Senior IT Operations Associate

ABOUT ALU At the African Leadership University (ALU), we're more than just an institution—we're a catalyst for transformation. Our mission is to develop a new generation of ethical and entrepreneurial leaders who will shape Africa's future. Through our innovative curriculum, focus on experiential learning, and vibrant pan-African community, we empower students to become changemakers, problem-solvers, and innovators. At ALU, we're not just teaching; we're nurturing the leaders who will drive Africa's progress and prosperity in the 21st century We are dedicated to fostering an open yet secure environment, balancing the safety of students, staff, and visitors with respect for individual rights and safeguarding responsibilities. ABOUT THE ROLE The Senior IT Operations Associate is responsible for delivering reliable, secure and responsive technology services across the campus. The role serves as a central technical contact for staff and students and supports the institution’s devices, applications, networks, cloud services and physical security technology. Beyond resolving day-to-day technical issues, the Senior IT Operations Associate will improve how IT services are delivered by automating repetitive work, strengthening self-service support and using approved AI tools to increase efficiency and identify recurring problems. This is an on-campus position, Monday to Friday. Occasional evening or weekend availability may be required for critical incidents, system updates and infrastructure projects. Some remote support may also be required. ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES 1. IT Service Delivery and User Support - Provide responsive L1 and L2 technical support to staff and students through the service desk, Slack, Google Meet and phone. Support the development of automated support features leveraging AI Capabilities within our tools and systems. - Diagnose and resolve hardware, software, connectivity, access and application issues across Windows and macOS environments. - Manage support tickets throughout their full lifecycle, ensuring that requests are accurately recorded, prioritised, updated and resolved within agreed service levels. - Keep users informed of progress and communicate technical guidance in clear, accessible language. - Escalate complex, systemic or high-risk issues to the IT Operations Lead, IT Services Manager or relevant service provider. - Identify recurring issues and recommend permanent solutions rather than repeatedly addressing the same symptoms. - Contribute to the development and maintenance of user guides, technical documentation and self-service knowledge resources. 2. Automation, AI and Continuous Improvement - Identify repetitive, manual or inefficient IT processes that can be simplified or automated. - Develop and maintain scripts, integrations and automated workflows for routine activities such as user provisioning, access management, device configuration, reporting and ticket administration. - Use approved AI-assisted tools to improve diagnostics, knowledge retrieval, ticket categorisation and response quality. - Analyse service desk data and recurring ticket patterns to identify preventative interventions and service-improvement opportunities. - Support the development of an AI-enabled knowledge base and self-service support capability. - Validate AI-generated recommendations before applying them to institutional systems. - Ensure that AI tools are used in accordance with institutional policies, cybersecurity standards and data-protection requirements. - Track the impact of automation and AI initiatives through measures such as time saved, ticket deflection, first-contact resolution and SLA performance. 3. Systems and Application Support - Support Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Office and other approved institutional applications. - Administer user accounts, groups, permissions and access rights in line with approved identity and access-management processes. - Configure laptops, desktops and mobile devices for staff and students. - Perform password resets and support secure account-recovery processes. - Assist with software deployment, updates, patching and licence administration. - Support user onboarding, role changes and offboarding in collaboration with relevant institutional teams. 4. Hardware and Campus Technology - Install, configure, troubleshoot and maintain laptops, desktops, monitors, projectors, interactive screens, printers, webcams and sound systems. - Support campus networking equipment, including switches, routers and wireless access points. - Coordinate the repair, replacement and responsible disposal of technology equipment. - Maintain accurate asset, allocation, warranty and stock records. - Support equipment procurement, licence renewals and inventory planning. - Safely move and install technology equipment when required. 5. Network Operations and Security - Monitor network availability, performance and security alerts. - Investigate alerts proactively and take appropriate action to prevent or minimise user impact. - Maintain and configure the Cisco Meraki environment within the responsibilities assigned to the role. - Liaise with managed service providers on outages, complex incidents and infrastructure changes. - Support endpoint security, patching, device compliance and vulnerability-management activities. - Apply least-privilege, secure-access and identity-management principles. - Escalate suspected security incidents promptly and assist with investigation and remediation. - Maintain accurate network, infrastructure and incident documentation. 6. Cloud Services Administration Provide operational and identity and access-management support for: - Google Workspace - Microsoft 365 and Azure - AWS - Other approved cloud and SaaS platforms Responsibilities include: - User and role administration - Permissions and access reviews - Operational monitoring and troubleshooting - Supporting secure configuration and audit requirements - Coordinating incidents and changes with internal teams and external providers 7. Access Control and Physical Security Technology - Provide technical support for electronic door-access systems, access cards and CCTV platforms. - Coordinate with Facilities, Security and external service providers to resolve system issues. - Ensure that access rights are issued, changed and removed through approved processes. - Protect access and surveillance data in accordance with institutional privacy and security requirements. 8. Team and Vendor Coordination - Provide day-to-day guidance to the Tech Support Agent and Coordinator. - Coordinate and supervise temporary interns and volunteers supporting IT activities. - Allocate work, monitor progress and support the development of junior team members. - Liaise with third-party service providers and external partners. - Monitor vendor performance and escalate service-delivery concerns. - Support infrastructure projects, system upgrades and campus technology initiatives. Ensure the safety and well-being of all young persons and vulnerable adults with whom we deal, by adhering to ALU’s comprehensive safeguarding policy, maintaining a zero-tolerance approach to any violations of safeguarding standards PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES Success in this role will be assessed through: - Operational Visibility: Consistent, proactive communication with stakeholders across departments. - Automation & AI Adoption: Pilot approved AI tools to categorize tickets, improve diagnostics, or automate repetitive tasks. - Structured Processes: Review documentations and update , create new ones as needed, those are to be centrally accessible for our core services , expanding to the rest of IT Services scope. - Service Stability: Reduced reliance on reactive fire-fighting and increased predictability in service delivery. REQUIRED EXPERIENCE The basics: - Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems or a related field, or an equivalent combination of relevant qualifications and experience. - At least five years’ experience supporting IT systems, networks and end users in a professional environment. - Practical experience providing L1 and L2 technical support. - Strong working knowledge of computer hardware, applications, operating systems, networks and communications technologies. - Proficiency in current Windows and macOS environments. - Experience administering Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. - Experience supporting network infrastructure and diagnosing connectivity problems. - Understanding of identity and access management, endpoint security and network-security principles. - Ability to prioritise incidents and work with urgency while maintaining accuracy. - Strong problem-solving and logical-thinking skills. - Ability to explain technical information clearly to users with different levels of technical knowledge. - Strong interpersonal and stakeholder-management skills. - Professional fluency in written and spoken English. - Willingness to work on campus and provide occasional after-hours support. What gets us excited: - Knowledge of Cisco Meraki products - A+, Network+ or Cisco Certified Network Associate certifications - Strong proficiency in Network Security principles and protocols - Proficiency in Linux operating systems - Experience securing computer networks and systems - Experience working with cloud-based technologies - Experience working at a higher education institution in Africa - Knowledge of AI tools and their application in IT support - Strong proficiency in Network Security principles and protocols