IT Manager

Job content

ACM is a specialist creative industries education provider with approximately 2,200 students on a range of FE and HE programmes in Music Performance, Creative Artistry, Production, Technical Services, Business Management and Game Development. Our creative and dynamic environment blends academic excellence and professionalism alongside leading-edge industry thinking and business innovation.

ACM seeks an IT Manager to work from its ACM Guildford location, with travel to ACM’s other sites (including Metropolis Studios) as required and to be paid for by ACM in accordance with our expenses policy. 40 Hours per week are to be delivered with flexibility on start time in a working day, and homeworking will also be possible depending on workload. From time to time, it may be necessary to work outside of the usual hours in evenings and/or weekends to perform maintenance and/or respond to emergency situations in order to ensure uptime of the network in working hours. As an IT Manager at ACM, you’ll be responsible for:

Governance

Governance refers to the implementation of operational parameters for organisational, departmental and individual use of IT systems, architecture, and networks. Governance is based on workflow processes that integrate business rules, organisational expertise and legislation. Specific responsibilities for the IT Manager include the development and maintenance of:

• User Access Control – Using Microsoft Active Directory, Microsoft Azure Cloud and Google Workspace, ensuring that the right staff members have access to the right services, that nobody is given unnecessary access to services, and that user access control is maintained in accordance with HR staff changes, in order to protect the integrity of the network organisation’s infrastructure and security of its intellectual property

• Device Management – Using JAMF Pro MDM software to monitor and control usage of company-owned computers at ACM, in accordance with organisational aspiration and legislation, in order to protect the integrity of the organisation’s infrastructure and the security of its intellectual property, as well as to protect the company-owned hardware itself as a company asset.

• Network Traffic Management – Not all devices used to interface with ACM’s network infrastructure will be company-owned and/or governed by device management software. Network Traffic Management therefore ensures that everything flowing across ACM networks, regardless of which device is sending/receiving that traffic, is compliant with organisational aspiration and legislation, in order to protect the integrity of the organisation’s infrastructure and the security of its intellectual property. ACM usess Fortinet network technologies including Firewalls and WiFi Infrastructure. Knowledge of Fortinet or another enterprise-class networking product will be important.

• HR Policy – Ensuring staff understand organisational expectation and legislation in the area of use of Information Technology at ACM by way of the development and maintenance of policy in this area.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure refers to the hardware components, the network, the circuitry, and all other equipment necessary to make an IT system function according to the established needs of the company, whilst securing, and storing electronic data that belongs to the organisation. Specific responsibilities include development and maintenance of:

• Network and Server Hardware – Ensuring that the hardware comprising the organisation’s infrastructure is in good working order and of suitable specification to meet the organisation’s need, resilient to viruses, malware and other internal/external threats. You will need to have good knowledge of Microsoft Server 2012+ and an awareness of virtualisation software/hardware.

• User Hardware – Ensuring that user hardware is in good working order and of suitable specification to meet the agreed organisational and user need, resilient to viruses, malware and other internal/external threats. You will need to be able to support both Microsoft Windows 10+ and Apple OS X devices. As a creative organisation, good knowledge of Apple products is essential.

• Telephony and Communications – Ensuring internal and external phone calls, as well as conference calls, auto-attendants, call routing and other forms telephony technology are in good working order and of suitable specification to meet the organisation’s need. Working similarly to ensure that Mobile, Email and Web communications are also maintained and suitably specified. ACM uses 8x8 VOIP technologies to support telephone communications, so knowledge of VOIP software as a service is welcomed.

• Business Continuity – Ensuring that plans are made, documenting what would happen in the case that any given network system should fail. Plans must be designed to restore functionality quickly to avoid damage in terms of finance, productivity or reputation.

Functionality

Functionality refers to creation and/or maintenance and/or management of applications, assisting in the use of software and data management to all functional areas of the organisation. Specific responsibilities include development and maintenance of:

• Software Licensing – Working to maintain a master spreadsheet of software licenses at ACM in order to ensure efficiency and good visibility of software used across the organisation, as well as to provide a view of where data may be contained/hosted for legislative purposes.

• Staff IT Induction – Ensuring that new starters to the organisation are provided with everything they need to know about working with IT systems at ACM, not only to improve the new starter experience, but to improve IT competence amongst staff (thus reducing IT Support requirements), but in order to achieve better compliance in use of technology.

• IT Support – Providing support for all the users who need access to the company’s computer systems. This might entail installing new software or hardware, repairing hardware that has become faulty, training employees in the use of new software, and troubleshooting problems.

Overall Responsibilities

• To understand the importance that technology plays in delivering the core objectives of the business.
• To be accountable for the health and working order of the technology network and infrastructure at ACM.
• To assess and document the technical needs and expectations of various stakeholders within the business pertaining to technical infrastructure by way of the maintenance and development of a variety of documentation including ACM’s IT Departmental Plan and ACM’s IT Infrastructure Manual.
• To propose solutions where the current technical infrastructure is not able to meet the needs and expectations of the business’ stakeholders.
• To train staff in using equipment and infrastructure.
• To propose solutions where current systems are not able to meet the needs and expectations of the business’ stakeholders.
• To procure and/or develop solutions and create user/training manuals for these solutions, where necessary.
• To train staff in using systems.
• To develop, enact and enforce policy surrounding the use of technology and technical equipment at ACM.
• To approach technical support from a proactive standpoint by way of education of end users, including the creation of bespoke workshops and video resources.
• To maintain the technical infrastructure to ensure business continuity.
• To audit risk surrounding the technical infrastructure and to maintain (and regularly rehearse) a disaster recovery plan.
• To develop and sustain effective working relationships within the team, sharing knowledge and good practise at all times.
• To develop and sustain effective working relationships with colleagues across the company.
• To deliver the highest levels of customer service and operational excellence at all times.

Expected Regular Weekly Tasks include (but are not limited to):

• Maintenance and Development of ACM’s Infrastructure Manual.
• Progression of ACM’s Network Resilience project as per ACM’s IT Departmental Plan by way of configuration and deployment of the various Fortigate network components.
• The creation and operation of a new Disaster Recovery Plan that rehearses a variety of scenarios and better prepares the business to respond to an emerging situation in the future.
• Maintenance and updates on all IT Hardware and Licensing.
• Being responsible and accountable for the working order of the ACM technology network and its associated hardware and infrastructure.
• Direct management of two IT Support Staff and less frequent and/or indirect management of the IT-related workload of other support staff that work across our organisation.
• Supporting colleagues in troubleshooting issues across all ACM campuses and Metropolis.
• Reporting on the activities of the Department (including support demand and response levels with reference to a service level agreement) by way of a written weekly report to ACM’s Executive Council.

Please be aware all ACM staff must undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service Check prior to starting. This will need to be renewed once every three years.

This job purpose reflects the core activities of the post. As the Department and the post-holder develop, there will inevitably be some changes to the duties for which the post is responsible, and possibly to the emphasis of the post itself. ACM expects that the post-holder will recognise this and will adopt a flexible approach to work. This could include undertaking relevant training where necessary. Should significant changes to the job purpose become necessary, the post-holder will be consulted and the changes reflected in a revised job purpose.

ACM reserve the right to close job adverts earlier than the advertised end date where required based on volume of applications.