Applications Specialist - Remote in Bristol

Knovia Group is a people‑focused organisation delivering high‑quality learning and digital solutions in a modern, remote‑first environment. We place users at the heart of everything we do, designing services and systems that are efficient, secure and easy to use. Our culture is built on collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement. We encourage analytical thinking, clear communication and a strong sense of ownership, while supporting colleagues to work independently and adapt to change. With a commitment to attention to detail, security awareness and professional best practice, Knovia Group provides an environment where individuals can develop, contribute and make a real impact.

Please note that although remote due to GDPR and Data Protection in Education you will need to be based in the United Kingdom.

Location: Remote

Salary: Up to £32,000.00 dependent on experience

Hours: Fulltime - Monday-Friday (36.5 hours)

The Knovia Group is continuing its journey to enhance and modernise its digital workplace, ensuring our colleagues can work, connect and collaborate effectively across the organisation. We are looking for an experienced and customer-focused Applications Specialist to join our IT team. In this role, you will support, maintain and optimise a range of cloud-based applications, including learner management systems, educational platforms, booking systems and Microsoft 365 tools. You will provide high-quality first and second line support, ensuring applications are secure, reliable and aligned with business needs. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working in a service-driven environment, collaborating with stakeholders and vendors, and playing a key role in improving the digital experience for colleagues across the business.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide first and second line application support for business-critical systems, resolving incidents and service requests in line with agreed SLAs.
• Manage the application lifecycle, including installation, configuration, upgrades and patching.
• Monitor application performance, availability and security, proactively identifying and resolving issues.
• Apply ITIL best practices across incident, problem and change management processes.
• Work closely with vendors and internal teams to escalate and resolve complex application issues.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, knowledge base articles, FAQs and training materials.
• Support change and release management activities, including impact assessments, testing and deployments.
• Engage with stakeholders and product owners to understand requirements, priorities and upcoming changes.
• Ensure compliance with data protection, licensing and security standards.
• Contribute to service reviews, audits and contract renewals, providing reports on performance, SLAs and support metrics.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Experience supporting learner management systems, ideally within the apprenticeship or education sector.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft 365 applications, including Teams, SharePoint and PowerPoint.
• Experience using ITSM tools such as Jira or ServiceNow.
• Ability to triage and troubleshoot application issues using structured ITIL processes.
• Understanding of APIs and web services.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with confidence engaging technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience producing clear technical documentation and knowledge base content.
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively as part of a remote team.
• ITIL 4 Foundation or Managing Professional certification.
• HND, HNC or Level 5 qualification in Information Technology or a related discipline (desirable).
• NVQ/SVQ Level 3, A-levels or equivalent vocational qualifications will be considered.

We have a number of benefits available and all colleagues benefit from our standard benefits including:

• Generous Annual Leave: 21 days, increasing with length of service, plus a holiday purchase scheme.
• Holiday Benefits: 3 Knovia Days for our operational December closure and 8 Public Bank Holidays.
• Extra Day Off: Enjoy an additional day off to celebrate your birthday.
• Paid Volunteering Leave: Up to 3 days of paid leave for volunteering opportunities and corporate conscience initiatives.
• Perkbox: Access to a wide range of lifestyle benefits and wellness tools.
• Recognition and Long Service Awards: Celebrating the milestones and contributions of our colleagues.

All colleagues must adhere to our internal information security, data protection policies alongside all other policies and procedures. We are a Disability Confident Employer and have a guaranteed interview scheme in place to ensure that nobody is overlooked or discriminated against because of their disability. If you meet the minimum criteria when you apply and you have informed us in your application that you have a disability, you will be guaranteed an interview for that role.

To promote and maintain an inclusive working environment, as part of your application process we will ask you to share data on certain characteristics. These answers will not form part of the selection and recruitment process and will not be shared with anyone outside of the People Team.

Knovia is committed to the safeguarding and wellbeing of our learners and colleagues and we implement robust safer recruitment practices to support this. Dependant on the role you are applying for, we may undertake a number of necessary checks to confirm you are suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults, which may include a Disclosure and Barring Service check. We are also committed to promoting equality and inclusion throughout our colleague and learner populations.

Please note: We will be reviewing applications on an ongoing basis, therefore this role may close earlier than expected.