Overview:

The position would suit an experienced IT professional seeking to grow their career in a diverse environment across multiple countries, contexts and cultures. The role involves delivering high quality IT advice, analysis, guidance and services to support countries’ digital objectives. The role covers a broad spectrum of IT Services for those using the Shared Service model, this includes both virtual and physical presence in countries to support their activities.

The role is key in the success of countries being able to deliver their priorities, objectives and programmes in their use of digital technologies, it forms an integral part in delivering agreed local and global plans making it a key liaison role with the GS technology function.

The role requires you to collaborate with IT focal personnel in countries that are using the Shared Services model, it will be based in a country office designated as a Centres of Support and function.

The role will demand a high degree of flexibility requiring travel to countries belonging to the shared service centre of support for differing lengths of time. It may involve temporarily taking on the role of a Country Offices’ IT Lead, or other key IT position, until a permanent replacement is found. It will entail providing physical and virtual support, training, assisting with the adoption and compliance with ActionAid’s IT policies, procedures and standards delivering specific IT services as needed for each assignment.

Annual work plans for this role will be jointly identified by the shared services Lead and the GS, Head of Technology, to ensure workplans are aligned with service level agreements between centres of support and countries receiving support.

In addition to providing support to shared service countries the role will also provide user support to GS staff for between ½ and 1 day per week (10%-20%)

Key Activities

• Able to act independently with a considerable degree of autonomy, oversee and maintain country IT systems to ensure their optimal functionality and operation to agreed standards.
• Responsible for ensuring IT policies, standards and controls are complied with.
• Uphold and enforce the compliance with IT security policies and standards for systems connecting to cloud or on premises services for servers and user supplied devices.
• Participate and contribute to the development and setting of the Country Offices’ technology strategy, plans and direction.
• Support Country Directors to identify IT risks and implement appropriate mitigations.
• Proactively identify areas for continuous improvement of country IT delivery models.
• Provide remote support and troubleshooting for countries without technical proficiency.
• Assisting and guiding country teams in managing costs
• Ensuring that agreed SLAs are maintained between the service centre and the countries as well as other external parties.
• Ensure that IT assets comply with established IT policies and guidelines, collaborating with countries and the GS to ensure accurate record of fixed assets is maintained.
• Ensure compliance and upkeep of country IT hardware, including laptops, desktops and peripheral devices to ensure adherence to standard configurations is maintained, e.g. updating, patching or operating system compliance.
• Oversee user account administration for the country, ensuring the onboarding and offboarding process is timely and non-intrusive to the end user.
• Assist with Country technology projects such as upgrading services, licence changes or automation policy changes.
• Provide support to the functional teams in countries to ensure access to core applications.
• Provide advice and guidance related to Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery for country system resilience and connectivity to the cloud, including on premises and cloud backup processes.
• Ensure country endpoint protection is compliant with policies and up to date providing advice to countries on threat mitigation, malware and data leak prevention.
• Lead in ensuring that proactive measures are taken in protecting the security of the country’s network, taking proactive measures against emerging threats.
• Respond to urgent requests during or after hours in the event of a technology incident that may include liaison with the GS MSP to mitigate and remediate the issue.
• Collaborate closely with shared service country IT teams and GS in order to achieve the country requirements balanced with the priorities of the Federation.
• Oversee and promote innovative modern work methods, including administration, orientation, and the adoption of new training or collaboration tools.
• Proactively communicate to manage and support all the Country users, including staff with lower technical proficiency.
• Coordinate with other teams and departments of the Country to ensure that IT services effectively support their work.
• Provide technical guidance to Country IT leads to ensure optimal IT services and tools for each function.
• Escalate relevant requests through the IT support system and follow up with external vendors in conjunction with GS IT team.
• In conjunction with the country or GS IT partners ensure the reliable, consistent delivery of agreed services.

Person Specification

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Cybersecurity or other related discipline.
• IT Certification (e.g., ITIL, Cisco, Microsoft Cloud) is desirable.
• At least 5 years’ experience of work in IT support discipline preferably in an international organisation, ideally Not for Profit or NGO.
• Substantial experience working in a similar role, preferably across multiple locations.
• At least two years’ experience working in a hybrid Microsoft Cloud/Azure environment.
• Experience of working in multi-cultural environment.
• Proven facilitation and training experience in IT related subjects.
• Knowledge of applications and operations of the Microsoft 365 and Azure Cloud is essential.
• Knowledge of Windows Server, Desktop and cloud virtual operation is essential.
• Knowledge of IT hardware with sound capability in being able to solve hardware problems.
• A good understanding of current and emerging technologies, standards and practices.
• Understanding of working and running multiple concurrent IT projects with a country, the federation or with external suppliers.
• Sound understanding of cost control, budget and forecasting.
• Knowledge of monitoring and reporting on SLA’s.
• Being able to manage multiple stakeholders in a multi-cultural environment is essential.
• Feminist leadership skills and attributes, including self-awareness, positive growth mindset and ambitious drive for collective results.
• Excellent collaboration and team-building skills, commitment to self-care and caring for others, ability to give and receive honest and respectful feedback.
• A strong commitment to dismantling bias and promoting equity and inclusion.

Essential skills.

• Ability to work in a multicultural context/environment.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, able to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds and international cultures and a strong customer service orientation.
• Ability to work independently with minimum supervision and be proactive.
• A solid understanding of end-to-end process, being able to see tasks through to completion.
• Willingness and ability to work cooperatively and supportively with colleagues, developing positive open working relationships to solve problems and to achieve goals/objectives.
• Virtual working skills and ability to adapt to different work environments and travel as needed.

The close of business 7th March 2025.