IT Service Manager at Salford City Academy

Key Responsibilities

Overall management responsibility for the IT Service’s delivery, performance and staff across the Academies, maintaining a clear overview of the deployment, skillset, capability, capacity and development needs of the team.

·        Reporting to the United Learning Head of Schools’ IT Strategy, being responsible for the operational management of IT Services that support teaching and learning, business and administrative functions across the Academies within the IT Service.

·        Monthly reporting to each academy Executive Business Manager/ Academy Senior Stakeholders on the associated work of the IT Service to that individual academy/cluster.

·        Direct line management responsibility for Deputy IT Service Manager, Lead Technician and identified Technicians.

·        Oversee the provision of the school/cluster IT services delivered to schools (Microsoft 365, ActiveDirectory, Entra, Azure, on premise) and other critical administrative systems used within the Academies to ensure high availability and suitable performance. Liaise with third parties where necessary to provide a single point of contact of technical authority.

·        Write/review and implement all IT related policies, where not provided by United Learning, for your IT Cluster, ensuring appropriate adoption and meeting of governance requirements.

·        Ensure all schools are compliant with United Learning IT Policies, ensuring the supporting IT Digital Standards are met and self-assessed at school level.

·     Provide academy leaders with strategic guidance on how technology systems should be developed to support their educational aims. Develop existing systems, designing and implementing new systems and associated technologies across the Academies within the IT Service, to ensure ongoing affordability and fitness for purpose.

Specific Duties

 Strategy and Planning

·         Supply Academies’ SLTs with technical and policy advice to move forward their strategic ambitions and to mitigate identified risks to operations, creating a Strategic Development Plan for technology.

·         Provide assurance to Executive Business Managers/Business Managers and Senior Leadership Teams on the risk status of their IT infrastructure and equipment against the United Learning IT Digital Standards

·         Work with Executive Business Managers/Business Managers and Finance Business Partners to produce an accurate, timely and achievable IT Refresh Strategy to inform the annual budget cycle and 5-year planning.

·         Plan for major developments of the Academies’ IT provision and project manage these implementations.

·         Make use of the cluster’s scale to achieve procurement economies when buying hardware.

·         Assess needs and recommend any external support arrangements and contracts required to deliver an effective IT service in each academy.

·         Develop, maintain and test a comprehensive Disaster Recovery policy and plan for each academy.

·         Develop and implement effective backup strategies sufficient to ensure legal and operational requirements are met, both onsite and offsite.

·         Develop and implement an effective software/ firmware update strategy to ensure that all servers and devices have the appropriate updates applied to minimise security risks.

·         Develop and implement effective security policy and practice in terms of user accounts, filtering, monitoring and reporting/ action, based on the United Learning IT Digital Standards.

·         Develop and implement a suitable Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy for staff and/ or students where required.

General

·         Develop excellent working relationships with colleagues internally, centrally and externally.

·         Be an effective and flexible member of the IT Service team.

·         Uphold Academies’ policies and procedures at all times.

·         Ensure any documentation produced is to a high standard and is in line with the in-house style.

·         Be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to safeguarding, child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to the appropriate person.

·         Participate in training and other learning activities as required.

·         Participate in the Performance Management process.

·         Provide appropriate guidance and supervision and assist in the training and development of staff as appropriate.

·         To represent the Academies at events as appropriate.

·         To support and promote the Academies’ and United Learnings ethos, playing a part in strengthening relationships between schools in the cluster, and between the cluster and Central Office.

·         To undertake any other duties and responsibilities as reasonably required.

 This post may involve both evening and weekend work and the post holder will need to demonstrate a large degree of flexibility and willingness to work unsocial hours. The need to adapt working hours around the business need of the academy is an expectancy of the job role.

The information contained above is to help staff understand and appreciate the work content of their post and the role they are to play in the organisation. However, it should be noted that whilst every effort has been made to outline all the duties and responsibilities of the post, a document such as this does not permit every item to be specified in detail. Broad headings have therefore been used, in which case all the usual associated duties are included in this job description.

 This job description will be reviewed annually as part of the performance management process and may be subject to amendment or modification at any time after consultation with the post holder.

 Elements of this job description and changes to it may be negotiated at the request of either the Head of Schools’ IT Strategy or the incumbent of the post.