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Vice President, IT Operations

NewGlobe

NewGlobe

IT, Operations
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Posted on Thursday, November 30, 2023

Who We Are - About NewGlobe


NewGlobe is working with visionary governments around the world to dramatically improve the quality of basic education. Founded in 2007, we partner with governments to provide integrated school management, teacher professional development, instructional design innovation, technological system support, child-centered classroom practice, and parent engagement -- all grounded in learning science -- to ensure each teacher is empowered to engage children in transformational learning, Our data-driven approach has been validated by a Nobel-winning researcher and recognition by international leaders in Education. We imagine a world where all children can access an education that unlocks their full potential.

We need bright minds who want to be part of building a new globe -- a more equitable globe -- to join us. More information: newglobe.education

Technology Group


Technology plays a critical role enabling us to provide transformative education at massive scale in highly resource constrained environments. This is one of the key elements that gives us the ability to deliver radically impactful programmes, creating brighter futures for a generation of children across the world each day. Technology spans several key functions, including product management, business intelligence, software development and IT operations. Working with us, passionate technologists have a chance to directly change the world.

IT Operations

IT Operations is responsible for last mile delivery of technology, ensuring that everyone, from school staff to executives, have the functioning technology they need to excel at their jobs. Our portfolio involves both proprietary and off the shelf applications that need to run in challenging environments (inconsistent power, unreliable network connectivity, users who are not digital natives) and at significant scale (many thousands of schools, ten support offices - and growing). IT Operations also oversees the technical infrastructure that powers and connects all of our global offices.

Within the Technology Group, IT Operations also holds the distinction of being the only department with a dedicated presence in each of our operating programmes, meaning that is also the key conduit and primary advocate for all aspects of Technology, ensuring the work done by the other Technology departments delivers on its potential.

About the Role

As Vice President, IT Operations, you will be responsible for delivering the department’s mission of providing highly available, well-supported, and cost effective technology solutions into the hands of all members of the organisation in support of our educational mission. It combines the challenges of managing IT across a large scale network - thousands of different locations across many countries and tens of thousands of IT assets in those locations, most without direct network connectivity - with the need to provide the back-office IT necessary to support a growing multinational company.

This entails overseeing several IT Operations teams to understand and address their complex software, hardware, and operational challenges; defining and executing strategic initiatives that ensure our solutions are scalable, both locally and globally; and understanding and advocating for the use of technology and data to support delivery excellence at scale. In short, you will be the glue that holds together the complex technical offering that enables the entire model to work. You’ll need to understand the technology, people, and processes in equal measure.

To achieve this, you will need knowledge of the relevant formal IT tools and processes, an exceptional ability to collaborate, listen, and communicate, and a passion for continuous improvement. You will need to be a fast-moving and a hands on resilient problem solver - while simultaneously being obsessed with ensuring the scale and sustainability of our operations. And you will need to be strong analytically, with the ability to use data to drive operations at scale.

To help you accomplish all this, you will have a team composed of regional directors to provide functional oversight for the IT Operations teams in each of our individual programmes and a shared services team to provide high-leverage activities. You will report directly to the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and be a member of the core Technology Leadership team, alongside the heads of Software Development and Product Management.

What You Will Do

  • Oversee a comprehensive IT service management function, coordinating across all regional and shared services teams and across multiple channels. The IT Operations function should be equally adept at incident management and problem management, as well as knowledge management and change management.
  • Refine key IT policies and processes, such as the field support model or asset management policy - and ensure those policies are both followed and evolve. This includes the development of detailed “playbooks” to provide detailed guidance on standard operating procedures.
  • Establish KPIs for departmental performance, and then ensure transparent communication around and successful delivery against those measures.
  • Develop IT strategy, roadmaps, and budgets that are linked to company objectives and support the strategic objectives of country leadership.
  • Innovate the way we provide Tech support to schools, using data at scale, remote interventions, and a detailed understanding of operations on ground.
  • Define the appropriate organisational structure within IT Operations for overall effective service delivery and operational excellence. This includes fostering teamwork, learning, and professional excellence across all members of the IT Operations department, as well as creating professional development frameworks that meet the needs of the employees and the company.
  • Oversee the procurement of appropriate IT Assets, from defining end-user hardware and software catalogues, to supply chain activities related to procuring assets used in schools. This also involves partnering with other departments on the definition, piloting, and rollout of next generation IT hardware for our schools, from updated teacher tablets to thermal printers, pico projectors, and more.
  • Collaborate with government partners to ensure our compliance with contractual and regulatory obligations on aspects like hosting and data governance.
  • Ensure support offices have appropriate and high-functioning IT infrastructure.

What You Should Have

  • 15+ years of commercial IT experience, ideally across a number of different types of organisations, from startups to established enterprise companies. Experience with companies undergoing rapid growth is especially desirable.
  • 5+ years experience directing IT Operations and managing teams.
  • Significant experience with a global IT service management function.
  • Experience managing large scale distributed device networks across multiple geographies, and ideally in environments with unreliable infrastructure.
  • Formal knowledge of ITIL practices, especially ITAM (IT Asset Management) and ITSM (IT Service Management).
  • Proven experience in IT infrastructure strategic planning and development, project management, and policy development.
  • Familiarity with managing the IT infrastructure of physical offices.

Values of Successful Employees at NewGlobe

We are looking for new joiners who are energized by our mission and share our values.

Detailed doers, creative problem-solvers, relentless advocates, malleable learners, data-driven decision-makers and curious investigators do well at NewGlobe. Learn more about our values and how to succeed as a job-seeker at NewGlobe on our LinkedIn page.

What to Expect from the Interview Process

We have a rigorous, merit based hiring process. The process is designed to simulate the essential parts of the job and introduce you to your role in the business should you join our team.

We will never ask for payment as part of the interview process and we are committed to a fair process free of discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, citizenship or disability.

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