The IT manager is responsible for the provision and support of all IT services within the Freetown Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), by ensuring the availability and reliability of the IT infrastructure i.e. PCs, printers, e-mail, data communication links, cabling infrastructure, UPS and telephony.  S/he is responsible for managing the local IT budget, as well as offering technical advice and guidance to the office in the form of training, security and the provision of a helpdesk facility.  S/he will be required to work closely with the Information and Digital Directorate (IDD) Regional Manager and FCDO Regional Technical Support Service Officers as well as HQ in London on the implementation of new or upgraded systems.

The IT manager will be a confident self-starter, with excellent problem solving and customer service skills, and have the ability to multitask effectively and meet tight deadlines.

Roles and responsibilities:

Help Desk Support

• Service Now desk.
• Will maintain a database to record users’ requests for assistance.
• Will assist in the diagnosis of faults on the LAN in the British High Commission.
• Will assist the IDD Regional Manager and FCDO Regional Technical Support Service Officer in the rollout and implementation of various hardware upgrades.
• Will be responsible for the rebuilding of laptops as required.
• Will be responsible for carrying out basic computer house-keeping tasks, including tracking of loaned equipment.
• Will be responsible for the sanitisation (deleting hard-drive information) of old/obsolete local ICT equipment prior to timely disposal according to disposal guidelines.
• Will carry out ad-hoc support tasks such as network cabling and termination of patch leads.
• Will be responsible for the printer and photocopier maintenance and ensure that there is always an adequate supply of toner cartridges.
• Will follow up on outstanding IT related issues with the service desk to job ticket closure.
• Install and maintain software packages as required by members of staff, under the direction and guidance of IDD. (Development Office Only)
• Manage routine Servicing / maintenance of all PCs, Printers, Servers and UPSs
• Will be responsible for the updating of the IT records inventory in the British High Commission.
• Will be responsible for setting up desktops and workstations for training sessions.
• Will be responsible for setting up external VC sessions and the projectors for presentations in the various meeting rooms.
• Escalation of major IT related issues will be directed to IDD Regional Manager accordingly.
• Will be required to attend to any other IT related issues as directed by the IDD Regional Manager or the local office senior management.
• Manage local IT related service contract, monitor SLA of the fibre optic and VSAT bandwidth network services and escalate violations accordingly.
• Undertake systems monitoring, upgrades and development as required by Service Desk.

 IT Security

• Manage the integrity of the network by ensuring the physical security of data through planned backup and recovery procedures as advised by HQ.
• Implement and maintain strict password procedures to guarantee privacy and security of data.  .
• Ensure contingency procedures are in place for the recovery of data.
• Ensure that the IT component of the Business continuity plan office is fully functional.

IS Training

• The successful candidate will provide induction training to new users on the standard software packages and systems, such as Microsoft products, Insight, FCDO Net, Sharepoint etc.

Budget monitoring, Procurement and Maintenance of IT equipment

• The candidate will act as the first point of contact on the provision of appropriate specification for purchasing new IT equipment.
• The successful candidate will setup and monitor local IT annual budgets.
• The successful candidate will monitor and process payments on all communications bills (mobile phone bills and internet bills)

Inventory Management

• Maintain an up-to-date inventory of all IT hardware.
• Ensure that IT maintenance contracts are in place and that they are carried out as scheduled.
• Manage, monitor, and report on the performance of the existing IT infrastructure to ensure that it is within the agreed service level agreement targets.

• Excellent customer service skills
• Good knowledge of windows operating systems, especially Microsoft applications including Microsoft Exchange and the use of Microsoft office tools like word, excel, Power Point, Visio and projects.
• Hands on experience in the installation of IT hardware and software
• Good organisational skills. Good time management including the ability to prioritise and effectively manage and execute multiple tasks to a high standard either as an individual or team effort.
• Fluency in spoken and written English language
• A First degree in computer science or any engineering discipline or related field or relevant work experience.
• The individual must have a flair for working with IT systems. A Microsoft or Cisco certification will be an added advantage.
• Individuals with a minimum of 3-5 years experience and a diploma in IT-related field can apply in lieu of a first degree.
• Language: the successful candidate needs to be fluent in English (both written and spoken)