School IT Manager

The SchoolAt Queen Elizabeth’s School, Dubai Sports City, we proudly extend the distinguished legacy of Queen Elizabeth’s School, Barnet, one of the United Kingdom’s most celebrated academic institutions. Founded on centuries of tradition and intellectual rigour, our branch schools uphold an uncompromising commitment to academic excellence, character formation, and cultural enrichment.Our vision is to cultivate dynamic, world-class learning environments where the next generation of confident, able, and responsible young people are shaped. We challenge our students to think independently, lead with purpose, and embrace a global perspective, all within a community that values tradition, discipline, and innovation. By blending the timeless values of our founding school with the opportunities of a rapidly evolving world, we ignite curiosity, inspire ambition, and prepare our students to make meaningful contributions to society, as scholars, leaders, and changemakers.The OpportunityWe are seeking an exceptional and proactive IT Manager to play a key role in the successful establishment and ongoing delivery of a reliable, secure, and innovative technology environment at Queen Elizabeth’s School, Dubai Sports City. As a start-up school, this role presents an exciting opportunity to support the implementation of the school’s core technology infrastructure, systems, and digital platforms from inception. Working collaboratively with senior leaders, teachers, operations teams, external vendors, and the wider school community, the postholder will help establish robust IT systems that enable outstanding teaching, learning, operational efficiency, and communication. The role will contribute to the successful implementation and management of school management and learning platforms, including systems such as iSAMS, Firefly, Zoho, OpenApply, Microsoft 365, safeguarding platforms, and educational technologies, ensuring operational readiness for school opening and beyond. As a key member of the school’s founding team, you will help shape the school’s digital vision in alignment with the mission of Queen Elizabeth’s School, Dubai Sports City, upholding the values and legacy of our founding institution, Queen Elizabeth’s School, Barnet.If you are a dynamic, solutions-focused, and forward-thinking IT professional with experience in educational technology and a passion for building systems from the ground up, we would be delighted to hear from you.The Role Job Title: School IT ManagerReporting to: Global Senior IT ManagerIT Infrastructure, Systems Implementation and School ReadinessSupport the implementation and ongoing management of the school’s IT infrastructure, including servers, networks, wireless systems, telephony, printers, end-user devices, and audiovisual systems to ensure operational readiness for school opening.Lead or support the implementation, configuration, testing, and administration of school management systems, including iSAMS, Firefly, Zoho, Open Apply, Microsoft 365, safeguarding systems, and other educational technology platforms.Work closely with school leadership and external providers to establish digital systems and workflows that support admissions, attendance, assessment, reporting, communication, safeguarding, and teaching and learning.Coordinate the implementation of IT systems required for a start-up school environment, ensuring all platforms are operational, integrated, and fit for purpose before the first day of school operations.Coordinate phased IT transition, migration, and coexistence activities within live operational school environments while ensuring minimal disruption to ongoing school operations.Support integration coordination across multiple school platforms and third-party systems including admissions, learning management, communication, safeguarding, finance, and operational ecosystems.Participate in operational readiness validation, implementation checklists, testing activities, and go-live support prior to school opening.Manage user account creation, permissions, email systems, and role-based access rights across all school systems for staff, students, and parents.Support device deployment and lifecycle management, including laptops, desktops, tablets, interactive displays, printers, and classroom technology.Ensure all classrooms, offices, specialist spaces, and communal areas are fully equipped with operational technology to support outstanding learning experiences.Maintain accurate inventories of IT assets, licences, warranties, subscriptions, and technology procurement to support efficient school operations.Contribute to IT planning, implementation projects, and digital transformation initiatives associated with school growth and expansion.Stakeholder Support and CommunicationCoordinate with internal stakeholders, implementation partners, and vendors to manage project timelines, dependencies, risks, and operational deliverables during implementation phases.Provide responsive first- and second-line technical support to staff, students, and parents, ensuring excellent service and timely resolution of technical issues.Deliver onboarding and induction support for all new staff, including account setup, system access, device configuration, and training on platforms such as iSAMS, Firefly, Microsoft 365, and school communication systems.Work collaboratively with teachers and leaders to support the effective integration of technology into teaching, learning, assessment, and communication.Liaise professionally with external vendors, implementation partners, and service providers to coordinate installations, support contracts, troubleshooting, and procurement.Support staff training and digital upskilling to ensure confidence and consistency in the use of school systems and technologies.Communicate technical matters clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.Monitoring, Evaluation, and ReportingMonitor system performance, network reliability, and digital service delivery to ensure operational effectiveness across the school.Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential records relating to IT support requests, system implementation, incidents, and asset management.Monitor the effectiveness and adoption of school systems, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, automation, and user experience.Support the preparation of reports, documentation, and audits related to technology provision, compliance, and school readiness.Analyse trends in support requests and system performance to proactively identify improvements and mitigate risks.Contribute to business continuity planning through effective system monitoring, backup processes, and disaster recovery procedures.Support IT service management processes including incident tracking, service delivery monitoring, operational reporting, and implementation documentation.Cybersecurity, Safeguarding and ComplianceSupport endpoint management and compliance across Apple and mobile device ecosystems using enterprise device management platforms such as JAMF and Microsoft Intune.Uphold the highest standards of cybersecurity by implementing secure systems, access controls, endpoint protection, filtering, monitoring, and network security measures.Ensure safeguarding responsibilities are supported through the implementation and maintenance of appropriate digital monitoring and filtering systems in line with school policies and local requirements.Ensure all IT systems and data management practices comply with relevant data protection, privacy, and compliance standards.Establish and maintain backup, recovery, and disaster recovery procedures to minimise risk and ensure continuity of operations.Promote awareness of cybersecurity, digital safeguarding, and responsible technology use through staff guidance and training.Model professionalism, accountability, and ethical conduct while maintaining confidentiality and data security.The PersonQualifications and ExperienceBachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Systems Administration, or a related field (preferred).A minimum of 5 years’ experience in an IT systems Manager role, preferably within a British curriculum or international school setting.Experience supporting school start-ups, new school openings, or major systems implementation projects is highly desirable.Strong operational experience implementing, supporting, and managing school platforms such as iSAMS, Firefly, OpenApply, Microsoft 365, safeguarding systems, and integrated educational technology ecosystems.Experience with networking, device management, audiovisual systems, cybersecurity, and cloud-based technologies.Experience managing third-party vendors, implementation partners, and IT procurement processes.Strong understanding of safeguarding, data protection, and IT security best practice.Personal QualitiesProven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, evolving start-up environment with changing priorities.Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple implementation projects simultaneously.Solutions-focused, proactive, and highly adaptable with a willingness to be hands-on when required.Commitment to delivering an exceptional service experience to staff, students, and parents.Excellent communication and collaborative skills with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.Commitment to safeguarding, professionalism, and maintaining a secure digital environment.Queen Elizabeth’s School, Dubai Sports City is an equal opportunities employer and is deeply committed to safeguarding our students, ensuring their safety and wellbeing. We expect all staff and members of our community to share this commitment and to promptly report any concerns about a student’s or community member’s safety or wellbeing. In accordance with our Safer Recruitment Policy, all applicants must be willing to undergo rigorous child protection screening, including checks with past employers and providing police clearance certificates from all countries that the applicant has resided in. The full Safer Recruitment Policy can be viewed on our website.