IT Engineer

Overview

The Pointer School (TPS) is an independent prep and pre-prep school in Blackheath, South-East London. The school provides an outstanding education to 350 pupils, supported by 80 staff. The school uses Google Workspace for its core business services. All pupils and staff have access to an iPad on a 1:1 basis. Staff work from a mixture of Windows PCs and MacBooks. Devonshire House Preparatory School (DHP) is a thriving, co-educational independent school set across three Victorian sites in the heart of Hampstead. Renowned for its intellectual and creative learning environment, the school combines academic rigour with strong pastoral care, providing a premium, well-rounded education to around 500 pupils aged 2 to 13. Devonshire House has recently upgraded the network infrastructure across all sites and all staff and pupils have embraced Microsoft 365 through an all-Windows environment. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of two forward-thinking independent schools that value innovation, creativity, and the use of technology to drive educational success.

The Role

This is a full-time, permanent position shared between the 2 schools. The IT engineer will have to be able to travel to each school as per an agreed schedule (e.g. 2 days in one school and 3 days to the other). Flexibility to change the schedule may be required depending on the schools’ needs. For escalations beyond second-line support, both schools have access to IT leadership. The role will report to the Bursar and Head of Digital Learning at DHP and the Bursar at TPS. There is a dotted-line to Dukes Education’s Head of IT. This will provide additional oversight, governance and opportunities for collaboration with the broader IT teams across the group. This structure ensures that while the IT Engineer is the first point of contact for all IT matters onsite, they are supported by a wider ecosystem for complex technical issues and strategic initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Support Service: Responsible for the IT support service across both schools including the maintenance of all the school’s IT systems, network, and communications infrastructure on a day-to-day basis.
• End-user hardware & Core Ecosystems: Managing end-user hardware provisioning, updates, security, connectivity, and configuration for M365 at DHP and Google Workspace at TPS (MacOS, iPad OS, Chromebooks and Windows).
• MDM: Management of Intune for Windows devices at DHP, GWfE for Chromebooks and a selected MDM specific for iPad and MacOS devices at TPS.
• AV & Printing: Managing and supporting classroom AV (interactive whiteboards, projectors, Audio-visual devices, printers, photocopiers).
• Network & Core IT Infrastructure: Responsible for supporting the infrastructure network switches, routers and firewalls whilst escalating to the MSP any 2nd-3rd line issues.
• Administration & IAM: Administration of Microsoft 365 at DHP, GWfE at TPS including user identity management and automation.
• End-User Support: Provide end-user support and training regarding IT software, systems and processes to users in-person and remotely.
• Vendors Management & Coordination: Managing 3rd party suppliers and ensure cost efficient procurement of hardware and services.
• Budgets & Strategy: Contributing to decisions on IT budgeting as well as forecasting and recommendations on IT strategy.
• Documentation & Asset Management: Managing licences, asset lists, and contracts on hardware and software and maintaining an asset register of all IT equipment.
• Security & Data: Managing, maintaining and developing IT security and compliance policies including GDPR and CIS Controls.
• Project Management: Contribute and implement the future IT Roadmap by managing projects.

NB The role involves regular movement between buildings, carrying and setting up IT equipment, and may require occasional lifting of items such as computers, AV devices, and networking hardware.

Essential Skills & Education

• Demonstrated experience as 2nd level IT engineer/system administrator.
• Strong knowledge and experience in Microsoft 365 administration, Intune and Entra ID.
• Strong knowledge and experience in Google Workspace administration.
• Strong knowledge of iPad and MacOS MDM solutions.

Desirable Skills & Education

• Experience in network administration (switches, WAPs, network controllers, routers, TCP/IP, DNS, VLAN).
• Education sector experience.
• Knowledge of school IT systems such as MIS, Safeguarding, parent communications.
• Strong experience in supporting users on daily basis.
• Strong knowledge of End-user computing devices including HW/SW support, installation, configuration, and deployment of laptops, desktops and tablets.
• Experience in media Audio/Visual devices (Projectors, Interactive TVs).
• Experience in ticket desk analysis and workflows.
• Experience in Firewall, AV, WebFilters, Security policies.
• Experience in VOIP Comms and other telephony.
• Project Management and or ITIL knowledge and experience.

Person Specification

• Communication: Communicate persuasively, adapting style and messaging to an audience of educators who may not understand IT jargon.
• Planning: Demonstrate planning, prioritisation and resource management skills.
• Proactiveness: Demonstrate a proactive attitude to fix issues before they become problems, identify IT needs and suggest improvements.
• Strategy: Be an IT advisor to school leaders, identify and implement solutions to strategic challenges, delivering lasting benefits to the school.

Start date: Mid to end of August 2026

Location: The Pointer School - 19 Stratheden Road, London SE3 7TH; Devonshire House Prep - 2 Arkwright Road, London NW3 6AE and surrounding buildings.

Working hours: Monday-Friday from 08:00am to 04:00pm, however flexibility for out of hours work will be required occasionally.

This is an on-site role. This is a full-time role contracted through The Pointer School, covering IT duties for Devonshire House as well.