IT Operations Manager (Cluster) (Sheffield, Northampton, Norwich and Nottingham)

The Girls’ Day School Trust is seeking to appoint an outstanding IT Operations Manager (Cluster) to play a key technical and operational leadership role across a group of GDST schools in Sheffield, Norwich, Nottingham and Northampton.

The IT Operations Manager (Cluster) will be responsible for the delivery, management and continuous improvement of IT infrastructure, cloud platforms, systems and support services across the cluster. Working closely with cluster leadership teams, school stakeholders and Trust Office ITS colleagues, the postholder will ensure that technology services support high-quality teaching, learning, safeguarding and operational collaboration across all schools.

A major focus of the role will be the management and support of cloud-first educational technologies, with particular emphasis on Google Workspace for Education, which is heavily embedded across the Cluster schools. Significant hands-on experience administering and supporting Google Workspace is therefore essential, including user and device management, Google Admin Console, security policies, collaboration tools, data governance and troubleshooting within large multi-site environments.

The successful candidate will also provide technical leadership across a broad Microsoft ecosystem, including Microsoft 365, Azure/Entra ID, Windows Server, endpoint management and hybrid infrastructure environments. They will work closely with school technical teams and digital leads to deliver reliable, secure and scalable IT services aligned to Trust-wide standards and strategic objectives.

The IT Operations Manager (Cluster) will take ownership of IT service delivery and operational governance, applying ITIL-aligned best practices across incident, problem, change and asset management processes. The role will involve managing service quality, ensuring compliance with cybersecurity and safeguarding standards, and driving continuous improvement initiatives across the cluster.

The postholder will provide professional leadership and development for school-based technical teams, ensuring consistent technical standards, effective knowledge sharing and strong operational support capability across all schools. They will collaborate closely with EdTech leads, school leadership and Trust ITS teams to support innovation, digital transformation and the effective use of educational technology.

The IT Operations Manager (Cluster) will be accountable to the Trust Office ITS School Support Team for the technical management, installation, maintenance, security, availability and integrity of the schools’ IT infrastructure and cloud services. They will quality assure IT operations across the cluster, ensuring GDST standards, policies and procedures are consistently maintained.

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate

• Strong technical leadership across enterprise IT infrastructure and cloud services
• Extensive experience with Google Workspace for Education administration and support (essential)
• Experience managing Microsoft technologies including Microsoft 365, Azure/Entra ID and Windows environments
• Knowledge and application of ITIL service management principles and operational best practices
• Strategic delivery, digital transformation and change management experience
• Operational effectiveness, technical troubleshooting and service improvement
• Cybersecurity, business continuity, backup and disaster recovery expertise
• Quality assurance, compliance, reporting and governance experience
• Leadership, team development and cross-site collaboration skills
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication across technical and non-technical audiences

Why join GDST?

The GDST is a unique family of schools with a long history of excellence and innovation in girls’ education. We are proud of our distinctive ethos, our strong sense of purpose and our commitment to supporting both pupils and colleagues to thrive. This is an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution across multiple schools and to work as part of a values-led organisation with ambition for the future.