IT Services Manager

Job title:
IT Services Manager  

Department:
Systems

Division:
Technology Operations

Hiring Manager/reports to: Head of Technology Operations

Contract Type: Permanent, full-time

Company description:

Valenture Institute partners with the world’s leading education institutions to transform physical limitations into digital opportunities. We create new opportunities for students to choose an aspirational online learning experience by offering fully-supported online high school programmes.

As a social enterprise, Valenture Institute is also committed to levelling the playing field and increasing access for all students through free curriculum offerings, extensive scholarship programs and blended learning micro schools in underprivileged communities.

The role: 

Summary:

The IT Services Manager oversees the administration, security and optimisation of Valenture Institute’s IT service operations,end-user technology and collaborative platforms. The role supports the evolving IT needs of a large, rapidly expanding, distributed, remote-first workforce, ensuring reliability, scalability, and compliance across all environments.

Responsibilities:

• Own and manage the IT Service Desk function, ensuring high-quality, responsive support aligned to agreed SLAs

• Lead the IT Services team through effective mentoring, upskilling and performance management
• Administer and optimise Google Workspace, including user provisioning, security policies, compliance configurations, and environment management
• Administer and manage the Microsoft tenant (e.g., Azure AD / Entra ID, Intune, M365), ensuring secure identity management and device governance
• Ensure secure identity and access management across Google, Microsoft, and integrated enterprise systems
• Draft, implement and maintain appropriate IT policies, procedures and documentation.
• Support the Data and Engineering teams with system configuration, integrations and troubleshooting
• Implement and maintain robust cyber security controls, including endpoint protection, identity and access management, and data loss prevention
• Liaise with external consultants as required to conduct regular security audits, vulnerability assessments, and penetration tests to ensure compliance with ITSM and data protection standards
• Manage protocols, tooling and automations for employee lifecycle management (onboarding, offboarding and access management)
• Determine hardware requirements and manage device profiles for company-wide roles
• Oversee the full device lifecycle  including forecasting, budgeting, procurement, setup, distribution, asset tracking, patching, warranty, recovery, repair and decommissioning
• Collaborate with Engineering on infrastructure-related access, cost visibility, and governance controls 
• Identify IT-related risks and execute appropriate mitigation strategies
• Facilitate regular organisation-wide internal IT training initiatives (e.g. cyber security and AI literacy)
• Report on performance against agreed KPIs and service levels
• Manage IT budgets, ensuring cost efficiency and optimal vendor performance
• Assist with IT vendor selection and contract management
• Forecast, optimise and manage software licenses across multiple systems
• Drive automation and integrations to streamline operations
• Ensure compliance with relevant governance and data protection legislation (POPIA, GDPR, etc.)
• Manage DNS and SSL certificate renewals and configurations

Requirements:

• Tertiary qualification in IT-related field (e.g. Information Systems)
• Minimum of 5 years experience managing IT teams servicing 100+ employees
• Experience administering enterprise Google Workspace environments 
  
• Device management experience using, e.g. Microsoft Intune, Azure AD, Autopilot or Solarwinds
• Expertise managing Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems
• Familiarity with POPI, GDPR and related data protection legislation
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Strong organisational, analytical, and problem-solving abilities

Advantageous:

• Experience supporting a large remote-first workforce
• Experience administering Google Workspace for Education
• Experience with AWS administration (IAM, EC2, S3, VPC, CloudWatch)
• AWS certification(s) (e.g., Certified SysOps Administrator, Solutions Architect)
• Experience implementing ITSM frameworks such as ISO 20000 or ITIL
• Moodle administration experience
  

Benefits:

• Family member discount to Valenture Institute

• Remote working 
• Voluntary savings programme
• Half-day birthday leave

Equal opportunity employer:

Valenture Institute is committed to transformation and the company's Employment Equity plan will be considered during the selection process. Valenture Institute considers itself an Equal Opportunity Employer and thus aims to eliminate all forms of unfair discrimination in the recruitment and selection of staff.