hero

Explore Career Opportunities with GSV’s world-class partners

Powered By

Nu Advisory Partners
27
companies
3,804
Jobs

Strategic Technology Partner

Strada Education Network

Strada Education Network

IT
Washington, DC, USA
Posted on Oct 18, 2023
Overview
The Technical Solutions Manager will report to the Senior Director of Strategic Technology and be responsible for engaging with business units, affiliates, projects, and individuals to create optimal outcomes for all involved. They bring best practices from multiple disciplines including traditional Systems/SaaS Administration, DevOps and SaaSOps, Change Management, Business Relationship Management, and Agile Project Management. They are strong communicators and strategic thinkers. They work closely with our Corporate Operations Engineering team and our Security Architecture team to ensure strong support and security outcomes.
Listening, learning, and teaching are key aspects to the job as technologies, including core productivity technologies, are continually changing. The Strategic Technology team is responsible for keeping up to date with the latest and best practices and they strive to share that learning within the rest of the IT team and organization through established communication channels, by updating documentation, and through building and updating training.
Context
Strada Education Foundation is a national nonprofit social impact organization that supports programs, policies, and organizations that strengthen connections between education and employment in the U.S., with a special focus on helping those who have faced the greatest challenges securing economic opportunity through postsecondary education or training (PSET). Our new strategic plan focuses on five strategic pillars: clear outcomes, quality coaching, affordable PSET, work-based learning, and employer alignment.
We work with partners in education and training, nonprofit organizations, industry, startups, and public policy. We leverage strategic philanthropy, investments, research, communications, advocacy, and collaborating organizations as tools to help advance equitable pathways to opportunity. Strada aspires to be a nonprofit partner of choice working with education and training providers and leaders, policymakers, and peer organizations. Strada offers a dynamic, collaborative, and inspiring professional environment that provides learning and professional development opportunities, both within the organization and with external partners.

Key Responsibilities

  • Serving as the strategic interface between IT and one or more business partners to stimulate, surface, and shape business demand for IT’s business assets and capabilities.
  • Working closely with the Chief Information Officer and Senior Director of Strategic Technology to understand enterprise business needs, technology priorities, and team goals; contributing to the IT strategic roadmap and assisting in creating long-term strategies for growth and maintenance of the corporate IT infrastructure.
  • Maintaining relationships with business units, stakeholders, and affiliates.
  • Consulting and problem solving on issues, initiatives, projects involving one or many teams and technologies.
  • Educating teams and users through training and/or documentation to support adoption, compliance, and reinforcement.
  • Performing software, server, and integration troubleshooting.
  • Deploying, updating, or managing new software.
  • Configuring new and existing software and integrations.
  • Decommissioning software and systems.
  • Maintaining an accurate inventory of all company software assets.
  • Providing top-tier support to end-users; Collaborating on initiatives and issues with our Corporate Operations Engineering team.
  • Supporting the security and compliance of company systems including malware and phishing investigation and vulnerability administration with our Security Architecture team.
  • Identifying and improving processes by maintaining, monitoring, and implementing automation and communicating changes to the IT team.
  • Leading the evaluation, planning, design, and execution of new or existing software tools and systems.
  • Occasionally provides in-office on-site IT technical support for users when remote helpdesk support is unable to address IT service requests or if on the ground support is required and/or requested.
  • Performs other duties, tasks, and special projects as required.

The Person: Qualifications and Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
  • Five (5) years of technical experience administering systems, servers, and networks.
  • Formal training or experience with common operating systems (Windows 10, macOS, and ChromeOS) and common productivity suites (Microsoft Office and G Suite).
  • Experience in SaaSOps, using and administering cloud and SaaS tools such as Microsoft 365, G Suite, Slack, Zoom, Meet or related.
  • Experience with administering corporate system security products (antivirus, patch management, encryption, spam prevention) and common corporate security practices.
  • Technical certifications such as CompTIA A+, Network+, G Suite Certification, G Suite Professional Collaboration Engineer certification, or related (preferred).Coursework or demonstrated experience with scripting languages (Javascript, Python, Powershell, Bash) or CLI tools (Ansible, Puppet, GAM, Google Apps Script, etc) for automation or custom reporting purposes (preferred).
  • Formal training or experience with Agile/Lean or adjacent methodologies, including project management (CPM) and change management (CCP) (preferred).
  • Formal training or experience in business relationship management (BRMP) or communications (preferred).
Mission and Values Alignment:
Committed to providing equitable pathways to opportunity through PSET, particularly for individuals who have faced significant barriers. Demonstrated alignment with Strada's guiding values, commitment to building a strong and healthy workplace culture, and working in a collaborative environment.
Strategy and Innovation Leadership:
Adept at operationalizing strategy and effectively communicating strategic endeavors within the organization and in external contexts, both verbally and in writing. Particular skill in designing annual plans, monitoring progress, and refining plans as needed. Adaptable with tolerance for ambiguity. Able to problem-solve and navigate varied viewpoints. Capacity to refine efforts based on evidence that change is needed. Ability to lead efforts to visualize and monitor change. Capability to see and support innovative ideas and opportunities across the organization, and to embed innovation within operational plans. Capabilities in taking the perspective of others and adapting an agenda and approach – toward a shared aim - accordingly.
Strategic Problem Solving:
Ability to effectively utilize a hypothesis-driven approach to problem solving, with effective quantitative and communication skills. Ability to take on broad-reaching and sometimes ambiguous questions while working collaboratively and cross-functionally with Strada team members across the organization.
Execution and Operations Leadership:
Ability to translate innovative, strategic ideas into tangible, actionable steps, as well as to effectively monitor progress and partner with others on identifying improvements during implementation to increase the likelihood of successful execution.
DEI Commitment:
Commitment and professional experience advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within and organization, including incorporating stakeholder perspectives in the design, implementation, and evaluation of strategic efforts.
Relationship Building and Collaborative Capabilities:
Demonstrated ability to cultivate, grow, and manage positive, mutually beneficial relationships at all levels of an organization and with partners outside the organization. Strong communication, interpersonal and relationship management skills—including identifying and working through challenges—underscored by strong judgment and emotional intelligence. Proven collaborator, able to work with colleagues at all levels in the organization.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to Strada’s organizational vibrancy, employee experience, and mission. Strada is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workplace-certified by Diversity for Social Impact, a strategic professional and organization development company dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion to drive social impact worldwide. We strongly encourage applicants from people of color/the global majority, immigrant, bilingual, and bicultural individuals; people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA2S+ and gender nonconforming communities; and people with other diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. We believe every member on the team enriches our workplace by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and discover, design, and deliver critical insights and solutions.