Information Technology (IT) Support Officer at Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) - 2 Openings

Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) is an international development company. For more than 45 years, we have worked on the frontlines of international development, tackling fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. Currently, DAI is delivering results that matter in some 80 countries.

Our development solutions turn ideas into impact by bringing together fresh combinations of expertise and innovation across multiple disciplines. Our clients include international development agencies, international lending institutions, private corporations and philanthropies, and national governments.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Information Technology (IT) Support Officer

Locations: Kano and Lagos
Name of Project: USAID Youth-Powered Ecosystem to Advance Urban Adolescent Health (YPE4AH)
Reports To: Operations Manager and liaise regularly with the DAI Nigeria Integrated Support Services Unit Systems Administrator
Contract Duration: 12 Months

Program Overview

• The Youth-Powered Ecosystem to Advance Urban Adolescent Health (YPE4AH) Activity was awarded to DAI Global LLC and partners —Yellow Brick Road (YBR), Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (YEDI), Women Friendly Initiative (WFI), and Grassroot Soccer (GRS) in May 2020.
• The five-year (May 2020 - May 2025) activity will empower young Nigerians to access the skills, social capital, and resources needed to realize their futures. The primary goal is to improve health and well-being of urban, underprivileged, out-of-school and unmarried adolescents age 15-19 by increasing voluntary family planning (FP) uptake and continued use-from a holistic, human capital perspective.
• The Activity will focus on slums in Lagos and Kano states. These are the two largest urban areas in the country and reflect diverse cultural and socioeconomic contexts, providing an opportunity to inform adaptation to different zones and scale-up for greater impact.
• The youth-powered ecosystem centers around Youth Hubs-safe spaces for youth to seek and access FP and reproductive health (RH) information and referrals. The Activity will adapt and scale up evidence-based, high-impact SKILLZ curricula, which combine sports and fun-based activities and group sessions to spur healthy behavior change and shift attitudes for more equitable gender norms. The Youth Hubs will establish spokes to youth-friendly FP/RH and other social support services, including for gender-based violence (GBV).
• Additionally, the Activity will leverage partnerships with public and private sector partners to facilitate youth job training and job placements, as well as to foster sustainability of all interventions. Together these elements support our theory of change.
• YPE4AH’s success is measured directly by its key components which include:
  • Enhance youth life skills for healthy living and future planning
  • Foster Leadership and an enabling social and policy environment for adolescent health and development; and
  • Increase youth workforce readiness, job opportunities, and entrepreneurship to address socioeconomic determinants of adolescent health.

Job Summary

• The IT Support Officer is responsible for ensuring the set-up of IT systems and ensuring IT needs for the projects two offices are established: this includes system installations, maintenance, support, and technical advice. The IT Support Officer is responsible for ensuring that DAI established standards set by the DAI home office are followed and that proprietary project solutions are fully functional, efficient, and cost effective.
• Responsibilities also include the establishment and maintenance of LANs (Local Area Networks) in the program’s offices in Lagos and Kano. The IT Support Officer will ensure that proper backup and restore procedures are followed, maintain network security (antivirus and communication devices), and that end users have remote and online access to shared files, printers, and email. When needed, he/she will also be responsible for conducting IT assessments and preparing reports for grantees and project partners per DAI’s Office of Internet Management and Technology (OIMT) standards to ensure that appropriate solutions (equipment, softwares and services) are proposed and provided to beneficiaries.
• DAI’s Office of Information and Management Technology (OIMT) will provide the training, guidelines, and technical support to the IT Support Officer. It is the responsibility of the IT Support Officer to keep OIMT informed of issues and/or proposed system modifications (hardware and software purchases) via tools provided by OIMT IT Operations team such as request templates, support email address, and OIMT Technical Approval group email address.

The IT Support Officer objectives and duties include but are not limited to:

• Technical and operational support for all YPE4AH business technology such as management of computer hardware and software systems, project mobile devices, office intercom systems, and audio-visual equipment (camera’s, CCTV, etc.);
• Objectively assess failures, faults and issues reported using conventional assessment modalities and tools to determine causative factors and recommend adequate solutions timely response
• Local network maintenance and installation (cabling, switches and NIC configuration TCP/IP, NAT, TCP/IP printing, windows network and domain services on TCP/IP);
• WAN connectivity and maintenance (Internet connection and services, and devices configuration and maintenance);
• Server and server application maintenance (Hardware integration, Windows 2012 / 2016 server maintenance, Hyper-V, WSUS services, antivirus maintenance and monitoring, backup services);
• Client computer hardware and application installation, configuration and maintenance (Laptops, Desktops, MS Windows 10 Pro, MS Office Suite, IBM Notes, O365 general use and troubleshooting, antivirus installation and troubleshooting);
• User support and training;
• Management and supervision of support provided by local companies (ISP or other provides or IT services);
• Responsible for all the above-mentioned tasks in Project’s field office;
• Regular communication with the Home Office OIMT IT Operations team regarding network, system hardware and software changes/issues/updates and user registration, updates and termination;
• Provide assistance in procurement and evaluation of all technical equipment (including phones, copiers, etc., in compliance with DAI IT Standards and procedures);
• Administer IP PBX extensions;
• Maintain IP PBX hardware and phones;
• Communicate with OIMT IT Operations team regarding implementation of special features on the system;
• Assist local office managers in properly inventorying IT equipment;
• Conduct IT assessments for beneficiaries and produce reports per DAI OIMT procedures;
• Prepare procurement specifications and SOWs for IT procurements per DAI standards;
• Review all IT procurement requests in TAMIS;
• Assist Facilities Manager and provide advice in annual IT inventory and software audits;
• Maintain a good knowledge and understanding of all policies and procedures as set forth in the project’s Field
• Operations Policy Manual and DAI Operations Manual.

Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent professional certification, or equivalent years of relevant experience required;
• Minimum of 4 years of experience in the field of information technology, systems administration, maintenance and user support, post graduate certification in related fields is an added advantage;
• PC and Server support experience;
• Knowledge of Windows Server & Windows Client operating systems;
• Knowledge of Windows network services: AD, DNS, DHCP, WSUS, Print and file sharing;
• Experience or basic knowledge of IBM Notes Client configuration, and replication within a WAN;
• Experience with Outlook client or O365 principles;
• Knowledge of backup and restore services;
• Physical and logical LAN and WAN infrastructure principles;
• Communication equipment and VPN services.

Other Requirements:

• Good knowledge of English language (written and spoken);
• Team player and good communication skills;
• Proactive in solving issues;
• Self-motivation in handling all assigned tasks.
• This job description summarizes the main duties of the job. It neither prescribes nor restricts the exact tasks that may be assigned to carry out these duties.

Application Closing Date
25th February, 2022.