Job Role: IT Director

The role

To be responsible for the delivery of a whole Institute approach to ICT service delivery. Take overall responsibility for devising and implementing the Institute’s ICT strategy and vision, including new CRM and LMS platforms. To act as a focal point for the Institute on ICT support procedures and infrastructure development, and ensure effective IT provision across all campuses.

Your main responsibilities

 ICT Strategy and Development

• Devise and establish ICT policies and systems to support delivery strategies established by senior leaders.
• Support the enforcement of these policies.
• Strongly promote innovation in ICT, by keeping up-to-date with the most recent technologies and advising on how new technological solutions and their implementation will support the needs of the Institute.
• Develop standard operating procedures allied to best practice, and ensure written protocols and guidelines are provided for staff and all end-users.
• Act as a lead in the implementation and management of the Institute’s CRM and LMS systems.

ICT Management & Support 

• Ensure each individual campus maintains a technical life cycle strategy, including the planning of new and enhanced services and the retirement of old services.
• Developing systems to ensure the Institute makes best use of new technologies.
• Manage any out-sourced ICT arrangements
• Inform, report on, and raise awareness of, serious ICT support issues within the Institute to Senior Leaders.
• Support users to exploit all available services through effective engagement, communication and training.

ICT Infrastructure and Equipment

• Advise the COO in order to achieve appropriate solutions that are robust and fit for purpose.
• Maintain an up to database of ICT licences across the Institute to ensure the Institute is meeting its legal obligations.

System and Information Security

• Responsible for ensuring robust system and data back-up procedures are in in place and are tested regularly.
• Responsible for the integrity and security of all ICT systems, ensuring appropriate antivirus software is deployed to minimise the risk of data and system loss and/or corruption.
• Ensure ICT systems adhere to the principles of GDPR and guidance from the Information Commissioner.
• Producing DPIAs as required on the introduction of new software or data sharing processes.

Support and Training 

• Be the Institute’s resource of expertise in relation to developments in the field of ICT and legislation.
• Take a lead on the organising of ICT training across the Institute, through the investigation of individual training plans created during the Performance Mgmt. Review process.
• Providing expert advice and support when systems are being upgraded or installed, or when there are conversions or file maintenance.

Finance and Procurement 

• Develop proposals for delivering collaborative procurement of both Software and Hardware across the Institute, to deliver both cost and service efficiencies
• In conjunction with the Finance department, to oversee procurement of all shared ICT resources and services, establishing commercial partnerships and external services where they can add value, resilience and agility to services.
• Negotiate with suppliers of hardware and software to get the best deal, including external support, and being responsible for contracting consultants and service level agreements.
• Undertake any other duties which might be reasonably be regarded as within the responsibilities of the post, subject to the proviso that any changes of a permanent nature shall be incorporated into the job description in specific terms.

Personal Contacts

• External: Contractors, suppliers, parents, external agency professionals, other government and local authority staff, other staff from academies and schools.
• Internal: Students, staff, Board and Academy Council members, parents and any other visitors to the Academy.

What we’re looking for

Essential

• IT degree and/or applicable professional qualifications or equivalent experience in the IT sector
• Demonstrable and relevant up to date experience of developing and managing networks across more than one location.
• Experience of, planning and implementing, business continuity and disaster recovery systems. This will include testing and auditing protocols
• Experience of defining and setting service levels and of ensuring that service delivery is effectively monitored and managed to meet those service levels
• Experience in the management and delivery of projects to deadline and within budget
• Working knowledge of how to manage
  • Azure Active Directory
  • Microsoft Power Platform
  • SQL databases
  • Web apps
  • Secure data connections
• Experience of commercial negotiations and dealing with suppliers both through formal procurement and strategic partnerships
• Experience of communicating effectively with non-technical staff and influencing senior staff and academics
• Monitoring and maintaining network and system stability and availability including disaster recovery planning and testing for business continuity.
• High level communication and interpersonal skills
• Influencing skills
• Performance review and performance management experience
• Ability to balance competing priorities and effectively delegate Ability to motivate team members and lead
• Demonstrate a clear approach to problem solving
• Flexibility and adaptability with a ‘can do’ attitude
• Ability to work on own initiative and take accountability
• Have the ability to communicate effectively with a range of different service users and external partners
• A passionate commitment to your own continued professional development and that of the team you will lead.

Working at the National Institute of Teaching

Location: Flexible
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £60,000

Key benefits available to all National Institute of Teaching staff:

• Flexible working opportunities;
• 27 days’ holiday a year (plus 8 bank holidays) 

Diversity and inclusion

The National Institute of Teaching is committed to creating a diverse environment and ensuring that all qualified applicants receive equal consideration for employment. We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment practices and are open to job shares, secondments, part-time, and flexible working schedules.

Things to know

• All National Institute of Teaching staff are subject to a check by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).  The level of check which will apply shall be an “Enhanced” level check.
• We regret that we are unable to sponsor visas.

How to apply

Key Dates

• Closing date: 26^th August 2022
• Shortlisting: w/c 29^nd August 2022
• Interviews: w/c 11^th September 2022

We reserve the right to change the closing date depending on the number of responses received. Please submit your application as soon as possible to ensure that it is considered in the selection.

If you have a disability and can demonstrate that closing this post early would impact on your ability to submit an application in time, please contact our Human Resources team to request arrangement for an application to be submitted within the original time-frame. 

Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form

The National Institute of Teaching is committed to create a workforce that is diverse, promotes inclusion and supports everyone to progress and achieve, regardless of background characteristics.

To assist us in understanding how we are progressing to meet these aims and to identify areas for further focus. We are seeking your support to collect information to produce and monitor equal opportunities aggregate statistics.

As part of the application, you’ll be invited to complete an Equal Opportunities section. Completing that section is not mandatory and will not affect or be linked to your application.

Contact us

• If you have any queries about this role, please contact us at c.hobson@niot.org.uk.
• Application Form