Group IT Manager (Suffolk & Essex)

We are looking for a group IT manager for our Suffolk and Essex region, to provide technical and operational line management, support, guidance and oversight for IT staff within the specified group to ensure effective day to day delivery of OAT's digital strategy. This role will be responsible for using available resources to ensure IT service levels are maintained across the group, as well as for delivering and evaluating progress against projects and service improvements.

Working closely with your regional ICT manager, and Academy ICT staff to support cost effective, technical and operational improvement projects for academies within the group, in line with academy IT development plans. As part of the role, you will line manage academy ICT staff, ensuring provision of high quality support and identify staff training needs and deliver or facilitate training as required.

This role will be responsible for the Suffolk and Essex group of OAT academies. You will be based at one of our academies in the Suffolk area but with regular travel to academies across the region. Visits to academies will be on a as-needed basis and you will mange your own diary.

The successful candidate will have demonstrable experience or appropriate qualifications to demonstrate high levels of understanding of network and server management as well as anti-malware software, network security issues and system back up configuration. We are looking for someone with experience in supporting all Windows operating systems, PC and server hardware and audio-visual technologies. Previous experience in using Microsoft tools such as Active Directory, Group policy, DHCP and DNS management will be critical to the role. You will be an excellent communicator and be able to develop positive working relationships with stakeholders in and outside of OAT. You must be able to work well within and across teams and have a willingness to embrace and celebrate the ethos and values of OAT.

This is a fantastic time to join the growing IT team at Ormiston Academies Trust (OAT). We believe that technology is crucial to the success of our pupils and staff, and our new digital strategy is designed to deliver a highly responsive, highly adaptable IT service that meets the daily demands of our 43 academies and head office.

We have already taken significant steps on our journey to improve IT services and, with significant future investment planned, our improvement trajectory over the coming years is ambitious. To make this happen, we need you…

At OAT, we believe that people make the biggest difference. We are here to give our children the best possible start in life, and our IT staff are essential to achieving that aim., We are a national education charity and one of the largest multi academy trust's (MAT) in England, underpinned by our founder, Peter Murray's (Ormiston Trust) belief that every child should be given a chance to thrive. With almost 5,000 staff and 30,000 pupils, we have been around since 2009 making us one of the longest established trusts.

We serve pupils from a wide range of communities, all with their unique character, strengths and challenges. Our sole purpose is to provide OAT pupils with excellent learning opportunities, inside and outside the classroom and we are determined that every one of our young people will be given the opportunity to realise their dreams and aspirations.

As a large trust, investment in our staff is crucial, and we are placing continuous professional development (CPD) at the heart of our work to engage, develop and retain the best people. As well as extensive CPD opportunities, you will benefit from 30 days holiday plus bank holidays, membership of the generous local government pension scheme, immediate life cover and free 24/7 counselling. Most of our sites offer free parking and a package of further benefits is under development.