup & Monitoring Infrastructure: On and Offsite Data Backup, UPS Protection, Network Monitoring
5. End User Infrastructure: PC’s, Laptops, Printers, Tablet Computers

The infrastructure within the schools must follow the global technology standards, so the IT Operations Manager is responsible for ensuring that is met within each school in the region.  Regular tests against all the sections shown of Infrastructure must be conducted and reported against.  In addition, it will be expected that selected schools will undertake regular external vulnerability tests to ensure cyber security practices are being followed and fit for purpose.

Other Responsibilities:

• Foster and develop communications and relationships on the strategic development of infrastructure and operations within the Region
• Build technology training and development for regional IT team
• Works closely with other IT professionals and functional managers to make sure systems work efficiently.
• Lead and develop the IT team, maintaining a collaborative and constructive working environment within the department, support services and across the Region
• Provide direct support to schools, including on-site when required. Manage and develop core technology systems within the region, ensuring all are used efficiently and effectively
• Engage with regional management (MD, principals etc.) and their teams to set strategic initiatives
• Fulfill all internal and external audit requirements
• Manage vendor agreements for technology applications and infrastructure and
• Ensure data is stored securely and is accessible (disaster recovery and system backup/restore)
• Prepare written materials (e.g. procedures, system level documentation, reports, memos, etc.), for the purpose of documenting activities, providing written reference, and/or conveying information.
• Ensure management of regional service requests and incidents via the Service Desk, including measurement of the Knowledgebase to ticket ratio
• Utilise problem management framework to ensure repeat incidents are kept to a minimum or have a mitigation process in place
• Build and maintain a change management process for regional schools
• Responds to emergency situations as needed for the purpose of resolving immediate concerns.
• Plans and prepares preventative maintenance schedules.
• Monitors and reports on system performance and usage.
• Manages system capacity growth and development.
• Act as the single point of contact Business Partner for IT services in schools, working collaboratively with colleagues to ensure services are delivered in a coordinated and responsive manner.
• Drive and deliver continuous improvements to the IT service.
• Infrastructure is maintained and developed in line with an agreed IT strategy.
• Ensure effective monitoring and alerting for internet security, firewalls, and Web-filtering Systems.
• Build plans for resilience and mitigation of all IT Services
• Build operational review management for vendor services with continuous improvement
• Management of hardware warranties, software licenses, service contracts and replacement cycles.
• Prepare regional budget and forecast of procurement
• Ensures best value for money is achieved in all contracts and purchase of IT and related equipment
• Work with regional and school management to ensure service capacity meets existing and future requirements.
• Develop and review budgets for schools and ensure they comply with stated goals, guidelines, and objectives.

Required Skills and Knowledge:

ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students and expects all staff to share this commitment. Successful applicants for people working with children will undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) or Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) clearance from the country of origin.