Infrastructure Support Specialist

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

In this role, you are accountable for

Technical Operations

1.    As an Infrastructure Support Specialist you will support the Infrastructure Support Manager/Head of Technology Operations to deliver innovative ICT projects, support and develop the current ICT Infrastructure, Network, Systems, Telephony and Desktop Platforms while delivering excellent customer service and system availability in line with Service Level Agreements, while using ITIL processes and other service delivery frameworks.

2.    Working with key suppliers, support the configuration and ongoing management of the BSA network environment.

3.    Translate business requirements for IT services into technical deliverables within the network environment. It will require a thorough understanding of industry trends and opportunities.

4.    Sustain a lead position within technology solutions and bring expertise in terms of Microsoft Azure environments, networking and telephony systems and solutions.

5.    Ensure BSA networks operate securely, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of key business systems,

6.    Ensure robust monitoring and alerting of the network environment is effectively managed

7.    Ensuring that a comprehensive network patching scheme is enforced and maintained across BSA networks.

8.    Liaise with suppliers in obtaining quotations for goods and services appropriate to the department.

9.    Organise enhancements and upgrades as and when required through change control.

10.    Ensure that comprehensive technical and system documentation is established, updated and maintained.

Staff Management

11.    Undertake and support relevant recruitment and selection in line with organisational processes.

12.    Train, mentor, and coach other team members, and apprentices to enable the on-going personal development and growth of skills within the team.  

13.    Co-ordinates and allocates work to other team members in line with agreed delivery of service

14.    Conducting meaningful appraisals and 1-1s, identifying and meeting development needs, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the impact and success of implemented training plans

Knowledge Management

15.    Research of the marketplace and constant awareness of industry trends and innovation using information to inform the ICT strategy of the NHSBSA and as input to design activities. 

16.    Maintains their technical, system and business knowledge to ensure a sufficient level of business-critical information is available to the business and organisation.  Continues to develop technical and service management skills as technology and guidance changes and communicates any changes in policy requirements, information and data quality requirements to enable the development of solutions to support the business.

17.    To work with NHSBSA staff and Third Parties to ensure that ICT standards, governance and processes are in place for producing and maintaining up to date, comprehensive, comprehensible documentation which will include IT service “blueprints” for all systems and services.

Relationship Management

18.    Identify opportunities, engaging and fostering relationships and partnership working within the organisation, and with third parties, to identify and deliver value to the organisation.

19.    Establishes and maintains communication with individuals and groups about difficult or highly complex matters overcoming any problems in communication.  Communicates effectively at all levels to both technical and non-technical audiences, verbally and in writing taking account of confidentiality and sensitivity constraints where appropriate.  Ensures good and effective communication channels are in place with all internal and external stakeholders.

20.    Brings together technical specialists from different teams across in-house delivery and 3rd party suppliers to ensure joined up approach to both operational service delivery and to roadmap, improvement planning with the technical knowledge to convene and lead both service improvement and innovation workshops and major problem management activities. 

21.    Required to build working relationships, maintain communication and resolve complex issues with external suppliers and business leads relating to service delivery to ensure Incidents, Problems and Change Requests are resolved. Work is delivered against agreed quality criteria and monitor to ensure within agreed budget & timescales. 

22.    Work with organisations external to the NHSBSA (e.g. the DHSC and GDS) when necessary to assist in clarifying their needs and requirements and be capable of devising options for ICT solutions, along with full assessment and cost estimation. 

Information Management

23.    Handles sensitive commercial & financial information, ensuring that the ICT solution architectural designs adhere to relevant legislation and standards including for example, Information Security, NHS Confidentiality and Data Protection legislation. 

24.    Implement, monitor and report on a number of areas including agreed service levels, KPI's and standards within technical operations.

25.    Monitor, report, present or escalate issues as appropriate to the Infrastructure Service Manager.

Delivery Management 

26.    Operate as an SME and point of authority across the full scope of ICT operations, making credible, pragmatic and practical decisions and communicate with sensitivity and diplomacy to ensure the right technical direction is followed and to guide the business to make the best use of its existing ICT where appropriate and to make recommendation about what other ICT assets it needs to invest in. 

27.    To demonstrate creativity and innovation in applying Infrastructure solutions and services to develop and improve services and quality for the benefit of the organization and/or the end user of technology services. This includes devising and managing initiatives to enable exploitation of digital services, capacity, performance, and system availability improvements that ensure business targets are met or exceeded and legacy services decommissioned, whilst ensuring data security and controlled access to data. 

28.    Provide specialist input and participation in the evaluation, benchmarking, specification and procurement of hardware, software and services, including the effective use of open source products.