IT Manager at Bridge International Academies

Based outside Lagos

The Bridge Approach

Education is in crisis in many countries around the world. It is estimated that 264 million children and young people are out of school, and 330 million children are in school but not learning. In addition, an extra 69 million teachers are needed to achieve the 2030 UN education goals.

Many education systems are plagued with inadequate materials and poor management systems, all leading to chronic teacher absenteeism and a lack of learning. Education reform is challenging but it is urgently required if we are to prevent another generation of children missing out. So, we work in partnership with governments, NGOs and non-state actors to address the huge education imbalance between what is available and what is needed right now — we work to bridge the gap.

We believe parents have the right to choose a school for their children and we enable families to enjoy seeing their children learn, improve and flourish at Bridge schools. We locate our schools in some of the most disadvantaged communities in the world. Families in our communities can be earning just $1.90 per person a day; a level the World Bank notes is at extreme poverty. By putting learning at the centre of all we do, Bridge has become an extremely popular choice for underserved families and low-income communities.

With plans to enroll ten million students ten years from now, Bridge offers a tremendous opportunity to grow with one of the world’s most exciting and ambitious social enterprises, with leadership roles available across a number of competencies and geographies.

[Technology/Information Technology]

The IT Manager role will ensure the provision of superior customer service throughout the business, through the maintenance, enhancement and efficient operation of IT functions. Additionally, the role will include responsibility for ensuring the security and integrity of IT operations and systems, as well as the line management of IT officers.

The flexibility to work outside normal business hours is integral to this role, as is the ability to work under broad direction and minimal supervision.

What You Will Do:

• The role holder will work collaboratively within the IT Team to achieve the following:
• Provide first point of IT Support contact for all Bridge staff, covering all hardware, software and associated peripherals.
• Deploy computers, academy technology, and associated peripherals including new installations and redeployment of existing equipment.
• Install and configure operating systems and software to agreed standards under the direction of the Director of IT and other senior IT personnel.
• Manage the local area network and internet connection
• Recommend, source, install, and maintain network equipment such as firewalls, routers, and switches
• Maintain existing equipment to standards, by performing upgrades, new installations, and carrying out routine procedures.
• Assist in the compilation and maintenance of an accurate inventory of hardware and software, and ensuring that records are kept up-to-date within the service desk system.
• Ensure network security through installation of appropriate hardware and software, as well development of IT policies
• Troubleshoot technical issues to resolution and/or escalate to colleagues, suppliers, or partner organizations as required.
• Log all incidents and service requests in Bridge’s designated service desk system, where necessary login on behalf of Bridge staff.
• Manage service desk tickets, planning and prioritizing systematically to minimize backlog and ensure operational efficiency.
• Expedite the repair of hardware faults and software configuration problems, notifying or forwarding to the relevant suppliers in a timely manner.
• Work with colleagues to monitor performance of Bridge systems, ensuring that issues are appropriately escalated and resolved.
• Supervise, train, and mentor junior staff members in all of the above.
• Provide technical assistance to project teams and undertake technical project roles when required.
• Manage IT infrastructure improvement projects, including scheduling and budgeting.
• Demonstrate commitment to and promotion of a culture of service excellence and continual improvement within the IT Department.
• Maintain and develop excellent working relationships with key suppliers, conducting dealings in a professional and appropriate manner.
• Provide at all times a professional, courteous and rapid response to individual users.

Professional Requirements

• Excellent technical knowledge of PC/Mac hardware
• Working technical knowledge of current protocols, operating systems, and standards
• Software and hardware troubleshooting
• Windows desktop (7/8) and Windows Server (at least 2008) experience
• Routers, switches, and firewall experience
• Microsoft Office 2007/2010 support
• Active Directory administration
• TCP/IP
• Experience working and training on a variety of IT subjects and applications
• Excellent Writing and oral communication skills
• Good research skills, including ability to identify and propose solutions to issues/crisis
• Knowledge of Android technologies, Smart Phones, LAN and Wi-Fi configurations
• Assets
• Experience with admin of Microsoft systems such as Navision, IIS, or Sharepoint.
• Experience with AWS

What You should have

• A Degree from a recognized university with top marks in Computer Science or a related discipline
• 5-10 years relevant IT/industry work experience
• Experience working within a fast-paced environment
• Relevant Microsoft certification

You Are Also:

• Proactive – You don’t always need supervision and you are a self-starter. Your personal drive to succeed and deliver keeps you working when you may not have a supervisor with you.
• A detailed doer - You have a track record of getting things done.  You’re organized and responsive.  You take ownership of every idea you touch and execute it to a fine level of detail, setting targets, engaging others, and doing whatever it takes to get the job done.  You can multi-task dozens of such projects at once and never lose sight of the details.  Likely, you have some experience in a start-up or other rapid-growth company. 
• A networking mastermind- You excel at meeting new people and turning them into advocates.  You communicate in a clear, conscientious, and effective way in both written and oral speech.  You can influence strangers in the course of a single conversation.  Allies and colleagues will go to bat for your ideas. 
• A creative problem-solver- Growing any business from scratch comes with massive and constant challenges.  On top of that, Bridge works in volatile, low-resource communities and runs on fees averaging around $7 a month per pupil.  You need to be flexible and ready to get everything done effectively, quickly, and affordably with the materials at hand.  
• A customer advocate- Our customers – these families living on less than $2 a day per person – never leave your mind.  You know them, get them, have shared a meal with them (or would be happy to in the future).  You would never shrink back from shaking a parent’s hand or picking up a crying child, no matter what the person was wearing or looked like.  Every decision you make considers their customer benefit, experience, and value.
• A malleable learner -You believe you can always do better.  You welcome constructive criticism and provide it freely to others.  You know you only get better tomorrow when others point out where you’ve missed things or failed today.