Manager, IT Operations

Monrovia, Liberia 

Bridge Liberia

In 2016, Liberia’s President and its Ministry of Education announced Partnership Schools for Liberia (PSL), an innovative public private partnership designed to transform the primary public education system. Eight education providers - with proven track records in delivering high-quality education - were paired with public primary schools across Liberia; while teachers remained on the Government payroll. After a change of  national Government, PSL became the Liberian Education Advancement Programme (LEAP). 

LEAP is now in its sixth year; supporting 312 schools overall across the country; within that we support 60,800 students. Our schools are based in some of the most remote counties, such as Maryland in the south-east.

Government teachers have been re-trained, supported and equipped to succeed in the classroom. Four Independent Studies and Randomised Control Trials have  shown the efficacy of the programme. For us there was a statistically significant improvement in learning outcomes.  In a gold standard RCT, students supported in our programme were found to benefit by an equivalent of 2.5 years more of learning in just 3 years.

LEAP was designed to be self-sustaining once the Ministry of Education raises its education budget to $100 a child per year; until that moment it remains reliant on philanthropic support.

Today, we work across the country, in all of Liberia’s 15 counties, to ensure that all children have access to a high quality education and that Sustainable Development Goal 4 focussed on Quality Education becomes a reality for all children in Liberia. 

You will join a group of dynamic and passionate Liberians taking concrete action to help address the education crisis in Liberia and ensure a better future for the children of Liberia.

Tenology

Technology plays a critical role enabling us to provide transformative education at massive scale in highly resource constrained environments. This is one of the key elements that gives us the ability to deliver radically impactful programmes, creating brighter futures for a generation of children across the world each day. Technology spans several key functions, including product management, business intelligence, software development and IT operations. 

Working with us, passionate technologists have a chance to directly change the world. No kidding. 

IT Operations

IT Operations is responsible for last mile delivery of technology, ensuring that everyone from school staff to executives, all have the functioning technology they need to excel at their jobs. It also oversees the technical infrastructure that supports and connects all of our global offices, as well as the back-office systems that power our customer care centres, finance teams, warehouses, and more. 

Within the technology group, IT Operations also holds the distinction of being the only department with a dedicated presence in each of our operating territories, meaning that is also the key conduit and primary advocate for all aspects of technology at our, ensuring the work done by the other technology departments delivers on its potential. 

About the Role

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 and associates. 

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

• Provide first point of IT Support contact for all local NewGlobe staff, covering all hardware, software, and associated peripherals 
• Deploy computers, school 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 ensure 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 NewGlobe’s designated service desk system 
• 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 NewGlobe 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

What You Should Have

• Excellent technical knowledge of PC hardware 
• Working technical knowledge of current protocols, operating systems, and standards
• Software and hardware troubleshooting 
• Windows desktop (7/8/X) and Windows Server (at least 2012) experience 
• Routers, switches, and firewall experience 
• Microsoft Office 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, smartphones, LAN and Wifi configurations 
• Experience with admin of Microsoft systems such as Navision, IIS, or Sharepoint. 
• Experience with AWS. 
• 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’re also

• 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 creative problem-solver – Growing any business from scratch comes with massive and constant challenges. On top of that, we work in often fragile, sometimes volatile low-resource communities and with complex government systems. You need to be flexible and ready to get everything done effectively, quickly, and affordably with the materials at hand. 
• A relentless advocate – The children we serve and teachers we empower 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 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.
• A data-driven decision-maker – When making decisions, you don’t rely on your intuition alone. You collect data, you analyze it and make decisions with clear justifications.
• A curious investigator – You ask why a lot. You don’t just take what you see and accept it. You wonder why it is that way, and are aware that the world we see is created by human choices and actions – and it could be different. You wonder, and see the world as wonderful even when you want to change a part of it that is unjust.

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