Systems Administrator

Role: Systems AdministratorSalary: £50,000 - £60,000Sector: Education

My client has lively, friendly and caring School community, in which innovative teaching is underpinned by strong shared values and complemented by outstanding pastoral care. They aspire to enable our pupils not only to make sense of the world but also to want to go out and improve it. Students and Alumni are expected to aspire to personal best while supporting those around them with kindness and respect.

The School's examination results and university entrance record consistently rank among the best achieved anywhere. Nearly all school leavers go on to undergraduate courses at Russell Group or equivalent universities. Around 20 past-students are offered places at Oxford and Cambridge annually and a significant number move on to global top-10 universities; we also support pupils who wish to study at universities in North America, some of whom secure academic and/or sporting scholarships.

Benefits

• Very competitive salary
• Annual bonus
• Life insurance
• Health insurance
• Great holidays (inc. Bank Holidays)
• Training & certifications
• & Much more!!

Key Responsibilities

The IT Systems Administrator will oversee the daily operations of the Trust's IT systems, ensuring security, reliability, and maintenance of service levels. The successful candidate will continuously review the school's systems and recommend improvements and projects to the IT Systems Manager and Director of IT.

Administration

• Manage, maintain, and support the Trust's IT systems, ensuring integrity, security, and reliability.
• Develop and execute maintenance schedules.
• Update the IT Service Manager or IT Service Administrator on any system issues impacting service operation.
• Troubleshoot and implement root fixes for systems-related issues.
• Resolve issues affecting Trust services, including liaising with third-party suppliers.
• Ensure critical system issues are resolved promptly in line with departmental standards.
• Provide support on escalated issues and train service team members on resolution techniques.
• Deliver technical training to the service team to enhance their support capabilities.
• Create and maintain systems documentation, delegating tasks as appropriate.
• Identify technical knowledge gaps within the team and deliver relevant training.
• Generate monthly systems reports.
• Provide and coordinate out-of-hours support for scheduled and emergency scenarios.
• Communicate system downtimes to users after consulting with the IT Systems Manager and Director of IT.

Systems and Development

• Review the Trust's systems and recommend improvements to the IT Systems Manager and Director of IT.
• Collaborate with the IT Services team and stakeholders to specify and implement new systems or changes to existing systems in line with IT strategy.
• Lead the development of the Trust's systems in compliance with legal obligations and operational needs.
• Deliver service requests and systems development in accordance with departmental policies and processes.
• Address recurring service issues through system improvements or further development.
• Plan and implement systems changes and project work to meet Trust needs.
• Work with third-party suppliers to technically scope, assure, and implement new systems or enhance existing ones.
• Provide handover training to the IT team on any system changes or developments affecting their roles.
• Conduct annual audits on the Trust's systems, including cybersecurity, with third-party auditors.
• Report regularly to the IT Systems Manager, Director of IT, and Deputy Head on the status of the Trust's systems and development work, including risks, issues, and opportunities.
• Drive personal professional development in line with the Trust's CPD model and IT requirements.
• Enhance the department's knowledge of the school's systems through appropriate training.

Qualifications and Experience

• Experience in developing, managing, and supporting systems, services, networks, and infrastructure.
• Providing IT services for a large user base (approx. 2000), including web access, data storage, email services, network printing, backups, and various software packages.
• Current IT best practices, standards, and statutory requirements.
• Virtual platforms including servers, storage, and backups.
• Multiple versions of Windows Server.
• Supporting SQL servers.
• Management information systems.
• Mobile device management systems.
• Active Directory setups.
• Email platforms, both local and cloud-based.
• Network services such as DHCP, DNS, LDAP, 802.1x, wireless, and VPN.
• Firewall and filtering.
• Windows and Apple Mac systems, software, and services.

Skills and Aptitudes

• Analyse issues, make informed judgments, take appropriate action, and accept responsibility for results.
• Explain technical issues to non-technical stakeholders.
• Adapt working practices to accommodate changes in requirements.
• Assign tasks to others while supporting and empowering them, maintaining accountability.
• Provide direction and coaching to achieve objectives.
• Identify and meet stakeholders' needs to deliver high-quality service.
• Develop successful strategies through effective planning.
• Learn new technologies outside traditional practice based on strategic requirements.
• Assess new hardware technologies and recommend their incorporation into the school where appropriate.

Training

• Attend INSET training or undergo on-the-job training as directed by the Head of Department or through external courses to increase competence, proficiency, and safety awareness.

If you like the look of this role, please apply now to be considered!

In Technology Group Ltd is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.