IT Assistant

ABOUT VILLAGEREACH 

VillageReach transforms health care delivery to reach everyone. We are driven by a vision of a world where each person has the health care needed to thrive. VillageReach’s goal is to reduce inequities in access to quality primary health care for 350 million people by 2030. We work with governments, the private sector, partners and communities to build responsive primary health care systems that deliver health products, information and services to the most under-reached. As a locally driven and globally connected organization, VillageReach has offices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and the United States. 

Under the supervision of the Procurement Officer, the IT Assistant will support the all DRC Country staff.  

Role Description

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time. 

Key roles and Responsibilities 

• Technical Support: Provide technical support to users, solve hardware and software problems. 

• Installation and Maintenance: Install, configure and maintain computer systems, networks and peripherals. 

• System Monitoring: Monitor system performance and resolve problems to minimize downtime. 

• Security: Implement and maintain security measures to protect data and systems from unauthorized access and threats. 

• User Management: Manage user accounts, permissions and access rights. 

• Data Backup: Perform regular backups and disaster recovery procedures. 

• Documentation: Maintain documentation of IT systems, configurations and procedures. 

• Training: Train staff in ICT best practices and security protocols. 

• Collaboration: Work with suppliers and service providers to acquire and maintain ICT equipment and services 

Competencies: 

The following competencies reflect what is expected of all VillageReach employees; including examples of how one might demonstrate each of these competencies in one’s role. 

• Personal Motivation and Drive: Is self-directed in one’s approach to work, but asks for help when needed; holds oneself accountable; undertakes self-development activities; seeks to build and master new skills; looks for and takes advantage of opportunities within the organization.
• Collaboration & Effective Communication: Establishes and maintains effective relations with coworkers, partners & stakeholders and external parties; works collaboratively with others to accomplish organizational and team goals and objectives; works actively to resolve conflicts; expresses ideas and thoughts effectively; selects and uses appropriate communication methods and maintains meaningful communication with virtual coworkers and other parties to keep them informed.
• Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: Takes personal responsibility for and supports others across the organization in creating and sustaining a diverse work environment where individuals are welcomed, valued, respected and supported; personally committed to attaining cultural competency including self-awareness of one’s own attitudes about culture and cross-cultural interactions; exhibits the willingness and ability to engage openly and respectfully around issues of race, colonialism, identity and culture; upholds equity in access to sharing of information, ideas, and opportunities throughout VillageReach.
• Commitment to Excellence: Produces a high output of work, both in terms of quality and quantity; looks for ways to improve and promote quality; monitors work to ensure quality; has a personal commitment to the mission of VillageReach.
• Solution Orientation & Innovation: Focuses on results and desired outcomes and how to best achieve them; gets the job done; sees opportunities for creative problem-solving while staying within the parameters of good practice; sees old problems in new ways and has novel approaches to solving those problems; contributes original and/or resourceful ideas to their area of responsibility; is able to consider and articulate risks and consequences of proposed innovations and factor these into decision-making.

Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position has no supervisory responsibilities. 

Education & Experience:

The ideal candidate will have the following professional qualifications and personal characteristics:  

Required qualifications: 

• Education: University degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Electronics, Mathematics or related field or 2-4 years related experience 

• Experience: Proven experience in ICT support and administration. 

• Technical Skills: Strong technical background in computer systems and networks, including knowledge of network protocols and security principles. 

•  Problem Solving: Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to troubleshoot hardware and software problems. 

•  Communication: Good communication skills to explain technical information to non-technical staff. 

•  Certifications: Professional certifications (e.g. CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft) may be an asset. 

Other Qualifications: 

• Comply with VillageReach’s COVID-19 vaccination policy which requires full vaccination for in-person work or travel. 

• Strong sense of curiosity and desire to seek opportunities to self-educate on new methodologies and techniques. 

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.  

• Ability to work independently and take initiative.  

• Established cultural competency in partnering with racial, cultural and linguistically diverse groups. 

• Demonstrated understanding of challenges with working in rural, underserved and low-income context; experience living in and/or working in a low-income country a plus. 

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel), survey collection platforms and comfortable in a fast-paced technical environment. 

Environment and Physical Demands: 

VillageReach has no private offices, employees work in a shared, open environment with task and conference rooms accessible to employees for privacy and meetings. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet. Due to the time zone differences between our USA office and our Country Offices and location of other global staff, we have established core collaboration hours between 6am Pacific Time and 18:00 South Africa Time (GMT+1) Monday through Thursday. All staff, regardless of location are expected to be available between these hours. During Daylight Savings Time, this allows for 12 hours per week (3 hours/day) of collaboration time and during Standard Time, 8 hours (2 hours/day). We do not hold cross-office meetings on Friday. 

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY & INCLUSION: 

VillageReach is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to workforce diversity. We believe that diverse, equitably weighted perspectives foster an organizational capacity to create novel solutions that improve health in the most under-reached and hard-to-reach areas. To align our values, innovations and impact, VillageReach is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse global workforce. 

APPLICATION INFORMATION:  

This is an immediate hire and therefore resumes will be reviewed on a rolling basis until filled. To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter to our online portal: http://www.villagereach.org/join-us/.  In your cover letter, please address (1) Why you are interested in this position, (2) What is one reason you think you’d be a good fit for this position and, (3) what is one strength you would bring to this position? 

Hiring Process: 

The hiring process will include the following steps: 

1. Review submitted applications 

1. Conduct 20–30-minute screening interviews for shortlisted candidates 

1. Conduct skills and value-based interviews for 3-5 candidates. 

1. Request that top candidates submit a practical assessment (designed to take no more than two hours to complete). Sometimes the assignment will occur before the interview. 

1. Conduct final interview if necessary  

1. Request references  

1. Make offer   

1. Conduct background check 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, but candidates who proceed to step 2 will be notified if they are not chosen for step 3. 

Safeguarding: 

VillageReach is committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults, and beneficiaries with whom it engages. We expect everyone working with us to share this commitment through our code of conduct. All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which may include criminal records. VillageReach participates in the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and, in line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By applying, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures. 

Benefits

Compensation & Benefits: 

VillageReach has an established compensation structure that is based on the relevant market and internally transparent. We hire people into the established range based on one’s experience and education and considering internal equity. We do not inquire about salary history.