Posted on November 6, 2012

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Technology Manager

About KIPP Bay Area Schools

The mission of KIPP Bay Area Schools is to operate high-achieving public schools in educationally underserved communities, developing in our students the knowledge, skills, and character essential to thrive in college, shape their futures and positively impact the world. KIPP (The Knowledge is Power Program) began in 1994 in Houston, Texas. Today, there are 125 KIPP schools in 20 states and Washington, D.C. serving more than 39,000 students. KIPP Bay Area Schools is the regional nonprofit that currently serves 2,500 students through its seven schools, with a total of 225 employees and annual revenue of $25 million. Our schools are located in San Jose, Oakland, San Lorenzo, and San Francisco; and we plan to open new schools in San Jose and San Francisco.

Position Overview

The Technology Manager will work closely with our School Leaders, Regional leadership team, and the Innovation Manager to understand their needs and identify, implement, and support cost-effective technology solutions for our schools and regional office. The Tech Manager will oversee end-user technology procurement and support, as well as network infrastructure management, maintenance, and growth. This position will play an influential role in guiding the region’s technology strategy and will be a critical member of the region’s strategic Tech Council. The Tech Manager will have the opportunity to hire a Tech Associate to join his/her team and will coordinate his/her internal team’s work with that of external tech vendor(s) that provide routine and project-specific support to schools. The ideal candidate is an excellent project manager with sound technical skills, a strong customer service orientation, and a track record of getting things done and done well. This position will be located at our Regional Support Office (RSO) and will travel frequently between all of our school sites (San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and San Lorenzo). This position will report to the Chief Operating Officer.

Duties and Responsibilities First 6 months:

• Manage and improve our internal Helpdesk, and provide direct support to 230 teachers and staff across our region.
• Learn and improve upon current technology procurement practices
• Support on-going projects with the COO, including bandwidth upgrades at 2 schools and the deployment of new student laptops into our classrooms (with the support of identified vendors)
• Learn the basics of each schools’ network
• Design and oversee implementation of a robust inventory asset management that documents all KBAS inventory: routers, switches, student/staff computers, access points, etc. and can be managed by the internal team and external support vendor
• Train Operations Managers at our schools on how to be “first responders” to tech issues.
• Understand leadership team’s and Innovation Manager’s current plans and long-term vision for integrating technology into our classrooms
• Craft job description for, and hire, Tech Associate to join our internal team and report to the Tech Manager
• Establish and implement robust back-up practices at schools and the regional office
• Provide input on strategic technology decisions at routine Tech Council meetings (composed of COO, Tech Experts and 2 Board Members).

6 – 12 months:

• Create and project-manage a plan to transition all staff to gmail, and potentially to GoogleApps for other applications. Work with external consultants as needed. Target transition is Summer 2013.
• Successfully manage Tech Associate, especially with regards to addressing all Helpdesk needs swiftly and effectively and following smart practices on procurement and inventory management.
• Coordinate the work of external technology vendor to provide high quality, routine support to our schools and regional office.
• Learn E-Rate Process and take over management of E-Rate from the COO. Work closely with our consultants who manage this with KIPP. (Includes: applying for federal discounts for telecom and Internet services and ensuring KBAS is compliant with CIPA and E-rate regulations at all times.)
• Independently project-manage ad hoc tech projects at school sites, such as new computer lab deployments.
• Research opportunities to improve and enrich our technology tools and practices

12 Months+:

• Continue with ongoing responsibilities and tasks delineated in 6-12 month timeframe
• Increasingly manage outsourced technology vendor(s)
• Design a project plan and budget for ~2,500 students to take the Smarter Balanced computer-based end of year assessments in 2014/2015 and for a ~500 student pilot to practice taking the assessment in Spring 2013/2014 (replacing the California Standards Test).
• Provide input into strategic direction for the region with regards to Technology, and write portions of Technology Plan

Skills & Qualifications

• At least 3-5 years of experience supporting IT operations, ideally in an educational environment.
• Bachelor’s Degree
• Experience as a Technical Project Manager highly preferred
• Superior project management, communication, and customer service skills
• Strong foundational technical skills in troubleshooting PCs, installing/uninstalling software, networking printers, and managing networks. Microsoft, Google, Apple, and other industry certifications are preferred but not required.
• Team player with a positive attitude. Willing to find a way or make one.
• A passion for KIPP Bay Area Schools’ mission and a firm belief that all children can excel

Salary

Competitive salary and benefits commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Application Instructions

Please submit a letter of interest and resume through KIPP Careers at http://kippcareers.force.com/jobboard?site=Bay Area