Junior IT Technician

We are looking for a Junior IT Technician to join our IT Team to support the delivery of high-quality, customer-focused IT support across schools within the Ark IT service cluster.  You will contribute to delivering IT support within your assigned schools, ensuring that incidents and service requests are progressed and resolved efficiently in line with agreed SLAs and KPIs.

This is a development role where you will gain hands-on experience, build technical capability, and work closely with Onsite and Senior Technicians to develop your skills while contributing to a consistent and professional IT service.

All support is delivered through approved service channels. You will work closely with Ark network IT teams and senior technicians to maintain system availability, resolve technical issues, and ensure a consistent and professional IT service is delivered across all supported locations.

You will be part of Ark’s cluster-based IT support model, working from a primary base school while providing IT support across multiple schools within the cluster. You may occasionally be required to work at other sites, including outside your immediate cluster, to maintain service levels. IT services operate Monday to Friday between 07:00 and 18:00, with flexibility required to provide early or late coverage depending on the rota and service needs.

The Junior Onsite IT Technician will report into Cluster IT Manager. This role is currently will be based in South London on a permanent basis working full time.

Interviews will be arranged once suitable candidates are identified, early applications are advised.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assess, log, categorise and prioritise incidents and service requests using the ITSM system
• Manage and prioritise tickets in line with agreed SLAs and processes, retaining ownership through to resolution, including where escalation is required
• Keep users informed throughout the ticket lifecycle, ensuring all actions, updates and communications are accurately recorded in the ITSM system
• Provide onsite IT support through approved service channels, reinforcing appropriate use of the ITSM platform with school employees
• Diagnose and resolve a broad range of IT issues across end-user devices (Windows, macOS and ChromeOS), AV and classroom technologies, printers and peripherals, and wired and wireless connectivity
• Support core platforms including Microsoft 365, Active Directory and device management tools
• Work with senior technicians and Ark network teams on more complex issues where required
• Maintain accurate asset register records
• Support IT service delivery across the cluster to maintain service continuity
• Support delivery of IT projects including device rollouts, system upgrades and infrastructure changes

Key Requirements:

• Right to work in the UK
• ITIL 5 Foundation qualification or motivated to work towards one
• Understanding of IT support in a multi-user environment
• Knowledge of data protection and information security principles
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism
• Strong customer service skills with the ability to communicate effectively with non-technical users  
• Ability to manage workload across multiple sites and priorities
• Experience using an IT service management system
• Ability to diagnose and resolve IT issues independently
• Experience supporting IT systems including Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, Microsoft 365, Active Directory, Mobile Device Management, and networking fundamentals such as wireless, switching and connectivity troubleshooting
• Liaising with third party suppliers where required
• Experience working within a school or Multi-Academy Trust environment
• Experience supporting AV and classroom technologies
• Understanding of ITIL-based service management practices
• Proactive and solution-focused approach
• Ability to build effective working relationships
• Commitment to delivering high-quality customer service

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with each year of service up to 30 days after 3-years’ service. This entitlement is pro rata for part time employees. This entitlement excludes bank holidays
• Full office closure between Christmas and New Year
• As an Ark employee, you will have the opportunity to be part of the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme, our workplace pension scheme where we make an 11% contribution; you are not required to contribute towards this scheme unless you choose to. Depending on your role you may also be entitled to LGPS which is a defined benefit scheme where you contribute a percentage based on how much you earn (as do we) in exchange for a guaranteed amount in your pension pot every year
• Access to high-quality professional learning throughout your career, offering both face-to-face sessions and a bespoke online learning platform
• Access to Ark Rewards scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers, interest-free loans available for season tickets or a bike, gym discounts offering up to 40% off your local gym and free eye tests

Ark is an education charity that exists to make sure that all children, regardless of their background, have access to a great education and real choices in life. Our network of 39 schools reaches traditionally underserved communities in Birmingham, Hastings, London and Portsmouth. We educate 30,000 pupils and have nearly 3,000 teaching staff across our network. We also incubate and scale innovative ventures, which we roll out beyond our network of schools for the benefit of teachers, pupils and the education system as a whole. Current Ventures include Ark Curriculum Plus, which equips teachers with the subject expertise needed to ensure students succeed, and Ark Start, a growing chain of nurseries offering affordable, high-quality early years education.

Recently, Ark moved to new offices at EdCity – a unique not-for-profit development in West London, in partnership with Hammersmith & Fulham council. EdCity is designed to bring mission-aligned organisations together to focus on improving the lives of children, especially through education. It offers leased offices, a range of venues for training and events, and an innovation hub for the education sector to connect, collaborate and learn together.